From left, bottom row: Meade High School Class of 2021 graduate and former student member of the Board of Education Drake Smith; Anne Arundel Community College assistant professor Leslie Parker Blyther; Anne Arundel Community College assistant professor Antione D. Tomlin; Anne Arundel Community College professor Harold Waterman; and Anne Arundel Community College academic adviser Sharon Barlow-Hughley.
Shore of Maryland to attend Washington College, where he majored in Environmental
Studies and minored in business management. It was here where he gained an
appreciation for the Chesapeake Bay, and also where he first got involved with social
justice causes, fighting for fair wages for the school maintenance staff. He proceeded to
move to Annapolis to focus on restoring the Chesapeake Bay as an environmental
scientist, where he eventually got a job with the City of Annapolis. Rob’s community
organizing activism started in DC organizing with the DC Anti-War Network (DAWN)
and attending rallies for reparations in front of the MLK memorial. He then moved onto
State politics by organizing with the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, where he
helped organize live from death row events with Kenny Collins and former Black
Panther Shujaa Graham, while continuing to fight for environmental issues as a part of
the Green Party. After a few years Rob moved on to focus on local politics, where he
blew the whistle on his employer at the time, the City of Annapolis, for not following their
environmental regulations. This launched him onto the City Council in 2017,
representing Ward 7, where he has introduced and supported legislation on police
reform, affordable housing, and environmental justice. He has lived in Annapolis for the
past 20 years with his wife Rebecca and son Whit, where he works professionally as an
environmental scientist focusing on the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.
Her goals for Anne Arundel County Public Schools included eradicating bullying, racial tension, and overcrowding. She also focused on bringing more specialized accommodations to students with disabilities and advocated for policies to recruit and retain qualified teachers. Ms. Antwine also fiercely advocated for the most marginalized and vulnerable students, including LGBTQ+ students. On the Policy Committee in December of 2020, she pushed for the LGBTQ+ policy to be “expedited” and the LGBTQ+ policy was later adopted by the full board in June of 2021 just before her passing July 2021.
Ms. Antwine strongly believed that Anne Arundel County Public Schools are among the greatest globally. She worked with the other Board members and the Superintendent to ensure all students are afforded the same educational opportunities and feel safe at school.
Ms. Antwine was a proud Mustang Mom, with a son who graduated from Meade High School in 2019. Since coming to Anne Arundel County in 2010 as part of moves through the Base
Realignment and Closure Commission, Ms. Antwine worked to support the needs of others
throughout the community. She advocated for students, veterans and animals through various nonprofits such as the Meade High PTSA and the Maryland State Boys Choir, as well as faith based organizations.
Ms. Antwine served in the U.S. Navy beginning in 1998 in active duty, reserve and civil servant
capacities. This included service with the National Security Agency via the Naval Security
Group, the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.
She received a bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting from the Mississippi University for Women,
and completed graduate work in Communication, Leadership and Organizational Change at
Hawaii Pacific University. She also held a master’s degree in Acquisition and Procurement from Webster University.
Company performing the full range of management duties in an exemplary manner.
Steve Waddy served as a Lobbyist Assistant for the ACLU Washington Legislative Office, for
which he initiated, lobbied for and provided substantive support in obtaining noteworthy
legislation that benefited the rights of all people. Accomplishments include:
* Lobbied for passage of Employment Nondiscrimination Act Passed by United States
Senate.
* Obtained travel approval for the Religious and LGBT Lobbyists’ domestic travel to 10
states for conferences, meetings, and speaking engagements.
* Published 4 blogs education and HIV/AIDS issues.
* Scheduled and facilitated planning conferences and conventions of Religious Liberty and
LGBT Rights organizations.
* Researched, Wrote Testimony for bills on criminal justice, reproductive rights, campaign
finance, workplace privacy.
Tracked 220 bills during a 90-Day legislative session including passage of bills that
decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana; Maryland Dream Act removing
barriers to education for undocumented students; and Passage of Same-Sex Marriage Law
overturning state law banning same sex marriage.
