Deborah Mayer, Teaching Assistant at Severn School and avid community leader, has been named President of Maryland Hall’s Board of Directors, succeeding Barbara Copeland Jackson, Senior Vice President Commercial Banking, Truist. Jackson joined the board in 2014 and served as president since 2019.
Mayer joined Maryland Hall’s board in 2018 and also served as chair for the Hall’s biggest annual fundraiser Arts Alive! in 2019. After moving from New Jersey to the Annapolis area in the early ‘80s, Mayer worked as an airspace systems engineer at ARINC (now Collins Aerospace). Then, Mayer and her husband, Joe, started a family, and her priorities shifted.
Once her family started growing, Mayer stayed home to raise her children and began volunteering. Her volunteerism has evolved and grown over the years beginning in children's schools and then joining the MD Hall volunteer corps when her daughter was enrolled in the dance program. Mayer would go on to join the board at MD Hall and serve other organizations including MD Hall Resident Company Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Severna Park High School Booster Club, St. Mary's Athletic Association, The Summit School and Severn Town Club. In addition to her volunteer work, Mayer is a First Grade Teaching Assistant at Severn School in Severna Park, Maryland.
“Debbie has been an engaged Maryland Hall patron for many years with generations of her family attending classes at the Hall,” says Emily Garvin, Maryland Hall Executive Director. “As a dedicated member of our board, she has brought her experience as an engineer, community fundraiser and educator – with a special focus on the needs of local families – to all of our patrons’ benefit. We are fortunate to have her leadership at this critical time.”
In addition to Mayer, the following individuals will serve on Maryland Hall’s Board as of July 2021 (new board members noted with an asterisk):
Vice Chair
Jeffrey Bowman, Esq., Bowman Jarashow Law LLC
Secretary
Mollie Walsh Beigel, Council Baradel
Treasurer
Joan H. Renner, The Brick Companies
*Suzanne Vetter Burnett, Potter Burnett Law
Cynthia F. A. Busch
*Thomas DeKornfeld
Eleni Dykstra, Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Damean W. Freas, D.O., Clearway Pain Solutions LLC
Alan R. Friedman, Attorney at Law
*Brandi Hanback, Rockefeller Group
*Jason R. Haddaway, Truist
Jeff Harris, JKH Consulting, LLC
*Eric Leshinsky, City of Annapolis
Cassie Mabery, Katcef Brothers
Maureen McMahon, Ph.D., Anne Arundel County Public Schools
*Jennifer Purcell, Ph.D., Anne Arundel County
Paul W. Wood
Sonja Swygert
With several new board members joining seasoned members, this dynamic team of directors will oversee the non-profit’s resurgence from the covid-19 pandemic and the appointment of Maryland Hall’s next Executive Director. After 20+ years of service at Maryland Hall including two as Executive Director, Emily Garvin will leave her post in late 2021.