IoH BOARD oF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
CHAIRPERSON - SAMIR QADIR, M.S.- is an environmental consultant/engineer with a firm based in Gaithersburg, MD. He has been involved with not just the technical side, but with all aspects of their work. This includes budgeting, project management, and marketing and business development. He is also an amateur musician (guitar) and has performed with Andy on a few occasions when Andy was doing solo concerts at mental health settings prior to forming IoH. He then became involved with IoH and is now in his third 2-year term on the board. He was previously IoH's
Treasurer before he became Chairperson fouryears ago. We are thrilled to have him lead us, as he goes into his fourth
year in this position.
Treasurer before he became Chairperson fouryears ago. We are thrilled to have him lead us, as he goes into his fourth
year in this position.
VICE CHAIRPERSON - MARK ASHBY - is a professional audiobook narrator with more than 400 titles to his credit, most for the Library of Congress' National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, but also commercially for companies such as Audible.com, Brilliance Audio, and Oasis Audio. In addition, he is active in theater projects in western Maryland, having appeared in roles such as Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, Felix Ungar in The Odd Couple, and Willum Cubbert in The Nerd, among many others. He also writes and performs original sketch comedy in the group Those Guys
and in 2011 staged his first full-length, semi-autobiographical play called How to Make a Baby. He founded his own
nonprofit, called Acting Out for ALS Research, Inc. which stages children's community theater productions whose
proceeds go to the ALS Association. Having been a musician in the past, in recent years he came back to musical
pursuits as a baritone horn player in the Frostburg Arion Band, the longest continuously-active community band in the
United States. His website is www.soundmindvoiceovers.com. Mark is now is his third 2-year term with IoH.
and in 2011 staged his first full-length, semi-autobiographical play called How to Make a Baby. He founded his own
nonprofit, called Acting Out for ALS Research, Inc. which stages children's community theater productions whose
proceeds go to the ALS Association. Having been a musician in the past, in recent years he came back to musical
pursuits as a baritone horn player in the Frostburg Arion Band, the longest continuously-active community band in the
United States. His website is www.soundmindvoiceovers.com. Mark is now is his third 2-year term with IoH.
SECRETARY - CAROL SCHIFTER, ESQ. - bio coming soon
TREASURER - SHARON MACDOUGALL, M.Ed., CWRE, RPS - has been involved in the field of mental health as the Executive Director for two peer-run organizations. She also worked for almost ten years for the county agency in Frederick, MD that managed the publicly funded mental health services system. In addition, she has an extensive background working with people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, including years of sign language interpreting experience. Sharon has a brother and sister who are deaf.
Sharon is active on the On Our Own of Maryland Board of Directors and the Maryland Addiction and
Behavioral Health Professional Certification Board, and serves on the Instruments of Healing Board of
Directors. She has been active on several committees connected with these boards, with much time spent working on
the peer specialist certification process in the state. She is also a Certified Wellness Recovery Educator (WRAP®
Facilitator) and Registered Peer Specialist Supervisor.
Sharon is a self-taught very mediocre piano player and loves to listen to music and sing. She is married and has one son,
who is a senior studying Chemical Engineering at Bucknell University. Sharon is in her second 2-year term on the IoH
Board.
Sharon is active on the On Our Own of Maryland Board of Directors and the Maryland Addiction and
Behavioral Health Professional Certification Board, and serves on the Instruments of Healing Board of
Directors. She has been active on several committees connected with these boards, with much time spent working on
the peer specialist certification process in the state. She is also a Certified Wellness Recovery Educator (WRAP®
Facilitator) and Registered Peer Specialist Supervisor.
Sharon is a self-taught very mediocre piano player and loves to listen to music and sing. She is married and has one son,
who is a senior studying Chemical Engineering at Bucknell University. Sharon is in her second 2-year term on the IoH
Board.
DIRECTORS
LYNNE GERSHENSON HODGSON, M.S., PhD- is a recently retired Professor of Sociology & Gerontology at Quinnipiac University (Hampden, CT), where she had a joyful and satisfying career in teaching, research, and service to QU. With a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master's and PhD in Sociology from Cornell and a Post-Doc in Gerontology from the Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Lynne's professional interests have focused on intergenerational relationships, family support networks, and Alzheimer's
disease. Lynne brings not only her grant-writing expertise to IoH but her great enthusiasm for the goals of the
organization. Lynne is currently in her third 2-yr term with IoH.
disease. Lynne brings not only her grant-writing expertise to IoH but her great enthusiasm for the goals of the
organization. Lynne is currently in her third 2-yr term with IoH.
TONY WRIGHT, CWRE - is a mental health consumer advocate who has served as Executive Director of On Our Own, Inc. since 2004. He has expanded the organization to include 6 consumer-run behavioral health self-help centers throughout Baltimore city and county regions. Tony has augmented the On Our Own mission and vision which has served as a national model for peer operated centers, not only in Maryland, but across the country. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of Behavioral Health System Baltimore, Inc., Tony has served as board member and Chairman of the Maryland Disability Law Center Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Mental Illness, The Integrated Care Advisory
Council, On Our Own of Maryland, Inc., Chairman of Baltimore County Bureau of Behavioral Health Advisory Council,
Hearts and Ears Board of Directors, Main Street Housing Board of Directors, the Mental Health Association of Maryland
Board of Directors, and now the Instruments of Healing Board of Directors. Tony is also an artist in his spare time and
operates a consumer operated art studio and gallery in the Baltimore area. Tony is in his second 2-year term on the IoH
Board.