Steve’s Volunteer experience spans many years including serving as HBCU Voter Engagement Coordinator, American Friends Service Committee – Africa Peace and Education Program; Youth Coordinator, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda convened by the Reverend Joseph Lowery; Black Youth Vote! GA Coordinator, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation convened by Melanie Campbell; National Board Member, National Hip-Hop
Political Convention; Community Service Coordinator, University of Baltimore Black Law
Student Association, National Community Service Chapter of the Year Award Winner; and
Youth Advisor, Political Action Chair (2018) Anne Arundel County NAACP.
Steve earned a J.D., May 2011 from the University of Baltimore School of Law, Baltimore,
MD; and a B.A. in History, May 2003 from Winston Salem State University, Winston Salem,
NC.
Kingdom Faith Christian Church in Severn, Maryland. He has been preaching the gospel of
Jesus Christ for over 15 years.
Pastor Duckett believes that the word is true in Matthew 9:37 “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” “Expanding the Kingdom by Executing ministry in Excellence” has become his personal theme for ministry.
Pastor Duckett is deeply committed to presenting his whole life as a personal sacrifice for the
kingdom of God. This is evident with his personal commitment to the ministries at New
Kingdom Faith Christian Church. He believes you can never do too much for the kingdom. It is his passion for ministry that leads persons to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ which will lead to their transformation to kingdom citizens. The love for God’s people is evident in how he works so hard to create ministry opportunities that provide a conduit for them to receive the healing power of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Duckett believes that continuing education is vital to advancing the kingdom. Pastor
Duckett currently holds an Associates degree in Information Management from the Community College of the Air Force, a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix, and a Master of Divinity degree from Howard University School of Divinity.
Pastor Duckett recognizes that his family is the cornerstone of his ministry. He has been married to Dr. Diane A. Duckett for 31 years. They have three children, DeAirra, Diamante and Devin and four grandchildren, Aniya, Jrue, Dillian and Jayden.
the Hispanic/Latino community in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. A native of Buenos
Aires, Argentina, she moved to Annapolis in 1988. Maria has dedicated her career to serving
the health and a myriad of needs of immigrants and other disadvantaged and vulnerable
people in the area.
Currently, the majority of Maria’s time is spent advocating on behalf of families and
individuals experiencing financial hardship, food insecurity, and healthcare-related problems
due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work in this area focuses specifically on helping the
local Hispanic community, who have borne a disproportionate share of the harm brought
about the pandemic. Maria is a board member of local non-profit organizations and she is
actively involved with various charities engaged in COVID-19 relief efforts. She meets with
the Anne Arundel County Health Department to assist in the government-led pandemic relief
efforts.
On June 22, 2020, she was elected President of the Board of Directors of Center of Help, a
non-profit organization established in the year 2000. The Center of Help is a comprehensive
resource and educational community center for Hispanic/Latinos and other immigrants.
Thanks to donors, volunteers, partners, and dedicated staff, individuals and families from all
over the world, who now call Anne Arundel County home, receive educational, economic,
social, and linguistic services at no cost each day through casework and educational
programs. Over the years, Ms. Casasco has contributed to the promotion of human relations
throughout diverse communities city/countywide and for the betterment of people from all
walks of life.
On June 30, 2019, Maria retired after more than 26 years working for Anne Arundel County
Government. In September 2017, county government established the Immigrant &
Multicultural Affairs (IMCA) Office and appointed Maria to coordinate and strengthen
city/county government, public/private partnerships by promoting individual and family
wellbeing, an effective response to identifying needs through programs and services, full
integration to society, active participation, economic development, and growth opportunities
for immigrant communities residing in this area.
Since 2016, Maria has been the President of the Steering Committee overseeing the planning and comprehensive organization of the yearly Hispanic Health Festival and Resources, to impact the Hispanic/Latino community with the gift of health and the knowledge to access community resources. It is the largest and free-of-charge event in the county and surrounding areas celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15.) This festival started in 2002 as an initiative of the Office of Minority Health-Anne Arundel County Department of Health. The festival has been selected for the last ten years to inaugurate the Binational Health Week in the State of Maryland, to reach out the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people, especially those without health coverage and Limited English Proficiency. Since 2002, the festival has served more than 14,000 individuals and families.
political science major enrolled at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania. In his first few months on campus Drake has already settled comfortably into the “Lion’s Den” community. He is involved with a number of student organizations and serves as President of the Frederick Douglass Hall Council, a Freshman Student Senator in the SGA, and as the Parliamentarian for the Thurgood Marshall Law Society. He also works for the Office of Admissions as a Student Tour Guide.
