N. Eugene "Gene" Malone Jr. was appointed by the Governor to the Wicomico County Board of Education in 2016 and elected to serve four-year terms in 2018 and 2022. He represents District 2. Mr. Malone was elected as Vice President in 2017 and Vice Chairman in 2018 and 2019, and as Board Chairman in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Mr. Malone is Vice President/Commercial Loan Officer with First Shore Federal Savings and Loan Association. He is a past president of the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County, and a past officer and current member of the Salisbury University Maroon and Gold Club.

His community activities include:  

• President of the Salisbury Jaycees 1983-1984 with Life Member status awarded in 1989

• Regional Director for the Maryland Jaycees 1985-1986

• Salisbury Rotary Club Treasurer (1994-1995) and Special Events Committee Chair (1992-1993)

• President of the Wicomico County Soccer Federation 1998-2000

• Vice President of the Mid-Atlantic Soccer League 2008-2009

• President of West Salisbury Little League 1996-1999

• Coach and referee for youth soccer

• Coach for youth baseball, including Salvation Army Boys Baseball, and the West Salisbury Little League 11/12 All-Star team that was the 2003 Maryland State Champion and reached the final four at Regionals in Bristol, Conn. 

Mr. Malone is a 1975 graduate of Wicomico High School, where he was a starter in tennis and soccer all three years, and was captain and MVP of both teams as a senior. He received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Salisbury State College in 1978, lettering in tennis and being named All-Conference in 1978. In 1979 he began working for 1st National Bank of Maryland – later Allfirst Bank and now M&T Bank – where he retired from in 2017. 

He is married to the former Donna Cappello, also a Wicomico High graduate. Their children also attended Wicomico County Public Schools: Scott (2001 Parkside High graduate), Nick (2005 James M. Bennett High grad and 2009 Salisbury University graduate), and Thomas (2009 JMB grad and 2013 University of Maryland College Park graduate). Mr. Malone served as President of the James M. Bennett High PTA 2007-2009. Mr. Malone and his wife have two young grandsons who attend the Westside schools. He is an avid high school sports and youth sports fan, and has been involved as a coach and referee.

Email - gmalone@wcboe.org

Allen C. Brown, Sr. was appointed to the Board of Education in August 2017 by the Wicomico County Council. He was elected in 2018 and 2022 to serve four-year terms on the Board from District 1. Mr. Brown was elected as Vice Chairman of the Board in 2022.

After 40 years of service to Wicomico County Public Schools, Mr. Brown retired as Assistant Superintendent for Student Services. He was a teacher, vice principal, pupil personnel worker, and Director of Student Services prior to his last position. Born, raised and educated in Wicomico County, he graduated from Salisbury High School in 1964. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Bowie State University in 1968, and a Master’s in Education degree from Salisbury State College in 1987.

He serves on the Personnel Board for Wicomico County, and is a member of the Wicomico County Recreation Commission. He serves on the board of directors for the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Salisbury Urban Ministries, Hazel Farm Property Foundation, the John B. Parsons Home and the Donnie Williams Foundation. He is a past president of the Rotary Club of Salisbury and the Pine Bluff Village Advisory Board; a past member of the board of directors of the United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore, Coastal Hospice and Pine Bluff Village; and a past member of the Wellness Community, Salvation Army Advisory Board and the Wor-Wic Community College Advisory Board. Mr. Brown is a member of the Maryland State Department of Education Pupil Services Association, Phi Delta Kappa and the Wicomico Retired Educational Personnel Association. He is a life member of the Salisbury High School Association. Mr. Brown is affiliated with St. James Church in Head-of-the-Creek.

He received the 2006 AIMMS Excellence for Minority Achievement Award, which celebrates individuals or groups making outstanding contributions in striving to promote equity in educational opportunity for all students, and in 2007 was honored with the NAACP Outstanding Service to Wicomico County Students award. He was awarded Rotarian of the Year in 2018-2019 and received the WMDT/Mountaire Better Delmarva Award in 2019.

Mr. Brown resides in Salisbury. His wife, Julia, a retired administrator from Wicomico County Public Schools, is deceased. His son, J.R. Brown (Allen C. Brown Jr.) and his wife, Melanie, live in Tennessee with their two sons, Zachary and Nathan.

Email - abrown@wcboe.org

Dr. Bonnie H. Ennis, Ed.D was elected to the Board of Education in November 2022 for a four-year At-Large term. Born and raised in Wicomico County, she graduated from James M. Bennett High and received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Salisbury University. Her Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership was awarded in 2011 from Wilmington University.

On June 30, 2022, Dr. Ennis retired from Wicomico County Public Schools after 44 years as a teacher and as a district administrator. As a classroom teacher, she taught students at Delmar Elementary, Fruitland Intermediate, North Salisbury Elementary and Salisbury Middle. Upon leaving the classroom, she worked as a mentor teacher for Wicomico County, guiding newly hired teachers through their first three years in the classroom. In 2003, she was selected as the Coordinator of Elementary Mathematics and in 2015 she was chosen as Supervisor of School Improvement, a position she held until her retirement.

During her career, she served on the Board of Directors for the Maryland State Supervisors of Mathematics and later the National Supervisors of Mathematics. In 2001 she was designated as a Master Teacher by Maryland Public Television’s National Technology Training Institute. She served on numerous Maryland State Department of Education committees related to mathematics curriculum, instruction, assessment and coaching. In addition, she currently serves as an adjunct instructor in the education department at Salisbury University.

