From Community Foundation of Harford County:
Community Foundation of Harford County has elected new board officers: Benny Walker, president; Jim Fielder, vice president; Denise Dregier, secretary; and Scott Elliott, treasurer.
In addition, Jayne Klein, who just concluded a two-year term as president of the foundation, has been named president emeritus, a new role on the foundation’s board.
Walker, the new president, is principal at Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra, Chartered. He has more than 30 years of public accounting experience, including 10 years doing nonprofit accounting services. Walker holds a bachelor of business administration from Stetson University and a master of business administration from what is now Loyola University Maryland.
In addition to serving as president of the Community Foundation of Harford County, Walker is treasurer of Calvary Baptist Church and was appointed by County Executive David R. Craig to the Harford County Economic Development Advisory Board. He is also a member of the Bel Air Rotary and serves on the board of directors for Chesapeake Bank of Maryland and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County. He is a member the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.
Fielder, the new vice president, is town administrator for Bel Air. He brings to the board experience in government, the private sector and higher education. Fielder, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Maryland and a doctorate from Michigan State University, has held senior leadership positions in the IT, accounting and financial industries as well as at Towson University and the University of Michigan.
After serving as Harford County’s economic development director, he further honed his business development skills when he was appointed by three Maryland governors. He was appointed by Governor William Donald Schaefer as assistant secretary for business development in the Department of Economic and Employment Development. Governor Parris N. Glendening appointed him as acting secretary and deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, and Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. appointed him secretary for the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
Dregier, the new secretary, serves as director for college and alumni development at Harford Community College. Prior to joining the College’s staff, she was a small business owner for more than 20 years, working with her husband, Gary, who specializes in real estate brokerage and appraisals. She is active in the community, serving as a member of the Bel Air Rotary, Chesapeake Professional Women’s Network, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Maryland Chapter, and Council of Resource Development. Dregier also serves on the education liaison committee of the Harford County Chamber of Commerce.
Elliott, the new treasurer, is vice president at PeoplesBank. Prior to joining PeoplesBank in 2008, Elliott served as vice president at Mercantile County Bank and Forest Hill State Bank. He is active in the community, serving as president of the board of Harford Family House, member of the advisory board for the Academy of Finance and member of the board of Bel Air Downtown Alliance. Elliott holds a bachelor of science in finance from Georgetown University and master of science in finance from The Johns Hopkins University.
Klein, the foundation’s first president emeritus, is a registered dietitian with a private practice in Bel Air. She is a member of the family that owns Klein’s ShopRite, a chain of retail grocery stores in Harford and Baltimore counties. She is active as a community volunteer for many local organizations. Klein was a founder of the Women’s Giving Circle of Harford County and is a member of the advisory board of Family and Children’s Services and serves on the Harford County Commission for Women.
“The growth of the Community Foundation of Harford County over the past five years is thanks in large part to the leadership of our board and its officers,” said Tamara W. Zavislan, the foundation’s executive director. “With assets of $800,000 and accreditation received from the Community Foundations National Standards Board earlier this year, the Community Foundation of Harford County is moving to the next level as we build toward our 10th anniversary in 2017.”
Community Foundation of Harford County (CFHC) is a nonprofit organization supported by the community through donations, enabling individuals, families and businesses to leave a legacy to benefit the causes that matter on a local level. Since 2009, CFHC has granted $170,000 to local nonprofits, which helps to build a stronger, healthier, brighter community. CFHC is one of 14 community foundations in Maryland and one of 700 across the country. For more information, visit www.cfharfordcounty.org.
Are these paid positions?