Our Board of Directors
Valerie Maxwell, Chair
Valerie is a founding Board Member of the Friends of Cecil County Parks & Rec and Chair of the finance committee. She is a strong advocate for community parks because of the social, emotional, and physical benefits that the parks and parks programs make available for our community. In addition to her love of the outdoors, and a passion for kayaking and boating on the Elk River, Val is a member of the Delaware Mathematics Coalition and serves on the leadership team of a grant-funded partnership with the University of Delaware and the National Science Foundation, working to improve mathematics teacher education.
Richard Bates: Chair Elect
Richard joined the Board in 2019 with a desire to help others understand the importance of open spaces and county parks through increased advocacy and awareness. He is an avid runner and can often be found on one of the many great trails at the county parks across Cecil County. In addition to being an Aflac representative he is a four-year member with the professional group, Business Network International. Richard is married and has three fur babies: the doggos Oz & Neville as well as the feline Minnie.
Bunny Renshaw: Secretary
Bunny is a founding Board member of the Friends of Cecil County Parks & Rec. Bunny serves on the Communications Committee, is always available for Events planning and organizing Pop-up Play Date in the Park activities. Bunny enjoys retirement and volunteering for Christiana Care/Union Hospital. Bunny has lived in Cecil County for 19 years near Brantwood Park. She has been very impressed with how Parks & Rec has contributed to our county. Brantwood Park is her passion, and she loves seeing family and friends enjoying the park. She also considers it a plus that she volunteers with some pretty terrific people.
Taffy McAneny, Treasurer
Taffy is a founding Board Director of the FriendsCCPR and has served as the Treasurer since the launch of the 2018 board. Taffy plays a vital role in her involvement serving on the Finance Committee. She has been a resident of Cecil County since 2012. Taffy instructed high school/middle school mathematics in Delaware for 31 years. She was then an assistant professor of Mathematics Education at West Chester University until 2019, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Mathematics and Mathematics Education. Now retired, Taffy is “living the dream,” with her husband Bill and dog Mowgli. She enjoys reading, gardening, swimming, walking (especially at Brantwood Park and along the Canal), and being with her husband, sons and grandchildren.
“The FriendsCCPR is committed to supporting the mission of making Cecil County a healthier, safer, and more active place in which to live, work, and play. The department is extremely grateful for this Boards’ time and enthusiastic support. In my 25 years of working with volunteers, I’ve never worked with a group that is more dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in the county which they live.”
Jen Podos
Jen Podos loves to be outside exploring what is growing. When she is not managing or teaching at The Lotus Center in Elkton she likes to practice Qigong, grow plants and vegetables, dance, lead a women’s circle, hike, and spend time with her husband, 4 children, and her animals. She has a BA in English and an MA in Education from The University of Delaware. She has taught English in NJ and DE, and before COVID was teaching yoga at Cecil College. She belongs to Cecil Solidarity, and the Cecil County LGBTQ+ Alliance. She is excited about helping to bring local art to Brantwood Park as Chair of the Art in the Park committee.
Joanna Chaffee
Joanna joined the Board of Directors of the Friends of Cecil County Parks and Recreation in November of 2021. She was inspired to become a part of this group after a cross country trip with her two daughters during the peak of the Covid pandemic. To avoid indoor activities, they focused on creative ways to “live” outdoors, which included visiting national, state, county, city, and town parks across the country. Joanna grew up in Cecil County and is now raising her two daughters here, both of whom are involved in programs through Cecil County Parks and Recreation. As a local Real Estate Agent, she is always looking to participate in growing resources and amenities throughout the county to improve the lifestyle of all citizens.
Jeff Koss
Jeff joined the Board of Directors of the Friends of Cecil County Parks and Recreation in July of 2020. Over the past year, Jeff has helped lead the Finance Committee of the Board to assist with the budgetary and program initiatives that are priorities to the community. As a former employee of the Cecil County Government, Jeff has worked firsthand with the development of several County parks, including Calvert and Brantwood Regional Parks, and has three children that enjoy the amenities that all of the parks have to offer. Jeff currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Odyssey Charter School in Wilmington, DE.
Jessica Carrillo
As a groundbreaking entrepreneurial businesswoman, Jessica is well known throughout the county. You will find her fingerprints at Elkton Alliance, Boys & Girls Club, the Cecil College Gala, the Cecil County Public Library, and serves as a member of the Christiana Union Hospital Foundation. Throughout county organizations the Carrillo family donates both time and treasure. Often Jess can be found at Elk River Brewing Company that she and her husband Brad founded in 2018. For six years, Jessica has served as an Officer of the Tome School Parent Organization. In addition to being a founding board member of the FriendsCCPR, she and Brad started their family in Cecil County, raising 3 girls that have used the Park’s programs for many years.
Courtney Clark-Rasheed
Courtney has served as a member of the Board since 2018. She has supported in various capacities assisting with social media, administration, and currently serves within the communication team. She is an educator and track coach at Elkton High School, and currently runs Velocity Xpress Track Club through Cecil County Parks & Rec. Courtney is a passionate advocate for youth and enjoys cultivating environments where young people can learn, grow, and be impacted positively to perform their absolute best.
Special thanks to:
The entire Board of Directors would like to extend our gratitude to Retired Secretary of the Board, Maryanne Dolan.
Maryanne has been a member since its founding in 2018. She has served as the Secretary since the Board formed and additionally served on the Communications Committee. As the President of the Cecil Bird Club and as Secretary of the Maryland Ornithological Society, Maryanne has been instrumental in bringing many nest box projects to the FriendsCCPR, for our Cecil Cares 2020 project at Conowingo Park, in partnership with Trammell-Crow at the Elkton Commerce Center, and coming in Spring 2023 she will join us again to complete a nest box installation at the Elkton Hatchery Park.
Maryanne is a devoted community volunteer, a gracious hostess, and has been instrumental to the success of the FriendsCCPR. She has served our nation with a lifetime career of international and domestic work in the State Department. A short list of her service to our local community includes working with Home Delivered Meals, Amedisys Hospice, Tri-State Bird Rescue, and the Wilmington-based Nehemiah Gateway tax preparation program. We will continue to invite Maryanne to volunteer at every event the Friends of Cecil County Parks and Recreation hosts, and we look forward to every chance we get to see her.
Thank you for all the fledglings, Maryanne. You are already missed.
