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February 10, 2026

Centreville Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Centreville

00 Post to Chestertown Spy 7 Ed Notes

Reza Jafari Appointed to Association of Community College Trustees Board of Directors

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Chesapeake College Board Chair Reza Jafari has been appointed as the Northeastern representative to the Board of Directors of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) by Carol Del Carlo, ACCT Chair.

ACCT is a national nonprofit organization representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees governing over 1,200 community, technical, and junior colleges nationwide. As a member of the ACCT Board of Directors, Jafari will contribute to national leadership, policy development, and advocacy efforts that strengthen community colleges and the students they serve.

“Community colleges play an utterly critical role in expanding access to education, strengthening local economies, and empowering students for upward careers,” Jafari said. “It is an honor to serve on the ACCT Board of Directors and to represent the Northeastern region at the national level. I look forward to working with fellow trustees across the country to advance the mission and impact of community colleges.”

Jafari brings decades of leadership experience spanning higher education, economic development, technology, and global innovation. He currently serves as Chair of the Chesapeake College Board of Trustees and is the Chairman, CEO, and Founder of e-Development International, an executive advisory group based in Easton, Maryland. His career includes senior executive roles in global communications and technology organizations, as well as extensive service on state, national, and international boards and commissions focused on innovation, workforce development, and economic growth.

“Reza’s appointment reflects both his deep expertise and his long-standing commitment to education and public service,” said Chesapeake College President Dr. Clifford Coppersmith. “His leadership at the local level and his global perspective make him an exceptional representative for our region and for community colleges nationwide.”

Throughout his career, Jafari has served in leadership roles with organizations including the Maryland Economic Development Commission, the United Nations’ ITU TELECOM, and the UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development. His work has consistently emphasized innovation, connectivity, and educational opportunity.

Jafari holds an M.B.A., a Specialist in Education postgraduate degree (SEd), and ABD/Ph.D. in Instructional Systems Technology and Innovation from Indiana University, Bloomington.

For more information about AACT visit www.acct.org. To learn more about Chesapeake College visit www.chesapeake.edu.

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Chesapeake College Announces New Vice President for Administrative Services

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Chesapeake College has named Milton E. Nagel, CPA, as its next Vice President for Administrative Services. A former member of the Chesapeake College Board of Trustees, Nagel will assume his new role in June 2026, succeeding Karen Smith, who will retire next year after a distinguished career in college leadership.

Nagel brings more than 30 years of experience in financial management and administrative leadership within Maryland’s public education system. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE), where he oversees statewide initiatives supporting school system governance, advocacy, and member services.

Prior to his work at MABE, Nagel built a long and respected career with Caroline County Public Schools, advancing from Accountant and Internal Auditor to Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services, and serving as Interim Superintendent of Schools during the 2014–2015 academic year.

“Milton’s deep experience in education, fiscal stewardship, and public service makes him an exceptional addition to Chesapeake’s leadership team,” said Dr. Clifford Coppersmith, President of Chesapeake College. “He understands our community and the importance of maintaining both financial accountability and institutional growth. We are thrilled to welcome him back to Chesapeake.”

Nagel holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Delaware, where he also completed ROTC and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Early in his career, he worked as a Certified Public Accountant for Jefferson, Urian, Doane and Sterner, P.A., while serving as a Military Police Officer in the U.S. Army Reserves.

“I am honored to return to Chesapeake College in this new capacity,” said Nagel. “As both a Caroline County native and a former trustee, I’ve long admired the college’s role in shaping opportunity for students and supporting our regional workforce. I look forward to working with Dr. Coppersmith and the college’s talented team to advance that mission.”

A lifelong Eastern Shore resident, Nagel is active in several civic and professional organizations; Past President of the Association of School Business Officials for Maryland, Past Chair of the MABE Group Insurance Pool, and Past Chair of the Eastern Shore of Maryland Educational Consortium Health Insurance Alliance. He currently serves on the boards of Shore Regional Health System and Channel Marker, Inc.

A graduate of Colonel Richardson High School and a member of Leadership Maryland’s Class of 2007, Nagel and his wife, Christina (“Tina”) Lorenz Nagel, reside in Caroline County. They have two sons—both graduates of Colonel Richardson High School and Chesapeake College.

