Charles County Public Schools - Board of Education

Member Profiles

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

Donald M. Wade, first elected in 1998, is a third-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.

Roberta S. Wise, Vice 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 has been a member of the Charles County Planning Commission for six years and served as the vice chairperson for the last three years. 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.

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, La Plata Kiwanis Club, Charles County Chamber of Commerce, Charles County Commission for Women and Partnerships For A Healthier Charles County and the Fetal Infant Mortality Review Board. She is also president and treasurer for the Indian Head Swim Team and a youth leader at New Life. Mrs. Abell lives in La Plata with her husband and four children. She was first appointed in 2004, and elected in November 2006.

Collins A. Bailey, Member
Email: cbailey@ccboe.com

Collins A. Bailey is a self-employed lumber broker and consultant. He is a lifetime resident of Charles County and a 1972 graduate of La Plata High School. Mr. Bailey resides in Hughesville with his wife and four children and is a member of Grace Brethren Church. He is a member of the Charles County Christian Businessman's Committee and a member of Gideon's International. Mr. Bailey was elected to his fourth term in November. First elected in 1994 he has served as chairman and vice chairman of the Board.

Charles E. Carrington, Member
Email: cecarrington@ccboe.com

Charles E. Carrington is an electrician with F&M Electrical Services, Inc. in Upper Marlboro, MD. His community involvement spans the past 20 years and includes coaching; member, John F. Kennedy Council, Knights of Columbus; past President Maurice J. McDonough High School Athletic Boosters; and seminar leader for Empowering the African American Males at Mattawoman Middle School and Jenifer Elementary School. He is a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in La Plata, MD and a Christmas in April volunteer. Mr. Carrington is a 1970 graduate of Lackey High School. He and his wife, Deborah, live in Pomfret and have four children all of whom graduated from Maurice J. McDonough High School. He was first elected in November 2006.

Maura H. Cook, Member
Email: mcook@ccboe.com

Maura H. Cook is a parent volunteer at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School where she has served as secretary of the PTA and coach of a Destination Imagination team. She is a small business owner and formerly worked as a nurse and exercise physiologist in both hospital and outpatient settings. She graduated from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, with a bachelor’s degree in science and nursing. Mrs. Cook has a Master’s degree in education and human development from The George Washington University. She lives in Newburg with her husband and two children. She was elected to her first term in November 2006.

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.

Ashin Shah, Student Member
Email: ashah@ccboe.com

Ashin Shah is the student member on the Board. He is a senior at Thomas Stone High School, where he has served as class president since his freshman year. He was the president of the 2006-07 Charles County Association of Student Councils (CCASC) and is an executive board member on the Maryland Association of Student Councils (MASC). He is a member of the It's Academic, Computer Bowl and mock trial teams and is an officer of Stone's chapter of the National Honor Society. He also served as a Research Fellow at the National Institutes of Health during summer 2007. A resident of Waldorf, he is the son of Drs. Dhiren and Avani Shah.

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. The Board recently voted to reappoint Mr. Richmond to a third, four-year term. His term expires in July 2009.