The Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Kimberly Hill honored several Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) employees on March 29 for their years of service to the school system and commitment to education during a ceremony held at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building. Honored were employees with careers that span a period of 45, 40, 35, 30 and 25 years.

Dorothy Swann-Cole was honored for 45 years of service. She is a school counselor at J.C. Parks Elementary School and also served as a counselor at Dr. Samuel A. Mudd and Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy elementary schools. She began her career with the school system as a third-grade teacher at Port Tobacco Elementary School and also taught at Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School.

Also honored for 45 years of service was the late James Sullivan, a building service worker at Indian Head Elementary School. Sullivan spent his entire 45-year career at Indian Head. He passed away suddenly a week prior to the ceremony, and his parents attended and accepted his achievement on his behalf.

Five CCPS employees were recognized for 40 years of service to the school system. They are Polly Callahan, Cheryl Ervin, Jane Larivee, Marcellus Pailen and Dennis Posey.

Callahan is the library media specialist at St. Charles High School. She began her career with the school system as a social studies teacher at Thomas Stone High School. Ervin is a Reading Recovery program teacher at William A. Diggs Elementary School. She began her career at T.C. Martin Elementary School and has also taught at Berry, Indian Head and J.C. Parks elementary schools.

Larivee is a special education teacher at Stone. She began her career with the school system at the F.B. Gwynn Educational Center and also taught at John Hanson Middle School. Pailen began his career at Henry E. Lackey High School as a music teacher and band director. He transferred to Matthew Henson Middle School as an instrumental music teacher in 1990, where he continues to teach.

Posey began his career with CCPS as a building service worker at Lackey, and later transitioned to the CCPS Annex I building and the Starkey Building. In 1999, he moved to a truck driver position in the school system’s warehouse, where he continues to work.

In addition to those honored for 45 and 40 years of service, the Board and Dr. Hill honored more than 50 employees with 35, 30 and 25 years of service. They are

Employees with 35 years of service

  • Jean Beierle, Spanish teacher, Stone; and
  • Adam Livers, maintenance worker, CCPS Maintenance Shop.

Employees with 30 years of service

  • Robert Babiak, vice principal, North Point High School;
  • Connie Bannister, secretary, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School;
  • Joeann Cooper, building service assistant manager, Mattawoman Middle School;
  • Duania Darby, social studies teacher, Theodore G. Davis Middle School;
  • Diane Fisher, science teacher, John Hanson Middle School;
  • Linda Foshee, food service manager, Arthur Middleton Elementary School;
  • Sharon Hedrick, elementary science teacher, Mary B. Neal Elementary School;
  • John Holmes, high school test coordinator, La Plata High School;
  • Sheryl Howell, art teacher, Stone;
  • Meighan Hungerford, acting director of elementary schools, Starkey;
  • Amy James, school counselor, Westlake High School;
  • Don King, social studies teacher, Davis;
  • Kenneth Lane, physical education teacher, North Point;
  • Karen Oliver, Reading Recovery teacher, Malcolm Elementary School;
  • Catherine Sokol, first-grade teacher, William B. Wade Elementary School;
  • Diana Warfield, trainer/documentalist, Starkey; and
  • Clifton Whitford, instrumental music teacher, Hanson.

Employees with 25 years of service

  • Hannah Barnes, building service worker, Middleton;
  • Kevin Clancy, language arts teacher, Benjamin Stoddert Middle School;
  • Catherine Curtis, special education instructional assistant, Neal;
  • Karen Dennis, guidance secretary, Stoddert;
  • Susan Ebbitt, pupil personnel worker, Hanson and Starkey;
  • Heidi Furman, library media specialist, Wade;
  • Patrick Ganter, physical education teacher, Piccowaxen Middle School;
  • Teresa Getgen, physical education teacher, La Plata;
  • Edwin Hall, school counselor, Lackey;
  • Steven Hawkins, building service worker, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School;
  • John Hollyfield, technology education teacher, North Point;
  • Henry Jamieson, job placement coordinator, Lackey;
  • Diane Jenkins, instructional specialist for English, Starkey;
  • Sonia Jones, school counselor, Gale-Bailey Elementary School;
  • Andre Kenan, social studies teacher, Stone;
  • June King, food service worker, Stone;
  • Patricia Koch, library media specialist, Mary H. Matula Elementary School;
  • Eric McElhenny, project manager, CCPS Building 101;
  • Connie Mouton, social studies teacher, Mattawoman Middle School;
  • Diana Nagel, family and consumer science teacher, St. Charles High School;
  • Kenneth Schroeck, senior project manager, CCPS Building 101;
  • Elisabeth Shook, compliance facilitator, Westlake;
  • Clifton Shorter, building service manager, Mattawoman;
  • Angie Sidney, kindergarten teacher, Malcolm;
  • Arden Sotomayor, director of special education, Starkey;
  • James Swailes, building service assistant manager, Indian Head Elementary School;
  • Steven Timmerman, physical education teacher, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy;
  • Kenneth Tojek, school counselor, Milton M. Somers Middle School;
  • Trisha Volland, foreign language teacher, Davis;
  • Margaret Whiting, elementary science teacher, Wade;
  • Melinda Wright, second-grade teacher, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy; and
  • Michael Ziebell, special education teacher, Somers. 

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 26,900 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 36 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Patricia Vaira, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.