4 New Members Join Harford County Education Board Including Student Member Of The Board

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — The Board of Education of Harford County seated four new board members at its July 17 meeting.

Three were appointed by Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly with the new Student Member of the Board, Madina Sabirova, joining the board.

Terri Kocher has lived in Harford County for more than 36 years and two of her grandchildren are current Harford County Public Schools students. Kocher retired from the U.S. Army after enjoying a civilian career spanning more than 30 years working at the Pentagon and Aberdeen Proving Ground. She was a multi-term member of a local church nursery school and day care center board. Kocher holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Salisbury State College and a master's degree in systems management from Florida Institute of Technology. Her husband retired after 30 years working as a teacher in Baltimore County.

Aaron Poynton is the chief executive officer and founder of Omnipoynt Solutions, a strategy and business development consulting firm in the aerospace and defense, national security and health and safety markets. He is also co-founder and chief commercial officer of A3 Global, a next-generation company focused on the future of mobility in the circular economy. Before transitioning into business, Poynton served in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of captain, and was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground, where he served as the company commander of an advanced individual training unit. Poynton holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; a master's degree in project management from George Washington University; an MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business; and a doctorate degree in public administration from the University of Baltimore.

Lauren Paige Strauss is a certified project management professional who has lived in Harford County for 12 years and currently resides in Havre de Grace. Strauss works as the director of program management for a small business in the department of defense industry and is the mother of a recent graduate and a current student of Havre de Grace High School.

Madina A. Sabirova is a senior at Harford Technical High School and will serve as the 2023-2024 Student Member of the Board. She is enrolled in Harford Technical High School’s culinary arts program and is involved in multiple school clubs. She serves as vice president of her school’s Muslim Student Association and is a member of the Debate Team, National Honor Society, Rho Kappa and Voices of Equity Club. She also is a member of Harford Tech’s varsity tennis team.

Outgoing members of the board who finished their four-year terms at the end of June 2023 are Joyce Herold, Roy Phillips and Patrice Ricciardi, as well as the 2022-2023 Student Member of the Board Noa Blanken.