Board of Education

Roberta S. Wise, Chairman
Email: rswise@ccboe.com

Roberta S. Wise is a retired Charles County Public Schools teacher with 34 years of experience. A former Charles County Public Schools Teacher of the Year, she also received the Washington Post Agnes Meyer award for outstanding teachers in 1991. For most of her career, she served as a mathematics teacher at Henry E. Lackey High School. She was a coordinator of the Educational Partnership Team and a math resource teacher before retiring in 1999. Mrs. Wise is a former member of the Charles County Planning Commission. She resides in Marbury with her husband and has one child, who is a graduate of Lackey High School. She was elected in November 2006 for her first term.

Maura H. Cook, Vice Chairman
Email: mcook@ccboe.com

Mrs. Cook is a nurse and a former award-winning Destination Imagination coach, parent-teacher association officer and parent volunteer. She is a co-founder of the Women’s Exercise Research Center of the George Washington University and a past presenter at the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual conference. Mrs. Cook works as a registered nurse local care coordinator. She works with primary care physicians assisting with care coordination, education and health promotion. She is active with the Maryland Association of Boards of Education. Mrs. Cook has a bachelor’s degree in science and nursing from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, and a Master’s degree in education and human development from George Washington University.  She lives in Newburg with her husband and two children. She is entering her second term and was first elected to the Board in 2006.

Jennifer S. Abell, Member
Email: jabell@ccboe.com

Jennifer S. Abell is the Director of the March of Dimes for Southern Maryland and a long-term resident of Charles County. She is a member of the New Life Wesleyan Church, Charles County Chamber of Commerce, Partnerships For A Healthier Charles County and the Fetal Infant Mortality Review Board. In addition, she volunteers as an Outreach Counselor for the Center for Abused Persons.  Ms. Abell lives in La Plata with her four children. She was first appointed in 2004, and elected in November 2006.

Patricia Bowie, Member
Email: pbowie@ccboe.com

Patricia Bowie is a children's outreach librarian for the Charles County Library. Mrs. Bowie has more than 25 years experience in administrative and personnel management in both public and private industry and she is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, she also volunteers with a number of community or­ganizations including Christmas in April, the Red Cross, USO, Operation Welcome Home and the Charles County Right to Life. She has a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership and management from Regent University. She has been a Waldorf resident for 15 years and resides with her husband and son, a Westlake High School graduate. Mrs. Bowie is one of two new members elected in November 2010.

Michael K. Lukas, Member
Email: mlukas@ccboe.com

Michael Lukas is an engineer and program manager at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division. He is an active community volunteer and serves as a youth sports coach and an assistant Boy Scoutmaster. He is a member of and volunteers with several com­munity organizations, including the Greater Waldorf Jaycees, Christmas in April and Relay for Life. He earned his Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, and has completed graduate studies in systems engineer­ing at George Mason University and the Naval Post Graduate School. Mr. Lukas lives in La Plata with his wife and son. He is one of two new members elected in November 2010.

Pamela A. Pedersen, Member
Email: papedersen@ccboe.com

Pamela A. Pedersen has more than 25 years of experience in management, instruction and support activities in work, school and volunteer settings. She has served as a long-term ESOL substitute teacher and as a parent volunteer. A member of the North Point High School Athletic Boosters, Mrs. Pedersen also works as a lobbyist and local public relations associate for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. She is an adult forum coordinator and youth parent coordinator at Peace Lutheran Church in Waldorf. Mrs. Pedersen has a bachelor’s degree in consumer and family sciences from Purdue University in Indiana. She lives in Waldorf with her husband and has two daughters. She was first elected in November 2006.

Donald M. Wade, Member
Email: dwade@ccboe.com

Donald M. Wade, first elected in 1998, is a four-term Board member and a native of Charles County. He has served as Thomas Stone High School SAC president and helped bring the JROTC programs to Charles County. Col. Wade spent 30 years on active duty and was a Professor of Aerospace Studies at three universities. He was a teacher, a department chairperson and a faculty advisor to 21 JROTC units in Prince George's County before retiring in 2006. He was a member of the Charles County Board of Zoning Appeals, and is a distinguished graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park ROTC program and the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore.

Azeezat Adeleke, Student Member
Email: aadeleke@ccboe.com

Azeezat Adeleke is the student member of the Board. She is a senior at North Point High School and serves as President of North Point's Student Government Association. She also is the Editor in Chief of the Eagle Eye, North Point's student newspaper and a member of Model United Nations and National Honor Society. Her favorite subjects are government, history and English. She is an avid follower of politics and aspires to work in public policy or diplomacy. She lives in Waldorf with her family.

James E. Richmond, Superintendent of Schools
Email: jrichmond@ccboe.com

James E. Richmond is the Superintendent of Schools. He serves as the Board of Education's secretary-treasurer and manages the day-to-day operation of the school system. Mr. Richmond first came to Charles County Public Schools in 1966 as a classroom teacher and later became principal at Thomas Stone High School. He has also served as director of supervision and curriculum, director of school administration and as a regional administrator. He began serving as superintendent in 1997, and was named Maryland's 2003 Superintendent of the Year. His term expires in July 2013.