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.
Janssen Evelyn
Originally from Barbados, Janssen was raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland. An attorney by trade, Janssen has worked in various senior leadership roles in local government since 2017 and currently serves as a deputy chief administrative officer in a neighboring jurisdiction, where his portfolio focuses on land use policy and economic development. Anchored by a commitment to bring the margins to the center and ensure that diverse voices have a seat at the table, Janssen was a recent political candidate and serves on the executive boards of the Howard County NAACP #7020, Howard County Conservancy, Columbia Community Care, and the Maryland Commission for Civil Rights. Janssen and his wife, Sonya, live in Columbia, where his two daughters attend Howard County Public Schools. Janssen holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in African Diaspora Studies from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and his juris doctor from Washington & Lee School of Law.
Carla Gates
Carla is a seasoned liberation / health equity advocate and educator who has been a Nurse for over 30 years. She is passionate about addressing political and social determinants of health that create health disparities and shorten lifespans. Carla’s advocacy for human liberation began in the mid-1990s as an AIDS nurse and has continued through the health inequities highlighted by Covid and beyond. Additionally, she has learned from growing her own food and herbs that access to fresh food and medicinal herbal remedies is the birthright and heritage of Black folks and all of humanity.
Carla currently serves on the board of Community Ecology Institute, Howard Progressive Project and Black Lives of Unitarian Universalists.
As evidenced by her past and present activities, Carla remains committed to collective human liberation and well-being.
Sanjay George
Sanjay George is a passionate community leader from Howard County, Maryland, with a deep commitment to service and advocacy. Born and raised near the Woodstock/Ellicott City border, he began his community involvement through environmental advocacy and arts-focused nonprofits, including Roots Studio. Sanjay earned an Associate Degree from Howard Community College and is pursuing his bachelor’s degree within the University of Maryland system while working full-time. He recently served as Political Director for a nationally competitive Congressional campaign. Elected to the Maryland State Democratic Central Committee for Howard County, Sanjay also serves as Vice Chair of the Community Advisory Council, Commissioner on Howard County’s AAPI Commission, and Past President of the Ellicott City & Western Howard County Democratic Club. Dedicated to strengthening schools, protecting natural resources, and ensuring housing access, Sanjay is eager to collaborate with others to build an inclusive and thriving community.
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.
Erykah St. Louis
Erykah grew up in Montréal, Canada and immigrated to Maryland in 2010. She is a graduate of York University, where she earned her bachelors degree in communications and international development. Erykah is a content creator, communication strategist and podcaster. On her show, The M Word with Erykah she shares stories from her life about the journey of motherhood and what it means for the modern mom. She is an advocate for families, mental health, and the arts. Erykah lives in Columbia with her son and enjoys drawing and crafting in her free time.