Board of Directors

Joey Landgraf is the President-Elect for MDCSS. This school year, he is embarking on a new adventure as he will be a social sciences teacher at Aberdeen High School in Harford County Public Schools. Previously, Joey taught AP Government and AP Psychology at North County High School in Anne Arundel County Public Schools.  Joey is a 2015 James Madison Fellow from Maryland and also won Promising New Social Studies Teacher of the Year from MDCSS in 2019.  He has previously served on the board of MDCSS as an At-Large Member. In his free time, he enjoys fantasy football, pub trivia, golf, hiking, and wrangling his toddler daughter.

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Kate Volpe is a veteran teacher of Social Studies from Howard County Public Schools.  She has spent over a decade at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia teaching social studies and supporting 9th graders as the 9th grade Instructional Team leader (for the last 8 years).  She achieved her National Board Certification in 2019 and was the Maryland Council of Social Studies Teacher of the Year.  She works tirelessly to help school break down barriers by providing training and instruction to teachers for the most vulnerable students in their building, including students living in poverty, students suffering from trauma and social emotional needs.  Her most recent accomplishment has been planning and executing an addition of a Food Bank for the Wilde Lake community.

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Marcie Taylor-Thoma is the current Executive Director for Maryland Council for Civic and History Education. She coordinated social studies instruction, curriculum, assessment, policy, and professional development programs for over twenty years at the Maryland State Department of Education in Baltimore. Thoma taught secondary social studies in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland for ten years before her tenure in state education. She recently retired to the Maryland Council for Civic and History Education where she coordinates history and civic programs such as the History Teacher of the Year, We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, the James Madison Legacy Program in Maryland, and international democracy programs in Russia and Armenia.

She completed her doctoral studies at the College of Notre Dame in Maryland in 2008 in leadership and policy. Her research interests include studying the relationship between effective civic education policy and student learning in the United States and abroad. Thoma considers herself a strong advocate for social justice and serves as the Past-President of the Middle States Council for Social Studies. Her most recent project has been the editing and interpreting of the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards. 

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Angie de Guzman is a dedicated educator and mentor who believes that strong communication is the key to mastering social studies. At Ebb Valley Elementary, in Carroll County, she teaches 4th graders by making history come alive through interactive discussions and literacy-rich lessons that bridge the past with the present.

Beyond the classroom, Angela is a passionate advocate for her colleagues, facilitating professional learning and mentoring new teachers to help them effectively communicate complex historical concepts to their students. 

Alexander (Sandy) Pope is an associate professor in the Department of Secondary and Physical Education and director of the Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement at Salisbury University.

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Alyssa Binns is a Pre-Service Teacher currently serving as a first year teacher at Annapolis Middle School, where she teaches 7th Grade Language and Literacy. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in History with a track is Secondary Education, and a minor in Asian studies. During her undergraduate studies, she was inducted into the Eta-Iota Chapter of the History Honor Society (ΦΑΘ). She was recognized with the Outstanding History Major Award for the 2024-2025 academic school year.

As part of her teacher preparation, she served as a member of AmeriCorps Pre-Service Teachers and gained classroom experience through student teaching in 11th Grade at Stephen Decatur High School in World History. Then additionally teaching 8th Grade at Pittsville Middle School in United States History. She continues to develop her inquiry based practices to ensure her students have the foundation and tools to navigate their ever-changing world. Her passion for education is grounded in her commitment to supporting students through engaging instruction and building a strong foundation in literacy and history.

The Membership Coordinator is responsible for ensuring the maintenance of an accurate membership database and for basic communications regarding membership and conference attendance.  The Membership Coordinator shall make an annual membership report to the Board of Directors at its annual retreat and submit a membership report at each Board of Directors meeting.  The Membership Coordinator is responsible for new member recruitment and retention initiatives.

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Interested in Applying? 

Email ourmdcss@gmail.com for more information.