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Chesapeake College Foundation Builds Student Success with Scholarships

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The Chesapeake College Foundation provided more than $634,000 in scholarships to students for the 23-24 academic year.
From computer science to nursing, welding to commercial truck driving licensure, criminal justice to dental assistant, students from more than 45-degree programs and workforce certifications were represented. The majority of the students receiving scholarships reside within the five counties Chesapeake College serves: Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Caroline, and Dorchester.
“To see a slice of the workforce here on the Mid-Shore, take a look at our student scholars,” said Chesapeake College Foundation Executive Director Amber McGinnis. “If you’ve been cared for by a hospital or imaging center locally, there’s a good chance that a Chesapeake College alumnus cared for you. Likewise, the teacher your granddaughter loves, your favorite accountant, or the EMT responding to your neighbor’s emergency was most likely trained here.”
Some of this year’s scholars may soon be making goods that fuel our national economy. Several students received scholarships towards classes in the Chesapeake College’s new Advanced Manufacturing Program, which kicked off this spring. This certification program was created in direct response to the needs of regional employers.
In addition to students seeking workforce certifications, Chesapeake College Foundation scholars are also taking the College’s general education courses, as a more affordable path to a bachelor’s degree at a future four-year institution. “One of the most popular degrees here is liberal arts and sciences,” said Dr. Cliff Coppersmith, president of Chesapeake College. “Often students begin with us as dual-enrolled students while they are in high school, complete the rest of their associate’s degree here, and then transfer to other Maryland institutions like Salisbury University, the University of Maryland College Park, and Washington College to finish their studies.”
Chesapeake students are also heading to out-of-state schools and highly selective colleges. “We’ve had our scholars attend selective universities like Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, and Howard University. Our alums go on to become economists, computer scientists, social workers, architects, and lawyers, just to name a few professions. Chesapeake College offers a path for any and all to achieve their goals,” Dr. Coppersmith added.
Ms. McGinnis credits donors providing gifts and endowments to help students in the future.
“The Chesapeake College Foundation couldn’t provide its support without the generosity of past donors, who saw fit to establish endowed scholarships with the Foundation, as well as faithful annual fund donors who regularly gift scholarships for awarding to students,” she said.
For more information about the Chesapeake College Foundation, please visit www.chesapeake.edu/foundation.
These students received scholarships from the Chesapeake College Foundation during the 2023-2024 academic year.
Anne Arundel: Joshua Rivers Anne Arundel and Emma Bailey
Caroline:  Zachary Baldwin, Emma Beales, Joshua Braden, Timothy Casey, Zulema Delacruz Martinez, Aireal Garbarino, Ava Lynch, Jenna Maki, Kayla Margas, Erika Nelson, Megan Weishaupt, Alyssa Berneski, Skyler Britton, Dandridge Clark, Joshua Cohee, Ryan Morley, Rhysheem Oney, Dayanara Roblero Velasquez, Diego Rosario-Santiago, Mikaela Seltzer, John Weiss, Caroline Callaghan, Cheyenne Cayer, Zoe Fretterd, Ayda Ventura Tomas, Claire Knauss, Hayden Jackson, Alayna Stafford, Leilani Toulson, Rene Hynson, Annabeth Hill, Zachary Robbins, Logan Shockley, Erin Bowen, Maycee Whetsell, Kimberly Bartolon-Rodriguez, Desmon Edwards, Leondrea Nichols, Cecil Robinson, Brock Johnson, Mariah Ayala, Mya Barrett, Erin Eisemann, Tristen Hrobar, Briona MacCubbin, Kaylyn Nagel, Charity Wood, Timothy Mann, Landon Bedo, Hannah Billings, Anna Jennette, Maynard Woodworth, Joseph Collins, Kaylie Henning, Elizabeth Chiocca, Alyssa Bowen, Zachary Dove, Nicholas Kane, Meredith Miller, Alexis Bates, Da’vaughn Murrill, Amaya Greene, Chad Fike, Tyler Stewart, James Beauchemin, and Nicolas Quade Charles.
Dorchester: Tiffany Geib, Barbara Hopkins, Kendall Leonard, Lydia Bumgarner, Adrienne Martin, Emily Todd, Jerelyann Torres-Perez, Landon Insley, Andrew Clark, Lauren Gootee, Melanie Sheehan, Christopher Wolfe, Karis Diggs, Darryl Fraley, Descellaus Hardy, Mia Koski, Anna Cephas, Lakeria Travers, Elizabeth Davenport Dorchester Angel Davenport Dorchester MaKayla Molock Dorchester Megan Price Dorchester Alexandra Foreman Dorchester Zachary Smith Dorchester Brando Banda-Perez Dorchester Alexis Pete Dorchester Jordan Harding Dorchester Malika King Dorchester Demetria Parker Dorchester Terenzo Jones Dorchester Latasha McNeill Dorchester
Kent: Brittany Wallace Kent Brandon Cannon Kent Ryan Miller Kent Joseph Nuse Kent Hayden Heinefield Kent Ethan Stubbs Kent Isabella Blackburn Kent Mariah Blackburn Kent Hillary Bauer Kent Bianca Potts Kent Cianni Phillips Kent Chelsea Bender Kent Aliyah Dorsey Kent Cienna Rose Kent Hannah Beattie Kent Reanna Jerns Kent
Out of State: James Evans
Queen Anne’s: Melanie Jones-Dalziel, Kyle Jones, Hunter Craig, Erin Grigsby, Emily Gunther, Melissa Gwaltney, Kendall Stevens, Catherine Wilson, Natalie Krozack, Kayla Larrimore, Robert Walter, Peyton Lee, Brenda Hernandez-Ambrocio, Madeline Kent,  Marquis McAbee, Makenzie Stubbs, Cheyanne Jester, Megan Robertson, Morgan Lofland, Aaron Ruff, Jacob Brimmer,  Abigale Bozarth, Daniel Workinger, TaQuan Courtney, Lexus Bridge, Megan Lee, Elijah Credle, Jeffrey DeLair, Laura Hughes, Ty Jacoby, Thomas Nisson, Elena Rado, Azim Sana, Alex Shelkin, Katelyn Tkach, Colleen Weaver, Matthew Wimer, Abigail Voshell, Jasen Xander, Stephanie Moran, Alexandra Green, Colson Bennett, Zachary Herr, Kylie Driver, Katie Hilton, Rachel Mellinger, Anastasia Miller, Kailee Reed, Destiney Hoffmann, Alexia Kelley, Victoria Scully, Amber Calandro, Janessa Hernandez, Kelly Ludden, Bennett Christman, Ashley Kuhn, Lauren Pierce,  and Haley Radziewicz.
Talbot: Brennan Waldorf, Maya Hawkins Bailey, Reginald Jackson, Hailey Kinnamon, Kaitlyn Lyons, Ava Nkanza, Ghotai Popal, Torian Copper, Tyler Currie, James Freeman, Carlton Freeman, Leanna Kennedy, Tucker Kerr, Joshua Sherwood, Matthew Ellingsworth, Morgan Streckfus, Deamani Davis, Deleon Foster, Da’myni Johnson, Aniya Jones, Makayla Moore, Katelyn Martin, Kierstyn Tilley, Olivia Windsor, Rebecca Wright, Randy Soto-Mendez, Armani Martin, Cam Bott, Ayanni Brown, Kaleb Elliott, Elisha Gregory, Bryah Henry, Grace Ortiz Talbot Tye Queen Talbot Xavier Richards-Powell Talbot Rebecca Sawyer Talbot Hannah Schmitz, Andre Stewart, Loren Tucker, Aayza Awan, Mariah Bentz, Olivia Brown, Lindsey Crawford, Katie Dahlen, Rowina Dent, Jessica Lopez, Teagan Miller, Sarah Stauffer, Lyndy Thompson, Bryan Cichetti, Taylor Rupp, Benjamin Spurry, Kailie Foster, Kylie Fluharty, Emma Ross, Cherie Warren, Abigail Meadows, Teegan Murphy, Nathan Sadler, Eva Ramsey, Emma McKenzie, Dayana Gonzalez Madrid, Shelby Moore, and Mona Patel.
Wicomico: Isaiah Robinson

