Hogan Announces New Health Secretary
Gov. Larry Hogan announced the appointment of former Anne Arundel County Executive and State Sen. Robert Neall as secretary of the Department of Health. Neall will replace Secretary Dennis Schrader, who will continue to serve the department as chief operating officer.
This announcement is in response to action by the Maryland Court of Appeals to stay a ruling by the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, which found that actions by the Maryland General Assembly and the state treasurer to withhold payment from Schrader and former Planning Secretary Wendi Peters were unlawful. The ruling directed the treasurer to immediately reinstate their salaries.

Howard Board of Ed Elects Chair, Vice Chair
The Howard County Board of Education unanimously voted Cynthia Vaillancourt as chairman and Mavis Ellis as the vice chairman. The move marks the second consecutive term as chairman for Vaillancourt, who is also serving her second term on the board after being re-elected in 2014.
Ellis, who is serving in her first term on the board, replaces Bess Altwerger as vice chairman. Both will serve one-year terms in these positions.

Walker, Kittleman Named to
MACo Board
Jerry Walker, Anne Arundel County Council member, and Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman have been named president and treasurer, respectively, of the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo). They will serve one-year terms.

Chesapeake Conservancy Hires VP
The Chesapeake Conservancy, of Annapolis, announced that Susan Shingledecker has joined its staff as vice president and new director of programs. She will manage the partnership with the National Park Service and oversee conservancy programs.

Laurel Names New City Solicitor
Lawrence Taub has been named city solicitor of Laurel. Taub is a principal with the Beltsville law firm of O’Malley, Miles, Nylen & Gilmore. He has been representing local and national developers, builders, businesses and property owners in land use and zoning matters for more than 30 years.

Laurel Allstate Agency Owner Garners Citation
Allstate agency Owner Bryan Wagschal, of Bulldog Insurance Group, was presented a mayoral citation by Laurel Mayor Craig Moe. The citation thanked Wagschal for renovating an old, vacant building at 13600 Laurel-Bowie Road and converting it into his office.

Hamilton Bank Adds Snyder
Hamilton Bank has added Keith Snyder as business development manager. He will be assisting in the implementation of the bank’s new retail strategy, which is focused on the overall customer experience, at each branch.

Leszcz Appointed to Serve on
NLC Committee
City of Laurel Council President Mike Leszcz has been appointed to the National League of Cities (NLC) 2018 Transportation and Infrastructure Services federal advocacy committee. He will present NLC’s policy positions and advocate on behalf of America’s cities and towns before Congress, with the administration and at home.

Scully Honored by
American Banker Newspaper
Howard Bank President and CEO Mary Ann Scully has been named a 2017 Community Banker of the Year by American Banker. The publication identified Scully as an Enterprising Builder as part of its 2017 awards. She was one of five bankers across the country recognized for the honor.

Snyder Promoted to Director of Sales
Donna Snyder has been named director of sales for The Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant, a continuing care retirement community in Ellicott City. She was previously the community relations coordinator for Miller’s Grant; previously, she was a Realtor with Long & Foster, in Ellicott City.

Pio Roda Named VP/CFO at HCGH
Claro Pio Roda has been named vice president (VP) of finance/chief financial officer (CFO) for Howard County General Hospital (HCGH). In his new role, Pio Roda will be responsible for guiding the hospital’s financial activities, including financial reporting and analysis, strategic and financial planning and other functions.

CarneyKelehan’s Dye Named 2018 Maryland Rising Star
Sarah Dye, an attorney with Carney, Kelehan, Bresler, Bennett & Scherr, of Columbia, was named a 2018 Maryland Rising Stars for the fourth year in a row by Super Lawyers. Dye was recognized for her primary practice area, real estate business.

Crosby Adds to
Digital/Social Media Team
Ashley Butler and Laura Pezzullo have joined Crosby Marketing Communications’ digital/social media team.
As Social Media Strategist, Butler will support content marketing activities for Military OneSource. Pezzullo joins the team as a Senior Digital Program Manager overseeing content marketing, SEO/SEM, social media, email programs and analytics.

Champion’s Hamby Named CLHMS
Mike Hamby, of Champion Realty, has been named a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS) by the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing in recognition of his expertise in high-end residential properties. Agents awarded the designation have specialized training and a proven track record in the luxury home market.

Lombardo, Hammaker Graduate From Leadership Maryland
Leadership Maryland announced that Shelley Lombardo, chief operating officer of Evergreen Advisors; and Jennifer Hammaker, director of the Maryland Innovation Initiative with TEDCO, have completed the professional development program. It is dedicated to building a better Maryland by harnessing the strength of its local business and community leaders.

The Galley’s Carpenter to Retire
Karen Carpenter, owner of The Galley, an Ellicott City-based branding agency, has retired 20 years after founding the firm. This is Carpenter’s second retirement; the first was from her faculty position in the Language, Literacy and Culture Doctoral Program at UMBC.

SECU Names Moore VP of Retail Banking
Michele Moore has been named vice president of retail banking at SECU. She will be responsible for all phases of retail and small business banking operations in the credit union’s 22 branches.

Hamilton Bank Hires Lee as Ellicott City Branch Manager
Hamilton Bank has named Yohan Lee as branch manager of its newly updated, full-service Ellicott City branch. Lee, a graduate of UMBC, will work closely with Retail Banking Manager Michelle Denoncourt, and is fluent in English and Korean.