Talbot County, Maryland

Rachel Smith, Chairperson

Rachel is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Londonderry on the Tred Avon, where she has been a proud member of the Londonderry team for over ten years. She has also been a committed member of the commission for over three years, with two of those years on the social media and marketing subcommittee.

A native of Easton, Rachel grew up with her two younger brothers on her family's farm. She earned her degree in communications from Salisbury University, where she met her husband, Jeff. Together, they are raising three active boys. In her free time, Rachel enjoys spending quality time with her family, who all live nearby.

Jennifer Marchi, Vice Chairperson

Jenna lives in St. Michaels with her husband Ben and their two sons. 

In 2010, Jenna and Ben purchased Home Instead in Easton, which provides non-medical home care to older adults throughout Talbot County and the entire Mid-Shore area. Their signature public service program, “Be a Santa to a Senior” is a program Home Instead has grown since it began and has delivered thousands of gifts to area seniors in need.

Jenna joined the Talbot County Commission on Aging in 2012 and currently serves as the Vice Chairman. Previous to this, she served as Chairman for eight years.

Jenna is a graduate of Virginia Tech where she received her BS in Political Science and MA in Public Administration and Policy. When she isn’t helping area seniors, she enjoys volunteering as a member and officer of her local Daughter’s of the American Revolution Chapter.

Andy Hollis

Andrew Hollis of Easton, Maryland, is the President and CEO of Delmarva Community Services (DCS). With over 20 years of leadership experience in government and nonprofit organizations on the Mid-Shore, Hollis brings a proven track record of operational expertise and a deep commitment to serving others.

Prior to his role at DCS, Hollis served as Executive Director of Upper Shore Aging. His extensive career includes leadership positions such as Talbot County Manager, Executive Director of Londonderry Retirement Community of Easton, Inc., and Town Manager of St. Michaels, Maryland. His responsibilities have included overseeing day-to-day operations, administration, and fiscal management, including the stewardship of multi-million-dollar budgets.

As President and CEO of DCS, Hollis leads an organization dedicated to serving individuals with developmental disabilities, seniors, and those living in poverty. DCS also provides vital childcare and transportation services. In 2022, the organization supported more than 6,000 residents across the Delmarva Peninsula and employed over 250 staff members. Hollis is committed to expanding these efforts, focusing on strengthening existing programs and exploring new opportunities to meet the growing needs of the community.

Hollis earned a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Urban Planning from the University of Maryland, College Park. He is actively involved in the community, serving on the Talbot County Department of Social Services Advisory Board, the Responsible Fathers Initiative, and St. Mark’s Housing Ministry. He also volunteers at the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry.

Hollis resides in Easton with his wife, Karen. His leadership philosophy emphasizes collaboration, resource stewardship, and a commitment to ensuring dignity and independence for those served by DCS.

Brenda Stone

Brenda is a retired nurse practitioner who specialized in adult neurology at Johns Hopkins.  She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Duke University and a Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Maryland.  She served 5 years in the United States Navy Nurse Corps.  In the Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins she was the clinical coordinator for NIH studies for stroke.  In addition, she worked on early trials for medications to treat Parkinson’s disease.  Brenda and her husband have lived in Talbot County for 30 years.  She has been a volunteer at Talbot Hospice for 20 years, sings with the Allegra Women’s chorus, and is a Caring Clown.

Carrie Ottey

Carrie Ottey, RN, BSN is the Program Manager for Senior Services at the Talbot County Health Department. TCHD's Senior Services programs include Medicaid Home and Community Based Services and the Senior Care program. Carrie has been employed with the Senior Services program since 2011. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing in 1995 and has experience in hospital and assisted living settings, as well as Community Health. Carrie joined the Commission in 2023. She has resided in Talbot County since 2004 and is married with three grown sons.

Childlene Brooks

Childlene, is a Talbot County native. She attended the former Fredrick Douglass Elementary School in St Michaels and spent 4 years at Robert Russa Moton High School prior to transferring to St. Michaels High School In 1967. She completed a business course at the Baltimore Institute and has taken classes at Chesapeake College.

Childlene retired from the State of MD, Talbot County Health Department in 2010 and began working at Brookletts Place Talbot County Senior Center in 2011 as the Program Coordinator. She currently serves as the Manager, a position she has held since 2014.

Childlene is a lifelong member of New St. Johns United Methodist Church, Wittman, and currently serves on the Missions Outreach Committee. 

Very involved in the community, Childlene has served on numerous boards in the past to include but not limited to, the American Cancer Society, at the local, state, and regional levels; Critchlow Adkins Children’s Center; and Mid-Shore Pro Bono. She is currently an active Board Member of CASA of the Mid-Shore; Talbot Hospice Foundation; Frederick Douglass Honor Society; Bay Hundred Community Volunteers; Inc., Mid Shore Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, and co-founder of the Family Friends of Asbury & Green Chappel, Inc.

Ellen Taggert

Ellen moved to Easton from Alexandria, Virginia where she was Business Manager for The Port Packet Newspaper and then Advertising Manager for Our Nation’s Oldest Daily Newspaper, The Alexandria Gazette and its seven group papers including The Walter Reed Stripe and The Pentagram News. She became Assistant to the Director of Economic Development for Talbot County and then Talbot County Office of Tourism Coordinator. She retired as Intake Coordinator for an Easton award winning non-profit. Ellen is a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) member, has been a Talbot Humane volunteer and is a volunteer with the Talbot Hospice Foundation since 2010. Ellen served six years as Vice-Chairperson for the Commission. She is an Advisor to the Luminis Health Primary Care-Easton, Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC).

Grace Lyons

Grace is deeply passionate about working with seniors, and her involvement with the Talbot County Commission on Aging allows her to further this commitment. She greatly appreciates the diverse perspectives and rich experiences the commission members bring to our meetings and events, and is enthusiastic about continuing to learn and playing an active role in enhancing the lives of seniors in Talbot County.

Originally from Talbot County, she relocated to Caroline County a few years ago with my husband and our three children—William, Charlie, and our daughter, Savannah—to be closer to our farm.

Herb Cain

Herb Cain is the newly appointed executive director of Upper Shore Aging. Cain has been a community-minded United Methodist Pastor, leading and serving local congregations on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for the past 14 years. He served as the pastor of Tilghman United Methodist Church, in Talbot County from July 2018 through June 2021. He has also been a commercial fisherman, operating out of Rock Hall.

Cain holds a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies with a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Wilmington University, an Associate of Arts in General Studies from Cecil Community College and has completed The United Methodist Church Ministerial Course of Study from Wesley Theological Seminary.

Compassion, ethics, and believing in a cause are some of the key personal motivators that have strengthened his commitment to provide servant-leadership to organizations that serve their community. Cain and his wife, Franny, are currently empty nesters who maintain close bonds with their three adult children and five grandchildren.

Jen Peirson

Jennifer Pierson is the Inpatient Rehabilitation Manager at UMM Shore Regional Health. Jennifer earned her BS in Health Management and Policy and then continued for a master’s in occupational therapy. Prior to relocating the Eastern Shore, Jennifer was the director of an adult day health center in Washington State.

Since moving to the Eastern Shore in 2006 with her husband and family, Jennifer has worked for UMM Shore Regional Health in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Jennifer join the Commission on Aging in 2019.

Kate Stinton

Kate Stinton, RN, LCSW was employed for over 20 years at the Talbot County Health Department serving as the program manager for Senior Services and Community Care Coordination in her last position before retirement. Previous employment includes staff RN at Dorchester General, and Memorial Hospital at Easton. Kate has resided in Talbot County since 1999 and is married with three grown sons.

Kathleen Dormody

Kathleen was born and raised in upstate New York and is loving being back in a small town community.  She enjoys reading, old music, anything vintage, and spending time with her husband and small Maltipoo, Buttercup. 

Her career began as an English and Reading teacher, and included working as a Paralegal, Project Manager, and Copywriter.  She has enjoyed volunteering over the last several years, as she is committed to giving back; her mantra is about educating, inspiring, empowering, and advocating for individuals who need support. 

Inspired by watching her parents care for family members as she grew up, and caring for her husband over the past year, Kathleen is passionate about spending the rest of her career helping older adults age in place with dignity and respect.

Lee Newcomb

Lee Lynch Newcomb is a licensed certified social worker- clinical. She received her Masters of Social Work from Salisbury University. She has been a practicing social worker with Talbot County Department of Social Services since 1999 and is currently an Adult Services Social Worker.  Lee is also a member and the current Secretary and Past President (2020- 2021) of Tidewater Rotary. She is married and has two sons.

Lynn Mielke

LYNN MIELKE is serving her first term on the Talbot County Council.  Born and raised on Long Island, her first connection with the Eastern Shore was in 1968 to attend Washington College. She graduated in 1972 with a B.A. in American Studies and went on to attend the University of Baltimore School of Law (night division) graduating in 1979. Passing the Maryland State Bar the same year, she joined the law firm of Miller, Wheeler, Thompson and Thompson in Easton as an associate. She served as an Assistant Public Defender for Talbot County in the early 1980s. She married into a prominent Talbot County farm family. In 1991 she became a certified divorce mediator, one of the first on the Mid-Shore. She operated a general practice, with a concentration in family law, until her retirement in 2016. Over the past 43 years she has served on the Board of a number of volunteer organizations: Mid Shore Council on Family Violence (founding board member and Treasurer); Talbot County Mental Health Association; Talbot County Chapter of the American Heart Association; Talbot Hospice; Home for Aged Women (now known as Dixon House); Washington College Alumni Co-President Talbot County Chapter; CASA volunteer; and Talbot County Pro Bono Committee. She is a past president of the Talbot County Bar Association. As a member of the Maryland State Bar Association she served on the Judicial Nominating Commission of the Association. Since her retirement she has served on the Easton Club Community Association Board of Directors (President 2018-20); Sts. Peter and Paul Women’s Guild, serving as Secretary and currently Vice President; a guest speaker at the Chesapeake Forum, and has been an Election Judge, Talbot County Board of Elections, 2016-2020. Over the years, she has, and continues to volunteer for several Talbot County arts organizations: Waterfowl Festival, Plein Air, and Tred Avon Players. She was a member of Miles River Yacht Club and served on the log canoe race committee. Over the 43 years she has resided in Talbot County, she has lived in Newcomb and Tunis Mills, as well as the Town of Easton, where she currently resides with her fur baby who she adopted from Talbot Humane.  Ms. Mielke serves as the County Council's liaison to the Airport Board, Commission on Aging, Golf Board, Local Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council, Mid-Shore Regional Council and as the Council's alternate member to the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Legislative Committee.

Megan Murry

Megan Murrayis the Volunteer Coordinator at Talbot Hospice, she joined the Commission in May 2021.

She has been working with seniors for several years, and enjoys listening to them and learning from them. "They have experienced a lot, and it’s a different world after all those years."

She is interested in supporting seniors and giving them the attention they deserve. "The Commission allows us to share information and resources regarding their health and well-being."

Megan Pinder

Megan earned her degree in Communications from Salisbury University. Throughout her career, she has focused on advocating for seniors in her community and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Her background includes roles such as Ombudsman for the local Area Agency on Aging, Maryland Access Point Coordinator, Special Programs Coordinator with the Queen Anne's County Department of Health, Director Positions with local DDA providers, and a High School Special Education Teacher. For the past two years, she has been the Director of Sales and Marketing at HeartFields at Easton. This position has provided her with valuable opportunities to connect with many professionals in the senior services sector, leading to her recent appointment with the Talbot County Commission on Aging.

Megan resides in Queenstown with her husband, Tony, and their son, Theodore.

Rachael Cox

Rachael Cox is 33 years old and resides in Galestown, MD with her fiancé Ben Eskridge, daughter Paisley and stepson Seth. She is a 2009 graduate of North Dorchester High School and obtained her EMS training through the Maryland Fire Rescue Institute in 2010. In 2014 she completed her Paramedic training from Chesapeake College while working for Caroline and Dorchester County's EMS departments. Rachael was hired by Talbot County Department of Emergency Services in 2016 and currently serves in the Special Programs Coordinator position. Within that position she is the Mobile Integrated Health program coordinator, manages Talbot County's vast public access AED program and is currently the department's interim training coordinator. In 2024 she obtained her MICRB teaching certification and works part time at Maryland Fire Rescue Institute as an EMS instructor. Rachael's passion for community outreach and improving access to local health resources to the citizens of Talbot County continues to drive her efforts. 

Sandra Wieland

Sandy moved to the Eastern Shore at age sixteen.  She retired as a nurse practitioner in 2021 after a 46-year career as a registered nurse and a Family Nurse Practitioner. She began her nursing career by attending Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, then went on to attend the University of Maryland School of Nursing where she earned a master’s degree and two post graduate degrees. She became certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She now works as a substitute teacher at Talbot County schools as needed. She is married and has three daughters. She has enjoyed cruising the intercoastal water ways from Maryland to Florida (8 times) and she also paints, knits, reads and basketweaves, and plays with her English Setter during her free time. 

Terry Satchell

Terry is a registered nurse with University of MD Shore Regional Health as the Project Manager with Population Health. Terry is a life member of the Easton Vol. Fire Dept., having been a firefighter and paramedic. He became a nurse in 2000 and worked in the ICU, informatics, education and EMS Nurse

Liaison. He has a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration as well as a BS in Nursing. Terry also serves on the Talbot Co. EMS advisory Board.

Terry is an Easton native and lives in Easton with his wife, Luanne and their two sons. He enjoys family time, fishing and sports.

Veda Gibson

Veda L. Gibson joined the Talbot County Commission on the Aging as a member on October 26, 2020. Currently employed by the Housing Commission of Talbot, she serves as the Manager of Asbury Place Apartments in Easton, Maryland.  Asbury Place Apartments is an apartment building for seniors who can live independently and are sixty-two (62) years of age and older. Veda brings to the Commission her experience of thirty-nine (39) years as a retired Banker and fifteen (15) years as a Caregiver for the elderly. She enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Veda has been a member of the Commission since 2021.