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Chesapeake College Launches New Brand

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Chesapeake College celebrated the opening of the 23-24 academic year with an enrollment increase and a new brand.

Faculty, staff and community stakeholders gathered for the annual State of the College address and a local leader status report where President Clifford P. Coppersmith introduced Chesapeake’s new brand and shared news of a 10 percent increase in credit student enrollment compared to last fall.

“Chesapeake has grown, and our mission has evolved with the world around us in recent years—all while the market for higher education has become increasingly competitive,” Dr. Coppersmith said.  “It was essential that we assessed both who we are and how we are perceived to develop a consistent and unified message—not just visually but also in our actions.”

Chesapeake conducted a nationwide competitive bid search for a firm to develop a comprehensive new brand.  VisionPoint Marketing of Raleigh, N.C. was awarded the contract. The specialty higher education firm performed the research, analysis, and creative work on Chesapeake’s brand during the last year.

Market analysis and extensive research—including community surveys and focus groups—informed development of the brand pillars and logo. While Chesapeake College used outside firms for logo development in the past, this project marks the first time the college contracted with a vendor to conduct such in-depth research and analysis.

In addition to gathering comments and perceptions from more than 1,200 stakeholders within the service community, VisionPoint led the college through deep self-reflection to build brand pillars on the foundation of the institution’s history, core values and aspirations.

