Wicomico Public Library Welcomes New Board Members

WHAT:  Wicomico Public Library Board of Trustees

WHO:  New Board members

WHERE: Wicomico Public Library

SALISBURY, MD – December 5, 2012 – Wicomico Public Library recently welcomed two new members and one returning member to its Board of Trustees.  Dr. Mark L. Bowen, a native of Berlin, Maryland, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences Education from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a Master’s Degree in Educational Counseling from Salisbury University and a Doctorate in Religious Education from Covington Theological Seminary.  Professionally Dr. Bowen has held the positions of Middle School Teacher, Middle School Assistant Principal, Elementary School Principal and Supervisor of Instruction and Student Services at the District Level.  After twenty years as a professional educator, Dr. Bowen left the field and entered Law Enforcement.  In the Law Enforcement arena, he has held the position of Deputy Sheriff, Director of Gang Intelligence for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services and Director of the Mayors Office of Safe Streets for the city of Salisbury, Maryland. Currently Dr. Bowen serves as Criminal Justice Instructor for the Wicomico County Board of Education.  Dr. Bowen has served as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Sojourner-Douglass College. He is recognized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as an expert in Youth Gang Violence and Prevention, Learning Theory, Classroom Management and Special Education Issues and conducts trainings Nationally and Internationally.

Joanna C. VanDerPool graduated from the College of New Rochelle and has a background in computers where she served as Software Quality Assurance Manager, Project Manager, Education Team Lead and Process Improvement Team Lead. She retired from IBM Corporation in 1998. She established Connect 4 Performance, where she taught national and international quality standards throughout the US and Europe. Currently, she is a Wicomico County Respite Parent and a Substitute Teacher for the Wicomico County Board of Education (WCBoE). She is on the boards of Princess Anne Chapter of The Links, Inc, and Delmarva Education Foundation, Inc. She serves as a volunteer for several local organizations. 

H. Scott Duncan recently became Chair of the Library Board of Trustees, after serving as a member of the board for three years.   Duncan has a PhD., anthropology from the University of California at Los Angeles and a BA in economics from Dickinson College.  He has been the Country Director for the United States Peace Corps, Director of Development for the American Friends Service Committee and is currently retired and serving on the library board as well as volunteering in the Technical Services Department.  He also volunteers his time with the Salisbury Choral Advisory Board and as a classical music program announcer on WSCL.

The Board of Trustees provides policy and budgetary oversight for the library. Members are appointed by the Wicomico County Council for five-year terms.