Kelly Klinefelter Lee, President
Kelly grew up in rural Minnesota and attended the University of Chicago and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has spent her entire career in education, at Facing History and Ourselves, a non-profit organization that uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate, and then in the Boston, MA, Chelsea, MA, Baltimore City, and Howard County public schools. Kelly has always been a proud and active member of her local teachers union. She and her family moved to Columbia in 2002, and since then, she has served as president of the Swansfield PTA and continues to serve as the co-director of the school’s Blessings in a Backpack program. Kelly’s three children are proud alumni of Swansfield ES, Harper’s Choice MS, and Wilde Lake HS.
Rebecca Beall
Rebecca is a lifelong resident of Columbia, and she chose to raise her daughter in the same neighborhood where she grew up. Rebecca is a special educator in the Howard County Public School System. As a special educator, Rebecca’s respect for the intrinsic value of all people is allowed to flourish. She also teaches graduate level education courses. She is a speaker and workshop and course leader and developer, teaching professionals, and children, the value and necessity of personal reflection, wellness, and mindfulness practices in inspiring change and growth. Rebecca is currently serving as the Chair of the Harper’s Choice Community Association and was the past Co-President and Secretary of the Wilde Lake High School PTSA. She is a volunteer with Ohana HC and other community organizations.
Dan Berland
Dan was born and raised in Howard County and has lived in the county for 38 years, raising three children who have all attended Howard County Public Schools. Dan is a professional disability policy advocate who serves in volunteer leadership roles in several national disability organizations and was a disability policy advisor to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Dan has also worked as an environmental organizer, campaign director for a campaign finance reform ballot initiative in California, a manager of learning centers for children, and as the Assistant Director of Leadership Howard County. Locally, Dan serves on the board of Howard County for All. Dan graduated from Northwestern University.
Ainy Haider-Shah
Ainy has been an Ellicott City resident for over 20 years, having settled here with her family while a student at Johns Hopkins University. A passionate parent volunteer with the Howard County Public School System, Ainy participates on several committees, including the Community Advisory Council and the Operating Budget Review Committee. She also serves on the board of the United Maryland Muslim Council, Howard County Muslim Council, Howard County For All and the Institute for Islamic Christian Jewish Studies’ Justice Leaders Network Advisory Board.
Griffin Lofft
Born in northern Virginia, Griffin was raised in Columbia and attended schools in Oakland Mills. They graduated from Washington College in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in political science after having participated in Spring Lobby Weekend 2024 with the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Since then, they have served as both a volunteer canvasser and Staging Location Director for the Maryland Democratic Party during the 2024 general election campaign. They plan to work for their master’s degree in public policy, and their interests primarily concern the intersection of land use, housing affordability, and environmental stewardship.
Jessica Moreno
The granddaughter of a Mexican immigrant, Jessica is originally from El Paso, Texas, and has lived in Howard County for over six years. Jessica earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and American literature from the University of Texas at El Paso and was a member of the Alpha Xi Delta, a sorority that focuses its philanthropy and service work on autism. She was also honored to volunteer on the student advisory board, as a leader of the the Panhellenic council, and more recently, on local educational campaigns. A mother of two, Jessica is passionate about progressive values and currently serves as an HCPSS PTA member and Little League coach. In her free time, Jessica has been teaching herself how to play the ukulele and enjoying Taharka Brothers ice cream.