Drake credits his one-year term as the Student Member of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education and his other community involvements while in high school for setting him apart from his collegiate peers and his early successes in college. Drake hopes that with the continued support of his family, community, and the grace of God to matriculate to law school after graduating from Lincoln in 2025.
She enjoyed a 31-year career in criminal justice, working in policy and operations compliance
with several State of Maryland regulatory and accrediting agencies, including the Maryland
Police Training Commission; The Maryland Corrections Training Commission; Maryland
Department of Juvenile Services; the Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards; and the American Correctional Association. Leslie served on several policy compliance committees including the Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office where she served as head of Training and coordinated the team of background investigators; The Anne Arundel County Department of Correctional Facilities as Training Administrator; and the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections – again as Training Coordinator. She erected two Correctional Entrance Level Training Academies in Maryland; and helped to progress the state certified police academy at Anne Arundel Community College.
For two-years, Professor Blyther served on the Baltimore City’s Civilian Review Board –
analyzing citizens’ use of force complaints against Baltimore City Police Officers. Leslie is an
Associate of the Powers Consulting Group, LLC. – a consulting company specializing in
organizational development, law enforcement, training and policy development. Leslie routinely conducts research and writes on law enforcement policies and procedures for C.E.O., Dr. Tyrone Powers. She also serves as the lead training curriculum developer and project manager for the Powers Consulting Group. She has served on two Charter School planning Teams in Baltimore City. Professor Blyther has a Master of Arts Degree in Psychology.
Community College. Antione is very passionate about teaching and learning. Antione earned his Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, and Culture from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He obtained his M.A. degree in Higher Education Administration from Morgan State University. He earned his B.S. degree in Psychology from Stevenson University. Additionally, Antione is a trained and certified Life and Engagement Coach and holds the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential issued by the International Coach Federation (ICF). Antione’s current research focuses on exploring the experiences of Black male teachers in Baltimore. With his passion for learning, Antione believes that persistence leads to excellence.
Over the course of his career, he witnessed the completion gap for African American students in higher education. He sought and received grants to bring computer and engineering camps to kids in economically-challenged communities, and also worked to create and revise curriculum in a flipped classroom approach that put technology directly into the hands of students for practical learning. He actively engages in the recruitment of minority faculty so students can learn from professors with similar backgrounds and experiences. Recognizing how vital mentorship has been in his own life, he has made African American student success and completion his life’s work.
helping students to realize their academic and career goals. Her own educational journey, as a first generation college student, led to a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Connecticut and then a Master’s degree from Howard University in Student
Personnel Administration. Upon graduation from Howard University she worked as an Assistant Director/Counselor in the Educational Opportunity Program at Ithaca College. After two years she returned to Howard University as an Educational Counselor in the School of
Communications. She worked at Howard University for 13 years. Sharon has been an
Academic Advisor at Anne Arundel Community College since 1995. She is currently an advisor for students who have majors in Health and Human Services.
Sharon is an Advisory Board member for several AACC health programs. She has also served
on a few campus wide committees. Some of her most fulfilling experiences at AACC have been with her collaboration with the Student Achievement and Success Program. When the program was first established she provided academic advising to SASP students. In addition to advising students she planned field trips to four year schools to expose students to transfer opportunities.
As an Academic Advisor she feels that it is important for students to feel supported and heard. Each student comes to AACC with various strengths and abilities. She views her role as an advisor is to listen then assist students in developing a plan to achieve their goals. Nothing gives her more satisfaction than to see a student succeed at AACC.
![By DAVE SKRETTA AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods walked off the third green at Augusta National on Saturday, having just missed a birdie putt he thought he should have made, and began striding up the hill toward the long par-3 fourth hole at the Masters. Little did he know things were about to get a […]](https://www.capitalgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24104736606875.jpg?w=525 "By DAVE SKRETTA AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods walked off the third green at Augusta National on Saturday, having just missed a birdie putt he thought he should have made, and began striding up the hill toward the long par-3 fourth hole at the Masters. Little did he know things were about to get a […]")