The end result, Dr. Coppersmith said, is a comprehensive brand that pays tribute to Chesapeake’s nearly 60-year history as the educational, cultural and economic development hub for the Mid-Shore.

Chesapeake College Director of Marketing and College Relations Danielle Darling said Chesapeake needed a new brand that that can carry the college into the future,“ Chesapeake’s audiences are vast and diverse. We need a brand that resonates with each of these groups as an authentic representation of the College and to reinforce our unique selling proposition,” Ms. Darling said.

She added, “One of our new branding pillars is ‘connector to what’s next.’  This particular brand pillar has the most value for our students,” Ms. Darling said. “We connect students to high-quality education, to training, to universities, to employment and local industries, personal enrichment, and so much more. This reflects our position at the heart of this region and as the conduit to changing peoples’ lives.”

After all the research and exploratory work were completed, the consultants and the Chesapeake community delved into several visual interpretations of their findings, ultimately moving toward an abstract expression of forward movement, suggestive of the iconic skipjack.

“We didn’t want to have a literal skipjack, we wanted to build on this idea of connection and momentum—of meeting students where they are and getting them to their next destination, moving the community forward, one student at a time—which is really the central story of our brand.” “The idea that the skipjack, historically, was a working-class vessel with strong connections in our region was important as well,” Ms. Darling said. “We wanted to represent that in an abstract way, not only to stand out in an area that uses a great deal of nautical imagery, but to make it unique to Chesapeake College, and more accessible and approachable to our audience.”

Ms. Darling explained the negative space in the icon illustrates the rigging of a skipjack, perfectly symbolizing the connections Chesapeake helps build for its students and the community at large.

The new logo features modern hues of Chesapeake’s traditional blue and green colors, with new shades of gold and orange. A deep coral red rounds out the new brand color palette.

Five segments represent the individual identities and unity of the five counties in Chesapeake’s service region. A bold serif font blends the past and future in Chesapeake’s new visual identity.

When paired with the name “Chesapeake College,” the College becomes the wind pushing the shape forward—the force that moves students and the community forward, connecting them to what’s next.

To explore the new look, visit www.chesapeake.edu/brand.

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Alice Hubbard named Certified Nursing Assistant of the Year

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Alice Hubbard of Unionville was named Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) of the Year during the 2023 recognition event at Chesapeake College. More than 25 CNAs from across the region were nominated for the award, which recognizes excellence in the field and dedication to patients. Ms. Hubbard has been a CNA for 30 years and works for Home Instead.  The winner, center, is pictured here with Mid-Shore Certified Nursing Assistant Advisory Council members, left to right, Elizabeth Scudder of Caroline Nursing and Rehabilitation; Linda Houchens of Chesapeake College; Deanna Tobin of Chesapeake College, Nancy Pippin of Chesapeake College; Tara Simpkins of Corsica Hills; Marion Donahu

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Jafari, Nagel to Lead Chesapeake College Board of Trustees

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A. Reza Jafari

A. Reza Jafari of Talbot County is the new chair of the Chesapeake College Board of Trustees. 

Mr. Jafari, a trustee since 2018, now leads the 10-member body charged with oversight at Chesapeake. Milton Nagel of Caroline County will serve as the vice chair. 

“I am honored to chair the Chesapeake College Board of Trustees and will do my utmost in diligently working with College leadership in serving our five Counties and delivering on our committed stewardship of students’ success,” said Mr. Jafari. 

In addition to his role with the Board of Trustees, Mr. Jafari is a board member of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges. He also serves on the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Government Relations and Policy Committee and as the ACCT State Coordinator for Maryland;, and a board member of the India, China, and America Institute. 

Mr. Jafari is the Chairman, CEO and Founder of e-Development International. Based in Easton, e-Development International is an executive advisory group that promotes, facilitates and participates in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) initiatives for transformational leadership, social entrepreneurships and change, strategic alliances and ecosystems development, connected healthcare, e-education, smart cities and connected communities. 

Mr. Jafari succeeds Robert Grace, whose term as chair ended July 1. He worked closely with Dr. Clifford Coppersmith to guide Chesapeake out of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Of Mr. Grace’s tenure as Board chair, President Coppersmith said, “Bob’s leadership allowed Chesapeake to weather the unprecedented challenges to the institution during a global pandemic. Throughout his time with the board, he has been a critical link to the region’s business community. Bob is keenly aware of Chesapeake’s role in preparing the local workforce and bolstering economic development on the Eastern Shore.” 

Chesapeake’s Board of Trustees is comprised of two members from each of the five support counties. Members are appointed to five-year terms by the governor. 

For information about the Chesapeake College Board of Trustees, please visit
https://www.chesapeake.edu/about/board

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.