Katherine A. Harting
Executive Director

"I am energized about DEF's potential and I have a great deal of respect for the work of my father as founder and visionary. I'm honored that the board has invited me to join the talented, dedicated team who created and built DEF into the highly-regarded and helpful organization it is today. I recently retired from UMES after serving for twenty years as media specialist for the university's Department of Agriculture, Rural Development Center, and Maryland Cooperative Extension. I earned a B.A. degree from the University of Michigan , an M.A. degree in educational technology leadership from the George Washington University, and am completing my dissertation for the Ph.D. program at UMES in organizational leadership. My early career in television news production with ABC-TV led to a Nieman fellowship at Harvard University, and shortly thereafter the position of founding bureau chief of the ABC News Bureau in Boston. I am the mother of two grown children and live in Princess Anne, MD. "

"Dr. Don"
Donald Harting M.D., M.P.H.
Founder/Senior Advisor

"I was trained in pediatrics and public health at Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Colorado. My first career was starting new programs in the U.S. Public Health Service, retiring as director of the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. I have lived on the lower Delmarva Peninsula for many years, half of that time as health officer for Worcester County and I have served as volunteer executive director and board president of the Foundation."

Linda Jagusiak
Office Manager

"As a resident of Fruitland, Maryland I am a committee member in my son's Boy Scout troop and support his school activities. I grew up in New York and later moved to Princess Anne, Maryland from Long Island. I earned my bachelor's degree in communications and film studies at Queens College, C.U.N.Y. As a member of SWAC, the Salisbury-Wicomico Arts Council, I enjoy the programs offered by the Salisbury Film Society. I strongly support the important work of teachers, and the Delmarva Education Foundation's efforts to improve the value placed on education in our communities by those who live and work in this region."

S. Arthur Maonde

IT/Payroll Manager

"I have worked as the managing director of the Sylvan Learning Centers in Salisbury, Berlin, and Pocomoke City and as the IT manager of the Prometric Testing Center at Sylvan in Salisbury, Maryland. I have been volunteering my services at the Delmarva Education Foundation since its inception. I was born in Zambia and have lived in China, Rumania, and England, originally coming to the United States to study economics at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. I am happy to make this region my home, doing all I can to help students achieve because I believe education is the key to success."

Rhonda Elswick

Administrative Assistant

DEF-CCAP (College/Career Access Program) Project Manager & Advisor

"I was born and raised in Salisbury, Maryland, graduated from Wicomico Senior High School, and attended Wor-Wic Community College. I have actively volunteered in our local schools' classrooms, PTA, and other organizations that my daughter has been involved in. I care deeply about our educational system and the need for all students to have access to educational programs that will help them advance in life. I support the Delmarva Education Foundation and their work to improve educational opportunities for residents in this region."

Dianne Johnson

Financial Aid Clearinghouse Staff Assistant

"I have been blessed to have been involved in education for more than thirty years. I earned a bachelor's degree at Salisbury University and then taught health and physical education in Caroline and Worcester Counties; while there, I coached field hockey and gymnastics. I then received my master's degree in secondary education from SU and facilitated several grants in Somerset County including a Maryland's Tomorrow Middle School grant, Career Connections grant, and a federally-funded GEAR UP grant. I have been privileged to speak to groups all over the country on high school/college partnerships as well as share best practices with many diverse groups. Upon my retirement from Somerset County Public Schools, I have been active with the Delmarva Education Foundation, starting as a volunteer before joining the staff. I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to meet with educators, students and parents – telling them about the opportunities available to them through DEF."

Rex Vaughn, Ph.D.

Regional Education Information Center(REIC) Database Manager

"After graduating from high school in Mardela Springs I earned a B.A. degree in sociology from UMES, a master's equivalency in history from Salisbury University, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in sociology from Howard University. Maintaining my involvement in education, I then completed numerous courses and seminars on computers and grant writing while putting effort into volunteer opportunities. My employment has included research and administrative projects for various businesses in the health field and at UMES. As the REIC database manager, I enjoy the challenge to create, maintain, and seek funding for this important DEF project. Realizing that education is a key to success and advancement, I consider it a pleasure to represent and support DEF in its mission and professional encounters."

Michael A. Nugent, Ph.D.

DEF-CCAP Consultant

For more about DEF-CCAP,

the DEF College/Career Access Program,

click here.

Don M. Harting, MA, ELS

Don Harting was DEF's development associate and is a board-certified editor in the life sciences. He also holds certificates in medical writing and editing from the American Medical Writers Association and in Web site development from Syracuse University. He is proud to be the son of one of the visionary and courageous founders of DEF and as our grant writer for a short time he was happy to be in a position to deepen and extend the founders' legacy of helping others.

Sharon R. Clark-Ripper, Ed.D.

Sharon Clark volunteered as DEF's associate executive director and assistant director for Rural Education Research and Policy for many years, retiring from these positions in June'08. She continues to support DEF as a consultant to the Board of Directors. Some of her credentials in education: Science teacher in Maryland public secondary schools for 17 years, Director of Field Experiences at Salisbury University, mentor of new teachers in Somerset County Public Schools, and facilitator of student teacher seminars UMES.

Mila K. Tolley
Mila Tolley worked with DEF while a graduate student at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in the Guidance and Counseling program. She has enjoyed working in the public relations field and was happy to use those skills to help promote DEF. Her goal is to be a high school guidance counselor in one of our local school systems.

Stanley D. Turner II 

Stanley Turner interned at DEF as a graduate student in the Guidance and Counseling program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). He has mentored high school seniors in danger of not graduating at Washington High School and has tutored students at Metropolitan United Methodist Church, both in Princess Anne, Maryland.

Heather Rieken

Heather Rieken is a graduate of Salisbury University where she studied Education, Psychology, and Marketing. She hopes to pursue a full-time career in marketing, using the education she received at SU and the experience she has acquired while working part-time at DEF.

Lachecha Bevel-Downing

Lachecha Bevel-Downing, a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, works in customer service for M&T Bank in Delaware and is currently a DEF board member. She received a scholarship, she found out about through the DEF financial aid database, to finish her studies at UMES and later improved her office skills working part-time for DEF.