The Montgomery County Board of Education honored 23 individuals and organizations during its annual Distinguished Service Awards ceremony. The virtual ceremony was broadcast at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. Video of the ceremony is available here.
The Board established the awards to recognize and show appreciation for exemplary contributions to public education and to MCPS by members of the community, businesses, MCPS staff and school volunteers.
This year’s Distinguished Service Award winners are:
Community Group
Building Foundations for the Future—This organization of mentors provides an invaluable service to adolescent and teen boys by supporting the development of leadership skills and fostering positive relationships with each other and within the Clarksburg community.
Difference Makers—Started in 2009 by a group of students at Takoma Park Middle School, its mission is to get youth involved in service at all levels of community (local, national and international). This includes student projects designed around the Youth Services America tenets of awareness, service, advocacy and philanthropy.
Pro Power Foundation—This is a grassroots foundation supporting youth ages 7-17 with educational supports, mentoring, sports programs and camps.
Ishita Chatterjee, Sanjana Kumar, Sadhana Lolla, Preethi Prakash and Megha Timmalapali—Poolesville High School students who serve the students of Hallie Wells Middle School as student coaches for its Science Olympiad teams.
Community Individual
Craig Koralek, a retired chemical/environmental engineer who volunteers in the American Association for the Advancement of Science STEM Program.
Zoe Tishaev, a 2020 graduate of Clarksburg High School, who served as the Student Government Association president.
Business
Elite Soccer Youth Development Academy, Inc.—This business provides an after-school, evening and weekend outlet to MCPS youth. They offer leadership and academic support and the opportunity to play soccer through its development program.
DARCARS Automotive Group—They have been a part of the local landscape for 40 years, building and enhancing a relationship with MCPS through unwavering support of time, funds and resources for students.
Educational Systems Federal Credit Union—A longtime partner with MCPS, this organization has a core purpose of serving the education community. They provide scholarships, internships, charitable donations and financial education.
MCPS Staff
Rina M. Chaves, ESOL transition counselor. She has spent 28 years in education and consistently goes above and beyond to raise awareness about trauma in schools.
Lana Haddad, administrative services manager. She has more than 27 years of service to the students and staff of MCPS and the Board of Education.
Margaret “Peggy” Khoury, grant site coordinator for GMStrong! She coordinated the GMStrong grant at Gaithersburg Middle School and has collaborated with multiple organizations to design and facilitate a schoolwide program of social and emotional learning.
Richard “Dick” Lipsky, supervisor in MCPS Television. He has worked tirelessly and successfully to build MCPS TV into a key central services unit that supports students, staff and the community.
School Service Volunteer
Anne Baldini is a retired science teacher who volunteers each week at Brooke Grove Elementary School.
Sheila Chandler, who serves as James Hubert Blake High School’s NAACP Parent Coalition Coordinator, is a parent volunteer and a temporary part-time employee.
Ruthanne Stoltzfus is a retired teacher who volunteers as a crossing guard in the heart of Germantown. She works to strengthen partnerships between community groups, such as Safe Routes to Schools and the Action Committee for Transit.
Individual Pioneer
Councilmember Nancy Navarro has worked throughout her career in public service to improve the lives of all students and residents within Montgomery County. She is a champion for racial equity and social justice.
Elizabeth Spencer (In Memoriam) served on the Board of Education from 1974-1982 and was an advocate for students of every background, regardless of race, gender or religion, or whether the student was collegebound. She was known for her sterling integrity, common sense and ability to get along with people of varying viewpoints.
