ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Anne Arundel County Board of Education selected Gloria Dent as president and Dawn Pulliam as vice president during its organizational meeting Wednesday, setting leadership for the coming school year.
Dent, who represents Councilmanic District 1, and Pulliam, who represents District 7, will each serve one-year terms in the officer roles. Both women won election to full four-year terms on the board in the November 2024 general election.
Dent was initially appointed to the board in September 2021 following the death of Candace C.W. Antwine. She successfully ran for the seat in 2024, securing her position through 2028.
Pulliam also joined the board through the 2024 election cycle, earning the District 7 seat for the same four-year term.
The seven-member elected board and one student member conducted the vote as part of annual officer selections required under Maryland law. The board elects a president and vice president each December to lead meetings and represent the body for the following calendar year.
Current board membership includes:
Robert Silkworth, District 2 Erica McFarland, District 3 Sarah J. McDermott, District 4 Dana Schallheim, District 5 Dr. Joanna Tobin, District 6 Brayden Morgan, student member from Glen Burnie High School
The board oversees Anne Arundel County Public Schools, the fifth-largest school system in Maryland, serving more than 85,000 students across 126 schools and programs. Leadership transitions occur regularly as members complete terms or new representatives take office after elections.
Officer positions carry no additional compensation beyond the standard board member stipends but involve chairing public meetings, setting agendas in coordination with Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell, and serving as the primary spokespersons for board actions.
The organizational meeting marks the formal start of the leadership year, which runs concurrently with the calendar year. Dent and Pulliam officially assume their roles immediately and will preside over the next regular board meeting scheduled for December 18, 2024.
Biographical information and contact details for all board members are available on the school system’s website at www.aacps.org/board.
The leadership change comes as the district continues implementing its strategic plan, Blueprint for Maryland’s Future requirements, and budget planning for fiscal year 2026.