Julia Berg teaches 6th grade history at Bennett Middle School in Wicomico County, and previously taught middle school ELA in Baltimore City.  She has worked on social studies curriculum development for grades 3-7, and led professional development workshops from the school level to the national level.  She is passionate about helping her students to become curious, empathetic global citizens.  Julia enjoys traveling, archaeology, yoga, and hiking.

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Richard Malt, Jr. has been teaching Social Studies for a decade+ with the Howard County Public School System where he has served as both 9th grade and Social Studies Instructional Team Leader, and Rho Kappa advisor. He was recognized as HCPSS’ First Year Teacher of the Year in 2007, was the Maryland History Day District Teacher of the Year in 2018, and was featured in The Baltimore Sun in the “At Work:  Passion for Teaching” series.  Richard has been serving as Treasurer for the Maryland Council for the Social Studies for a number of years, and is deeply passionate about the importance of social studies education in increasing civic engagement and developing the next generation of global thinkers.

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George Toepfer graduated from State University of New York at Stony Brook, with honors, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. He received his Master of Education from the University of Maryland at College Park and went on to earn his Administrator I certification from Towson University. George worked for the Harford County Public Schools for 30 years prior to retiring in 2021. For 11 years he was a classroom teacher at Edgewood High School and for 19 years he was the Supervisor of Social Studies. A member of MDCSS for many years, he was awarded the Distinguished Educator Award in 2007 and the Instructional Leader of the Year Award in 2013 by MDCSS. He also received the Middle States Council for the Social Studies (MSCSS) Distinguished Service Award in 2019. This award recognizes a community member whose career and/or contributions have supported and advanced social studies education. Recently, George has been working with Maryland Public Television as the content support in the creation of online courses for Grades 4 and 5 social studies. He was recently named the Director of Teacher Education for the Maryland Council on Economic Education (MCEE).

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Our Social Media Coordinator is the creative voice behind our online community of Maryland social studies teachers. In this role, you'll help us get the word out on Facebook and Instagram about helpful resources, upcoming workshops, and all the great work our members are doing. Whether it’s sharing a helpful teaching link, posting a quick "Member Spotlight," or running a fun poll to get people talking, you'll be the one making sure MDCSS stays connected. You’ll use tools like Buffer to keep posts organized and work with our collaborators to help our community grow even bigger!

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Interested in Applying? 

Email ourmdcss@gmail.com for more information.

Kim Eggborn is the Coordinator of Elementary Social Studies for the Howard County Public School System.  She began her career as a 5th grade elementary school teacher and has since grown to become involved both nationally and internationally with teachers regarding civics education. 

Kim has served on the standing committee for the National Assessment of Education Progress for the Elementary Civics NAEP assessment, taught as an adjunct professor, and served as a member of the SSACI Teacher Collaborative Council to review and provide feedback on the new College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards.   Her current hobbies include obtaining a PhD and chasing after her two children.   Kim is also on the board of the 2nd Vice President for the Howard County Historical Society and is President for the Asian American Educators of Howard County.

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In her role as Manager of College and Career Readiness in Maryland’s Anne Arundel County Public School system, Leah Renzi draws on her experiences as a classroom social studies educator and her service at the state education agency to expand learning opportunities for all students. She has served on multiple education advisory boards for local public institutions and on the Executive Boards for the Maryland Council for Social Studies and the Council of State Social Studies Specialists. She is committed to ensuring that all students have access to engaging educational programs that support success in their chosen college, career, and civic life.

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Ashley Harford has been teaching social studies for almost 20 years in Carroll County Public Schools. Most of that time has been spent at Westminster High School where she is also the department chair, Rho Kappa advisor, Mock Trial teacher coach, SAT Coordinator, and Varsity Softball Coach. Ashley is passionate about teaching the importance of world history education and builds on her content knowledge by attending professional developments and being a reader for the World History AP exam in the summer. In what free time she has, she enjoys traveling, going to concerts, hiking with friends, reading, and spending time with family.​