Meet the Team

Mark is a native of Centreville, Maryland, where he grew up attending the Queen Anne’s County public schools before attending St. James School in Hagerstown, MD. He graduated from Hampden-Sydney College with a BA in English in 1975, and returned to Centreville with his wife, Diane, joining his father in the W. M. Freestate Insurance Agency, later becoming owner and president of W. M. Freestate and Son, Inc. In 2003, his agency was purchased by Shore BancShares and he became an executive vice president with the Avon Dixon Agency and holds that position today. He has two sons, William M. Freestate, II, and John Stuart Freestate (Colleen), and two grandchildren, Claire and Wells Freestate.

Mark has been involved in a variety of community organizations throughout his career. Listed below are a few:

• Kent School – Board Member and Board President
• Gunston School – Board Member and Board President
• Queen Anne’s County Arts Council – Board Member and Board President
• Centreville National Bank – Board Member and Board Chair
• St. Martin’s Ministries – Board Member and Board Chair
• Memorial Hospital Foundation – Board Member
• Corsica River Conservancy – Board Member
• Compass Regional Hospice – Executive Committee of the Capital Campaign
• Queen Anne’s County Economic Development Committee

Audrey Scott, Emeritus, has been a Maryland resident for the past forty years, during which time she has worked tirelessly on the local, state and federal level to improve her community and the state of Maryland. She is also a past Executive Director of the National Capital Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and a General Manager of Chaney Enterprises. Audrey’s commitment to improving the State of Maryland earned her an induction into the highly prestigious Maryland Women Hall of Fame as well as a Maryland Woman of Achievement award.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Bio coming soon.

 

 

 

 

Ozer is CEO of Retirement Planning Services, Inc., a Maryland-based financial planning firm. Ozer began his career in London and has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He holds a Ph.D. in Finance and is also a Special Needs Planner. Baltimore Magazine selected Ozer as a Five Star Wealth Manager for the past three years. Ozer leads a team of professionals who provide a broad array of services to help ensure clients are prepared for retirement and are able to transfer their wealth to future generations via sound, conservative and ever-evolving tools and techniques.  Ozer is a member of The Cattail Creek Country Club, and enjoys biking as well as cycling.  One of his favorite pass times is boating in the Chesapeake with his wife, son, daughter and dog.

Kendel Ehrlich, former First Lady of Maryland, currently works as the Principal Consultant at Kendel Ehrlich Consulting. She has served as Acting Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Director of the SMART Program, Drug Court Prosecutor for Anne Arundel County’s District Court, Board of Directors Member of Bank Annapolis, co-host of WBAL Radio’s Saturday Morning Show, and Attorney for Harford County. Kendel brings expertise in law and nonprofit management.

 

 

Bruce C. Bereano heads a government relations and lobbying firm in Annapolis, Maryland, and has decades of experience in the legal field as a law partner and as head of his own law firm. He has served on multiple Governor’s Commissions and been a member of numerous boards of directors for government and community organizations. A graduate of the George Washington University, Bruce has been recognized for his many contributions to a wide range of social and charitable causes.

 

 

Jacqueline Henson counsels nonprofits and not-for-profit organizations on a wide range of business and legal matters, including tax governance, lobbying/campaign finance compliance, corporate and executive compensation issues. She has more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit arena representing trade associations, public charities, private foundations and political organizations.
 

 

Denise Lovelady is the Former MD/DE State Director for the USDA Rural Development. She also worked as a Community Liaison for the US House of Representatives for MD Congressional District 1, as Broker/Owner of Lovelady Real Estate, and as Constituent Liaison for the US House of Representatives for MD Congressional District 1. She brings executive experience in the public and private sectors, specifically in the areas of government, agriculture, and real estate.

 

Randy Minteer served over 21 years in the Air Force, retiring at the rank of Captain. After the Air Force, he went back to school and earned his Master’s in Social Work. Since 2014, Randy has provided mental health counseling through his business River Bay Behavioral Health, LLC, located in Stevensville. His experience includes working with individuals, couples and families to meet the specific needs of each client.

Randy is a proud father of two sons, a stepdaughter, a daughter in-law, and grandfather of three young boys. He lives in Grasonville with his wife, Karen.

 

 

Vernon Spriggs has served as President of the Maryland Association of Prevention Professionals and Advocates (the Maryland Prevention Credentialing Board – MAPPA) since 2007. He is a Certified Prevention Professional, with over 20 years of Prevention service with the State of Maryland, serving Dorchester, Caroline, Kent and Montgomery counties, and collaborating on projects in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard, Wicomico Talbot and Queen Anne’s counties.

Vernon serves as the minister of music and Communications and Technology Chairman at Hurlock United Methodist Church. He is the owner of V Harvey Music, LLC and has four adult children plus twelve grandchildren. Vernon is a music-lover and a smooth jazz DJ.

 

 

Linda Kohler, Executive Director has been with Chesapeake Charities since it awarded its first grant in 2005. She manages the daily operations of the organization and its 95+ funds, provides assistance to those interested in philanthropy, and secures resources to address community needs. Linda’s background includes banking and finance. She served as Managing Director for Millenium Capital Development, an investment firm specializing in telecommunications and information technology products; and Vice President of Treasury Bank, a “boutique bank” chartered in the District of Columbia. Linda is a Standards for Excellence® Licensed Consultant specializing in grants, evaluation, and strategic planning.

 

 

Renée joined Chesapeake Charities in June of 2022 and is tasked with assisting our funds with grant-making and compliance. She brings a wealth of experience in project management and information technology and has volunteered at QAC public schools for many years. Renée resides in Chester with her husband and son, and two lucky little dogs.

 

 

Erin joined Chesapeake Charities in March 2022 as our Grants & Evaluations Specialist. She brings two decades of expertise in nonprofit communications. Erin lives with her husband, two kids and two kitties on Kent Island.

 

 

 

Wendy joined the Chesapeake Charities team in the spring of 2024.  She retired from a career in the Federal Government in December 2022; prior to that, she worked in the field of education for Baltimore County Public Schools for many years.  At Chesapeake Charities, Wendy values being able to assist the many dedicated charity fund managers as they do great work in the region.  A native Marylander, Wendy recently relocated to the Eastern Shore in order to be near her five grandchildren.