Board Of Education Shakeup As Williams Resigns/Hess Becomes President/Merrell Vice President

Salina Williams, vice president of the Harford County Board of Education and a member of the board since 2003, abruptly announced her resignation Monday night during a session in which a pair of fellow board members ascended to new positions.

Along with Williams’ departure, there was a shakeup in the makeup of the Board of Education as Pat Hess became president and Lee Merrell became vice president.

More details and information to follow when available.

Here are their bios from the Board of Education web site:

Patrick L. Hess, Board Member, Appointed 2004, a lifelong Harford County resident with strong ties to both the business and social communities, wasappointed in August 2004 to complete the almost two years remaining on the term of Karen L. Wolf. Mr. Hess is president and chief executive officer of Operations Management, Inc. W.D.P.B., Inc. which currently operates nine Denny’s Restaurant franchises in the area, a position he has held since 1986. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, Mr. Hess is also a graduate of North Harford High School. Mr. Hess and his wife, Lynn, have three children, Ryan and Lauren, both graduates of Fallston High School; and Matthew, a senior at Fallston High School.

Lee Merrell, Board Member, Appointed 2004, retired from the federal civil service in 2006. In his last position he was the Chief of the Compliance Branch at the US Army Environmental Center, located on the Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground. He earned his BS in Civil Engineering, majoring in Environmental Health Engineering, from the University of Texas, and his Masters of Engineering Administration from The George Washington University. He retired from the Active Army in 1988, after serving for 20 years. Mr. Merrell is a past member of the Republican Central Committee of Harford County. In 2002 he received the Virginia Scotten Award as Harford County Republican of the Year. Mr. Merrell is an active member of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, where he serves on the Church Council and is editor of the church email newsletter. He served for two years as a member of the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee for Harford County. Mr. Merrell was previously the Director of the Christian Coalition of Maryland, and is currently Chairman of the Board of the Association of Maryland Families. Mr. Merrell and his wife, Alison, reside near Havre de Grace.

Salina M. Williams, Vice President, Appointed 2003, is a 1976 graduate of Aberdeen High School who worked for 19 years as a network engineer for a major communications company. She continued her education after high school at Dundalk Community College, receiving certifications in computer repair, industrial electricity, electronics maintenance technology, telecommunications electronics, and directed technology. Mrs. Williams is the Harford Board of Education’s first African American female Vice President. Her goals are to get parents involved in their children’s education and for them to be accountable for the academic progress of their children. The Aberdeen resident is active in her community as a member of the NAACP. She was an involved parent when her children attended Edgewood High School. Mrs. Williams was recognized as EHS Booster Club Volunteer of the Year in 2000. While a resident of Edgewood, she was President of the Edgewood Community Council and was a member of the Edgewood Youth Panel. Mrs. Williams has received numerous awards including a Harford County Citation from former County Executive James Harkins; a Maryland Senate Citation from Harford State Senator Nancy Jacobs; and Governor’s Citations from former Governors Glendening and Ehrlich. Mrs. Williams and her husband own and operate Purple Passions Travels and Salina’s Sweets. The couple has seven children and four grandchildren.