Council, On Our Own of Maryland, Inc., Chairman of Baltimore County Bureau of Behavioral Health Advisory Council,
Hearts and Ears Board of Directors, Main Street Housing Board of Directors, the Mental Health Association of Maryland
Board of Directors, and now the Instruments of Healing Board of Directors. Tony is also an artist in his spare time and
operates a consumer operated art studio and gallery in the Baltimore area. Tony is in his second 2-year term on the IoH
Board.
MIRIAM YARMOLINSKY, ALWF, CCAR-T, CPRS, RPS - is the Founder and Executive Director of Peer Wellness& Recovery Services, Inc. (PWRS). PWRS is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting and implementing peer services in Maryland, and is seeking creative collaborations with community partners in not only the mental health arena but also the substance use disorders and somatic side. Miriam formerly ran the Silver Spring Wellness & Recovery Center at Affiliated Santé Group for seven years, after serving on a consumer steering committee for the creation of the center. Her recovery from
mental health challenges has been positively impacted by joining and working in the peer movement. She has found
that a relaxed vigilance (!) coupled with a working Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) is essential to her wellness.
Miriam is certified as an Advanced Level WRAP® Facilitator; as a Peer Recovery Advocate through MD’s former
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration (ADAA) in partnership with the Connecticut Community Addiction Recovery
(CCAR) Recovery Coach Academy, and is certified as a Train the Trainer Recovery Coach instructor through CCAR. She has
been a NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Peer-to-Peer mentor; and is still a NAMI Connection support
group facilitator, as well as a Connections state trainer. Miriam benefited from ROSC (Recovery Oriented Systems of
Care) training through ADAA. Miriam’s had several trainings with Maryland Department of Disabilities in Benefits
Counseling, and is certified as a CWIC (Community Work Incentives Coordinator). She is also a Certified Peer Recovery
Specialist and a Maryland Peer Recovery Supervisor.
She has an A.S. in Advertising Design from Montgomery College; and a B.S. in Family Studies and graduate certificate in
Vocational Rehabilitation, both from University of Maryland. Although she does not yet have a master's degree nor
clinical licensure – and often wrestles with whether she should - she collects Continuing Education Units from all the
trainings she can. She has served on the Board of On Our Own of Maryland; currently serves on the Advisory Board of
Housing Unlimited, Inc.; and is a member of the Peer Integrated Care Advisory Council at Maryland's Behavioral Health
Administration’s Office of Consumer Affairs, as well as on a Committee on Medicaid and Peer Support Specialists
through Maryland's Behavioral Health Administration. She participates in the Montgomery County Wellness and
Recovery Workgroup, as well as the county’s Job Club Committee. Miriam has also been involved with the board of
Takoma Artists’ Guild, Inc. for over a decade. She is a lapsed visual artist, a recalcitrant writer, and has a keen interest in
kitchen gardens. Miriam is currently in her third 2-year term with IoH.
mental health challenges has been positively impacted by joining and working in the peer movement. She has found
that a relaxed vigilance (!) coupled with a working Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) is essential to her wellness.
Miriam is certified as an Advanced Level WRAP® Facilitator; as a Peer Recovery Advocate through MD’s former
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration (ADAA) in partnership with the Connecticut Community Addiction Recovery
(CCAR) Recovery Coach Academy, and is certified as a Train the Trainer Recovery Coach instructor through CCAR. She has
been a NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Peer-to-Peer mentor; and is still a NAMI Connection support
group facilitator, as well as a Connections state trainer. Miriam benefited from ROSC (Recovery Oriented Systems of
Care) training through ADAA. Miriam’s had several trainings with Maryland Department of Disabilities in Benefits
Counseling, and is certified as a CWIC (Community Work Incentives Coordinator). She is also a Certified Peer Recovery
Specialist and a Maryland Peer Recovery Supervisor.
She has an A.S. in Advertising Design from Montgomery College; and a B.S. in Family Studies and graduate certificate in
Vocational Rehabilitation, both from University of Maryland. Although she does not yet have a master's degree nor
clinical licensure – and often wrestles with whether she should - she collects Continuing Education Units from all the
trainings she can. She has served on the Board of On Our Own of Maryland; currently serves on the Advisory Board of
Housing Unlimited, Inc.; and is a member of the Peer Integrated Care Advisory Council at Maryland's Behavioral Health
Administration’s Office of Consumer Affairs, as well as on a Committee on Medicaid and Peer Support Specialists
through Maryland's Behavioral Health Administration. She participates in the Montgomery County Wellness and
Recovery Workgroup, as well as the county’s Job Club Committee. Miriam has also been involved with the board of
Takoma Artists’ Guild, Inc. for over a decade. She is a lapsed visual artist, a recalcitrant writer, and has a keen interest in
kitchen gardens. Miriam is currently in her third 2-year term with IoH.
