Harford County Public Library Announces New Board of Trustee and Foundation Board Members

From the Harford County Public Library:

Harford County Public Library (HCPL) is pleased to announce the addition of Alex M. Allman, Bruce M. Smith and Cara Reilly to the Library Board of Trustees.

Representing the Bel Air area, Alex M. Allman is a Partner with Offit Kurman, P.A. and practices a broad range of litigation involving commercial litigation, real property, title insurance, title disputes, foreclosure proceedings and construction litigation. He is a member of the Bar of Maryland, Federal Bar of Maryland, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and serves as an adjunct law professor at University of Baltimore. Mr. Allman and his family are long time users of Harford County Public Library and active members of the Bel Air community.

Representing the Joppa/Edgewood area, Bruce M. Smith is an Assistant State’s Attorney and received a Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1999. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar, U.S. District Court of Maryland and a member of the National District Attorney’s Association. Mr. Smith and his family have resided in Harford County for 10 years, frequenting the library and its many programs. Mr. Smith has coached the Bel Air boys Lacrosse team since 2003.

“We are fortunate to have these new members join our Board of Trustees,” said Library Director Mary Hastler. “I know this group of passionate community leaders will be integral to our mission and commitment to serving Harford County.”

Also joining the Library Board of Trustees is Cara Reilly as the student liaison representative. She attends The John Carroll High School and is a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society, receiving first and second honors for academic achievement during her high school years. Ms. Reilly serves as copy editor on the award-winning school newspaper and volunteers as a tutor for elementary age children. The student liaison representative position is open to high school students who are able to serve during their senior year. The student liaison representative position provides practical experience for young adults in the operations of their government and allows for young adult input on library services.

Also, the Harford County Public Library Foundation announced the addition of Timothy J. Capurso, Pamela J. Ruff, and Elizabeth S. Hendrix to the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Timothy J. Capurso is a 10-year resident of Harford County and currently works as a Partner in the Litigation Division of the law firm of Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC in Baltimore as a medical malpractice lawyer. Gordon-Feinblatt is the fifth largest law firm in Maryland with 70 lawyers in a variety of practice areas. According to a medical malpractice lawyer serving people from across the state, Mr. Capurso has extensive experience litigating cases in the Maryland District Courts as well as the Circuit and Appellate Courts of Maryland. This includes cases of medical malpractice (including those cases where a dental injury attorney was needed), product liability, and serious auto accidents. Mr. Capurso is a member of the Maryland Association for Justice, the Bar Association of the District of Columbia, the American Bar Association and the Maryland State Bar Association. A medical negligence lawyer in Long Beach specializes in cases where healthcare providers fail to meet standard care, resulting in patient harm.

Pamela J. Ruff has served as Executive Director of the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) since 2002, a statewide membership organization of over 500 public and private sector members. Prior to beginning her tenure at MEDA, Ms. Ruff was the Deputy Director of the Baltimore Briefing Center and then the Maryland Communications Center. The centers operated as the primary marketing support service for economic development professionals throughoutMaryland in both the public and private sectors. Ms. Ruff is the President of Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna, Vice President of the Homeowner’s Association of Wexford, a director of the Havre de Grace Economic Development Advisory Board, and a former director of Winds of Leadership – a Harford Leadership Academy effort. Demonstrating a commitment to the state and county, Ms. Ruff represents Harford County on the Maryland Board ofMaryland Life magazine, and is a member of the Leadership Maryland.

Elizabeth S. Hendrix currently serves as the Director for the Department of Community Services, working with agencies within and outside of government on community issues including programs for at-risk youth, affordable housing, homeless issues, and projects serving the disabled and elderly. Hendrix has long been committed to the Library, serving as an officer for the Bel Air Friends of HCPL from 2005-2008 and working to implement the Partners in Reading literacy mentoring program that pairs Harford County Public Schools with the Library. Ms. Hendrix is involved with several local boards, associations and leadership groups including the United Way of Central Maryland Community Partnership Board, the Susquehanna Professional Association of Non-Profits, the National Grants Managements Association, the Transportation Association of Maryland, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Bel Air Downtown Alliance’s Economic Restructuring Committee.

“The Harford County Public Library Foundation enthusiastically welcomes Timothy Capurso, Pamela Ruff and Elizabeth Hendrix to the Foundation Board. Each new member is a recognized leader in the community and brings a unique skill set that will complement our current board and its endeavors,” stated Foundation Director, Amber C. Shrodes.

The Harford County Public Library Foundation is a 501© 3 charitable organization established to raise funds to augment the financial resources of the Library and to promote awareness of library services. For more information call 410 273 5601 x 2283.

Harford County Public Library operates eleven branches located throughout Harford County, Maryland. The library serves over 210,000 registered borrowers of all ages and has an annual circulation of almost 4,700,000. Harford County Public Library is committed to connecting people with information and promoting the love of reading within the community.