Maryland Humanities Welcomes Three Local Leaders to Board of Directors
New Directors Hail from Anne Arundel, Charles, and Harford Counties
(Baltimore) – Maryland Humanities welcomed three new leaders to its Board of Directors at its recent annual fall retreat on October 7, 2016. New Board members are: Allyson Black, State Affairs Manager with the Baltimore Gas & Electric Company (BGE); James Cornelsen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Old Line Bank and Old Line Bancshares, Inc.; and Mary Hastler, Chief Executive Officer of Harford County Public Library.
The Honorable Stephen Sfekas, Maryland Humanities’ Board President, said of the new Board members: “We are thrilled to welcome Allyson, Jim, and Mary. Their talents and commitment to our mission will advance Maryland Humanities’ successful efforts to engage and inspire Marylanders through lifelong learning in history, literature, ethics, the law, philosophy—the humanities.”
Board members’ primary responsibilities include strategic planning, approving and monitoring the organization’s programs and services, ensuring effective fiscal management, fundraising, selecting and orienting new Board members, allocating grant funds, fundraising, and promoting Maryland Humanities’ activities. Members serve without pay and are eligible to serve up to three three-year terms.
New Board Member Bios:
Allyson T. Black has worked in Government Affairs for the past 12 years. She currently serves as State Affairs Manager with the Baltimore Gas & Electric Company (BGE). In this position she lobbies before the Maryland General Assembly regarding energy and utility related issues that directly impact BGE and the energy industry.
Prior to joining BGE, Ms. Black served as Executive Director of the Office of Government, Corporate and Community Affairs with the Department of Human Resources (DHR), where she advocated on behalf of the State’s most vulnerable families regarding policies impacting areas such as energy assistance, child welfare, and family investment programs.
Ms. Black held the position of Vice President of Government Affairs for the Maryland Chamber of Commerce for nearly five years before joining DHR. While at the Maryland Chamber of Commerce she focused her professional skills on issues including energy, environment, transportation funding, workplace regulation, unemployment insurance, and economic development.
In 2010 Ms. Black was recognized by The Daily Record as a 2010 Leading Women award recipient. She currently serves as a board member for Reading Partners Baltimore, Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce, and Maryland Government Relations Association. She is also a proud member of Leadership Maryland, Class of 2009.
Ms. Black hails from Florida, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Florida State University. Ms. Black currently resides in Odenton, MD.
James Cornelsen, for the past 22 years, has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Old Line Bank and Old Line Bancshares, Inc. located at 1525 Pointer Ridge Place, Bowie, Maryland 20716. Old Line Bancshares is a publicly-traded (NASDAQ) company with its sole business being the ownership and operations of its subsidiary company, Old Line Bank. Old Line Bank is a Maryland-chartered commercial bank with 21 branches, located in eight Maryland counties.
He serves on the Board of Directors of the American Bankers Association (ABA) Community Bankers Council, as well as its Administrative Committee, the ABA Payment Solutions Board of Directors and the ABA Board of Directors of the Fund for Economic Growth. Additionally, Mr. Cornelsen serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, The Foundation Schools, the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable, FIS Global CEO Strategic Planning Advisory Council, Old Line Bank and Old Line Bancshares.
He is the Past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce and the Past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Mary’s Ryken High School, Leonardtown, Maryland. Mr. Cornelsen also served on the Board of Directors of Maryland Financial Bank, and the Board of Directors of the Maryland Bankers Association, in addition to serving on various committees of the Maryland Bankers Association. He has served on the American Bankers Association Membership Committee and the Board of Directors of Historic Sotterley Plantation. Mr. Cornelsen has been a commercial banker his entire career.
Mary Hastler is the Chief Executive Officer of Harford County Public Library. Before being appointed CEO in 2010, she was the Associate Director at Harford County Public Library since 2007 and prior to that she was the Associate Director for Support Services at Baltimore County Public Library, which included her work as the Project Director for Storyville, an award-winning interactive early literacy center. Ms. Hastler is the immediate Past President of the Maryland Association of Public Library Administrators and immediate Past President of the Maryland Library Association. She was recognized by The Daily Record as a 2015 and 2013 Top 100 Women in Maryland and awarded a 2013 Brava Award from Smart CEO. HCPL was honored by The Daily Record as a 2013, 2014, and 2015 Innovator of the Year Award for Little Leapers, pre- and early literacy STEM kits; Little Leapers 3.5,; and the digital media Innovation Lab. Currently she is active in several local, state, and national associations, boards and committees including: State Library Resource Commission (SLRC), American Library Association, Public Library Association, Harford County Public Library Board of Trustees, Harford County Public Library Foundation Board, Harford County Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee and Board, Harford County Economic Development Advisory Board, Healthy Harford Board of Directors, Healthy Harford Community Planning Board, Harford County Local Management Board, Northeastern Additive Manufacturing Innovation Authority Board (RAMP MD), and the Greater Bel Air Community Foundation.
Ms. Hastler received a Master of Library Science in 2002 from the University of Maryland, College Park, College of Library and Information Services, and an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Towson State University, Towson, MD. She is a graduate of the Harford Leadership Academy, class of 2003.
The three new members join the existing twenty-three members of Maryland Humanities’ 2016 Board of Directors. They are: The Honorable Stephen J. Sfekas (Chair), Baltimore City; Elizabeth Cannon (Vice Chair), Garrett County; Silvia Golombek (Secretary), Baltimore County; Cynthia Raposo, (Treasurer) Montgomery County; The Honorable Ronald Lesher, Jr.* (Government Liaison) Talbot County; Diedre L. Badejo, Baltimore County; Barbara Clapp, Baltimore City; Elizabeth Cromwell, Frederick County; Rhonda Dallas*, Prince George’s County; Albert Feldstein, Allegany County; Mary Kay Finan, Garrett County; Michael S. Glaser; St. Mary’s County; Lisa Jablonover, Howard County; Tiffany McGhee, Baltimore County; Sally Miller, Allegany County; Adrianne Noe, Montgomery County; Dr. Maarten L. Pereboom, Wicomico County; Nancy Rogers Montgomery County; Thomas B. Riford, Washington County; Keith Stone, Baltimore City; Lindsay Thompson, Baltimore City; David W. Wise, Baltimore City; Joseph Wood, Baltimore City.
*Indicates a Gubernatorial appointee