ADVISORS/CONSULTANTS
LARRY ABRAMSON - is a Supported Employment Program Analyst at Government of District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health. He is also the founder of Abramson Consulting, which has been serving the behavioral health community in the DC metropolitan area since July 2012. He was the CEO/President of St. Luke's House (now called Cornerstone Montgomery) in Bethesda, MD - a renowned psychiatric rehabilitation program - from April 2011 to June 2012, and was the Vocational Director there for 28 years prior to that. He comes to IoH with vast knowledge and
experience in the nonprofit world, as well as a good working knowledge of psychiatric rehab programs in Maryland.
IoH is honored to have Larry as our consultant!
experience in the nonprofit world, as well as a good working knowledge of psychiatric rehab programs in Maryland.
IoH is honored to have Larry as our consultant!
FRED STIELOW, M.L.S., PhD - Vice President and Dean Emeritus Fred Stielow has been responsible for the American Public University System’s sector-leading virtual library along with its innovative Electronic Course Materials and APUS ePress initiatives. He is now retired. When he is not busy traveling the globe, Dr. Stielow serves as a U.S. Commissioner to UNESCO and continues to author books and other published material in his field.
Trained as a systems analyst in the U.S. Army, Dr. Stielow went on to earn an M.L.S. from the University of Rhode
Island (URI) and dual Doctorate in History and American Studies from Indiana University. His professional career
began at the New England Library Board and the University of Louisiana--Lafayette. Stielow turned to teaching with
professorial appointments at the University of Maryland and Catholic University along with visiting professorships at
the universities of Illinois, Perugia, and Puerto Rico. Returning to practice in the 1990s, Stielow directed the Amistad
Research Center at Tulane University and the Reuther Labor Library at Wayne State University, as well as the Mid-
Hudson Public Library System. Major consultancies range from Bowie State University, National Agricultural Library,
and New Orleans’ Jazz and Heritage Festival to the World Bank and Sirs-Mandarin’s M-3 Automated Library System.
He is a former chair of ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Round Table and Web Advisory Committee. Other service includes
duty as a University accrediter for the Higher Learning Commission and committee co-chair for IMSGlobal’s Common
Cartridge standard---as well as advisory boards for Books 24/7, Cengage’s MindTap Advisory Board, Ebrary,
CourseSmart’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, Grotto Global Trade, Magnifi Group, the University of Rhode Island’s
Harrington School of Communications, and on three National Park Service Commissions. Awards feature a Fulbright
Fellowship in Italy, the Jameson Fellowship of the Library of Congress, an MCI Cybrarian of the Year, APUS’s Etter Creativity Prize, and an Alumnus of the Year from the URI Library School. Stielow has written or edited over 100
scholarly articles and 11 books, including the award-winning Management of Oral History Sound Archives, Activism in
American Librarianship, Creating Virtual Libraries, Building Digital Archives, Finding Success for Veteran & Military
Students with Philip McNair and 2013’s Reinventing the Library for Online Education.
Trained as a systems analyst in the U.S. Army, Dr. Stielow went on to earn an M.L.S. from the University of Rhode
Island (URI) and dual Doctorate in History and American Studies from Indiana University. His professional career
began at the New England Library Board and the University of Louisiana--Lafayette. Stielow turned to teaching with
professorial appointments at the University of Maryland and Catholic University along with visiting professorships at
the universities of Illinois, Perugia, and Puerto Rico. Returning to practice in the 1990s, Stielow directed the Amistad
Research Center at Tulane University and the Reuther Labor Library at Wayne State University, as well as the Mid-
Hudson Public Library System. Major consultancies range from Bowie State University, National Agricultural Library,
and New Orleans’ Jazz and Heritage Festival to the World Bank and Sirs-Mandarin’s M-3 Automated Library System.
He is a former chair of ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Round Table and Web Advisory Committee. Other service includes
duty as a University accrediter for the Higher Learning Commission and committee co-chair for IMSGlobal’s Common
Cartridge standard---as well as advisory boards for Books 24/7, Cengage’s MindTap Advisory Board, Ebrary,
CourseSmart’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, Grotto Global Trade, Magnifi Group, the University of Rhode Island’s
Harrington School of Communications, and on three National Park Service Commissions. Awards feature a Fulbright
Fellowship in Italy, the Jameson Fellowship of the Library of Congress, an MCI Cybrarian of the Year, APUS’s Etter Creativity Prize, and an Alumnus of the Year from the URI Library School. Stielow has written or edited over 100
scholarly articles and 11 books, including the award-winning Management of Oral History Sound Archives, Activism in
American Librarianship, Creating Virtual Libraries, Building Digital Archives, Finding Success for Veteran & Military
Students with Philip McNair and 2013’s Reinventing the Library for Online Education.
SCEPTER SPAINBEY - bio coming soon