Lawrence E. Schmidt, Esq.

President
Appointed: July 2009 – Term Expires: June 2014

Mr. Schmidt is a partner at Smith, Gildea & Schmidt, LLC; a law firm specializing in land use matters including zoning, development, historic preservation, environmental issues, and related litigation. He has served on the Baltimore County Zoning Commission and the Baltimore County Board of Appeals. A 1975 graduate of Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College), Mr. Schmidt received his law degree from the University of Baltimore. Mr. Schmidt also has participated in many volunteer and community activities; he served as president of the Greater Towson Committee and on the board of the Home Builders Association of Maryland. He has volunteered for the regional Mock Trial program in association with the Maryland State Department of Education and Baltimore County Public Schools. Mr. Schmidt is married to a Baltimore County Public School kindergarten teacher, and his family members are all products of Baltimore County Public Schools. 

Valerie A. Roddy

Vice President
Appointed August 2008 – Term expires: June 2013

An Assistant Director to the state Deputy Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, Ms. Roddy formerly worked both for Baltimore County government as well as the Baltimore County Public Schools system. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Baltimore, and she is married and has two children. Her interests also include antiques and cycling.

Dr. Joe A. Hairston

Secretary - Treasurer

Dr. Joe A. Hairston has served since 2000 as Superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools, one of the nation’s 25 largest school systems. His results-based leadership has yielded rising student academic achievement throughout his tenure.

Many of the strategies Dr. Hairston employs in Baltimore County – including development of a “blueprint” for school system progress, effective use of technology to support student achievement, and key partnerships with the College Board and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) to promote college attendance – evolved over the course of his noteworthy career.

In 2007, the Horace Mann League of the USA elected Dr. Hairston to its 12-member Board of Directors. The League is comprised of 1,000 renowned educators who share the belief that public schools are the cornerstone of democracy.

Recognized by presidents and the national media, Dr. Hairston has been honored with dozens of honors, including The Washington Post’s Distinguished Educational Leadership Award, the Maryland State Department of Education Vanguard Award, and the 2006 Virginia Tech Graduate Alumni Achievement Award. In 2005, Dr. Hairston received local, national, and international honors for his leadership in educational technology, including an Outstanding Leadership Award from the International Society for Technology in Education. Dr. Hairston has been recognized as Superintendent of the Year by The Fullwood Foundation and has been profiled in District Administration, Christian Science Monitor, and Scholastic Administr@tor magazines.

Dr. Hairston earned a doctorate in education administration from Virginia Tech, a master's degree from American University, and bachelor's degree from Maryland State University. Click here for more information.

Logan McNaney

Student Representative
Appointed July 2011 – Term expires:  June 2012

As a senior this year at Lansdowne High School, Mr. McNaney is enrolled in the school’s Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program and plans to major in computer engineering.  Active in track and field events, he also has been honored for his high school participation in both cross country and indoor track.  Mr. McNaney also enjoys swimming and serves as an usher at Second English Lutheran Church.

Michael H. Bowler

First Council District
Appointed July 2010 - Term Expires: June 2015

A longtime observer of education in Maryland, Mr. Bowler spent 34 years as the education writer, editor, and columnist for The Baltimore Sun until his retirement in 2004. He earned degrees at Columbia College in New York and from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, and he has served on the School Improvement Team at Hillcrest Elementary School in Catonsville. A former teacher of English, social studies, and journalism, Mr. Bowler is married and the father of a son, and he enjoys collecting beer cans and spending time with his grandson.

Cornelia Bright Gordon

Member-at-Large
Appointed July 2011 – Term expires: June 2012

Biographical information to follow.

James E. Coleman

Fourth Council District
Appointed July 2011 – Term expires: June 2016

Mr. Coleman is a professor of mathematics from Baltimore City Community College. With more than 40 years of service to education, he is a member of the National Association of Developmental Education and the Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics. A married father of one daughter and grandfather of two, he earned a master's degree in 1970 from Morgan State University.

Michael J. Collins

Member-at-Large
Appointed July 2011 – Term expires: June 2016

Mr. Collins currently serves as the Chairman of the Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals.  A graduate of the University of Scranton, he also holds an advanced degree from the Johns Hopkins University.  Previously, Mr. Collins taught at Kenwood High School for 30 years, served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for eight years, and served as a member of the Senate of Maryland for 16 years.

Rodger C. Janssen

Sixth Councilmanic District
Appointed August 2004 - Term Expires: June 2014

Mr. Janssen received his five-year Board appointment in August 2004. He brings with him a long association with Baltimore County Public Schools through his participation with the PTA Council of Baltimore County, where he had been a vice president and a member for 12 years. He holds life memberships in both the national and state PTA organizations. Professionally, Mr. Janssen received a degree in construction management at the Community College of Baltimore in 1970 and has been employed as Construction Manager for the Maryland Transportation Authority. He also served on the Board for “Kids Helping Hopkins.” Married and the father of two daughters, Mr. Janssen also enjoys photography and fishing.

Ramona N. Johnson

Second Council District
Appointed: August 2004 – Term Expires: June 2014

Ms. Johnson began her Board of Education service in August 2004 following her appointment to a five-year term. Married and the mother of a son and two daughters, Ms. Johnson is employed by NeighborWorks America as a Management Consultant. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. She is a 2002 graduate of Leadership Baltimore County and serves on the boards of the Liberty/Randallstown Coalition and the Community Capital of Maryland. She has served as chair of the Urban Design Assistance Team for Randallstown and enjoys reading, arts, and crafts.

George J. Moniodis

Member-at-Large
Appointed July 2010 - Term Expires: June 2015

Currently a commercial sales associate for Coldwell Banker in Catonsville, Mr. Moniodis has more than 44 years of public affairs management experience, including 35 years as Public Relations Director and Director of Governmental Affairs for St. Agnes Healthcare. He has served as a member of the Maryland Citizen Advisory Council for the Red Line and recently won the 2010 St. Agnes Healthcare Caritas Award. The married father of two daughters, Mr. Moniodis is a graduate of Baltimore City College and earned a degree in Industrial Management from the University of Baltimore. He has also served as president of Buddies, Inc., and as president of the Greektown Community Development Association.

H. Edward Parker

Seventh Council District
Appointed: July 2006 – Term Expires: June 2014
Vice President 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

A Dundalk native, Mr. Parker is the retired principal of Sollers Point Technical High School. He came to his career as an educator following an 11-year manufacturing career in the private sector. Mr. Parker received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Baltimore in Business Management and a master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University in Educational Administration. He has served as a trustee for the Community College of Baltimore County and is a member of the board of directors for the Dundalk Renaissance Corp., member of the Bayview Medical Center Community Advisory Board, and the residential community representative for the Port Land Use Development Advisory Council. Under his leadership as principal at Sollers Point Technical High School, the school became ISO-9001 registered in 2000 – the only high school in the nation to meet the quality standards of business and industry.  During his 30 years with Baltimore County Public Schools, Mr. Parker also served as supervisor of vocational-technical education. He is proud of his five children, 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

David Uhlfelder

Member-at-large
Appointed August 2008 – Term expires: June 2013

Mr. Uhlfelder is a certified public accountant who attended the University of Maryland College Park and earned his degree in business and public administration. He is married and is a member of the board of directors for the Pikesville Chamber of Commerce and a life member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Uhlfelder is also a Board member and treasurer of the Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital.