Howard County Arts Council Welcomes New Members to Board of Directors

The Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) welcomes three community leaders to its Board of Directors. Ellen Flynn Giles, David Phillips, and Kenneth Skrzesz join a dynamic group led by Board President Mark Coates, Associate Professor, Notre Dame of Maryland University.

In welcoming the new members, Coates said, "The Arts Council's stature as a model multi-purpose arts agency and advocate for the arts is due, in large part, to strong governance. As President of the Board, I look forward to working with the new and existing Board members to foster the arts and connect people with the arts. "

The new members bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the Arts Council Board:

Ellen Flynn Giles | Howard County Public School System Board of Education

Serving her third term on the Board of Education, Ellen Flynn Giles currently serves on the Audit Committee and as the liaison to the County Executive's Spending Affordability Committee. With over two decades of volunteer involvement with HCPSS, she has served on dozens of Board and school system committees, addressing topics from scheduling and curriculum development to policy review and facility planning. She is an active participant in the arts community, advocating on behalf of the arts and attending arts events throughout the county.

David Phillips | Montgomery College Dean for Visual, Performing, and Media Arts

Overseeing arts disciplines on three Montgomery College campuses, David Phillips leads a division of 85 faculty and staff. He is an accomplished musician and arts administrator with expertise in orchestral and concert band performance as well as arts advocacy, fundraising and philanthropy. His professional experience includes Director of the Lockheed Martin Corporation Foundation, Director of Administrative Operations at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Executive Director of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, and musician in the U.S Marine Band.

Kenneth Skrzesz | Maryland State Department of Education Coordinator of Fine Arts

Recently appointed as MSDE's Coordinator of Fine Arts, Kenneth Skrzesz, has held long-term teaching positions at the Carver Center for Arts and Technology, Goucher College, Southwest Missouri State University, and the University of North Carolina and served as the Performing and Visual Arts Magnet Teacher Specialist for Anne Arundel County Public Schools. He is a master teacher of acting and dance and has served as Executive Director of the Clear Space Theatre Company and Kinetics Dance Theatre and the Director of Student Life for the School of American Ballet.

The Arts Council's Board of Directors is a volunteer governing Board that is legally and fiscally responsible for the organization. The Board hires the Executive Director, makes strategic decisions, and sets policy to ensure programs and operations are consistent with the Arts Council's mission. The new Board members join the Arts Council at an exciting time with a new season of programming and the kick-off for the annual Celebration of the Arts in Howard County fundraising campaign just underway.