She is the co-author of three books on strategies for teaching mathematics as part of The Math Process Standards Series published by Heinemann Publishers in 2007 and 2008. She also contributed to a series of publications from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Teaching with the Curriculum Focal Points in 2008 and 2009.

Dr. Ennis resides in Salisbury with her husband, David, also a graduate of James M. Bennett High and Salisbury University. Sons Brian and Bruce both graduated from Wicomico High School.

Email - bennis@wcboe.org

Kristin Hazel was elected to the Board of Education in November 2022 for a four-year term representing the interests of the children of Wicomico County and their parents and guardians. She holds an At-Large seat on the Wicomico County Board of Education.

Born and raised in Wicomico County, she graduated from Wicomico High School. She attended Wor-Wic Community College, graduating with an Associate’s Degree in General Studies. 

Mrs. Hazel is the mother of two children, including one having special needs. Both children attend Wicomico County Public Schools. Mrs. Hazel is also a professional portrait photographer with a successful longtime business serving families from Virginia to Delaware since 2010. 

Her love for children fuels her desire to provide each child with the very best education possible, while bridging the gap between families and education. She is devoted to representing the residents of the county.

Email – khazel@wcboe.org

Susan W. Beauchamp was elected to a four-year term on the Wicomico County Board of Education in 2022, representing District 3.

She attended the University of Delaware, where she pursued a double major in accounting and finance and earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 1987.  She earned her Master’s in Business Administration from Salisbury University in 1992 and a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Christian Life School of Theology in 1994.

Ms. Beauchamp has been a practicing accountant since 1987 and has been fortunate to work with numerous established businesses and business owners in Salisbury. She owned her own bookkeeping business for seven years and continues to practice accounting today in her own family-owned businesses. She has worked in school administration in the past in the areas of development and college counseling. In addition, she was a part-time accounting instructor at Wor-Wic Community College. 

She has served in the community as a current member of the Alumni Association at Worcester Preparatory School, and as a past member of the Ladies Auxiliary for The Salisbury Volunteer Fire Department, Station 1, and the Atlantic General Hospital Foundation.

Ms. Beauchamp lives in Salisbury with her husband of 34 years, Barry Beauchamp, who is an alumnus of James M. Bennett High School. They have two daughters and four grandchildren, all currently residing in Salisbury.

Email – sbeaucham@wcboe.org

David A. Plotts was elected to a four-year term on the Wicomico County Board of Education in 2022, representing District 4.

Mr. Plotts is the Controller at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, where he has demonstrated his financial and management acumen since 2008. Previously he worked at a regional Architectural, Engineering, and Surveying firm.

A proud Wicomico County native, Mr. Plotts graduated from James M. Bennett High School in 2001. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Management from Salisbury University's Perdue School of Business and a Master of Science in Management, specializing in Finance, from the University of Maryland University College. Committed to continuous learning, he holds a graduate certificate in Nonprofit and Association Financial Management.

A proactive supporter of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, Mr. Plotts holds a DEI certification from the University of South Florida's Muma College of Business. He is also well-versed in human resources and governance, having earned the SHRM-CP human resource certification from the Society for Human Resources Management.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Mr. Plotts actively contributes to his community. A dedicated parent involved in Wicomico County Public Schools, he served on the City of Salisbury Parks and Recreation Committee as Chairman from 2014 through 2023, showcasing his leadership skills and commitment to public spaces. His involvement extends to the Wicomico County Charter Review Committee in 2021, the City of Salisbury Environmental Policy Task Force in 2020, and the Wicomico County Board of Education's Parent Advisory Committee from 2019-2021.

Mr. Plotts, a 2017 alumnus of Shore Leadership, remains engaged in professional associations, holding memberships in the Institute of Management Accountants and the Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, he serves as a Notary Public, a role to which he has been appointed by various governors since 2006.

A devoted family man, Mr. Plotts, alongside his wife Ashlee and their four children, is a member of Asbury United Methodist Church. Their commitment to education is evident as their children attend Wicomico County Public Schools, and Ashlee contributes as a substitute teacher across the county. Through his multifaceted involvement, Mr. Plotts continues to make a positive impact on both educational and community initiatives in Wicomico County.

Email - dplotts@wcboe.org

John Palmer was appointed to the Board of Education in June 2015 by Governor Larry Hogan, reappointed for a second term, and elected to serve four-year terms in 2018 and 2022. He serves as the District 5 Board member.

Mr. Palmer graduated from Northeast Senior High School in Pasadena, Md. in 1967 and immediately began a 21-year career in the U.S. Navy, advancing rapidly through the ranks and becoming the youngest Master Chief in the Navy. He spent his two shore duty assignments at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, coordinating classes between civilian and military instruction, teaching Mechanical/Systems Engineering and Applied Thermodynamics, and attending classes in some of the best professional schools in the country.

In 1988-1999 he applied his skills in the private sector, working for Jarman Refrigeration, a firm specializing in the design and installation of geothermal heating and cooling systems. Mr. Palmer recently retired from the University System of Maryland at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, where he was the Facility Supervisor for the campus physical plant of close to 2 million square feet (about the same square footage as the school system) and a team of 132 personnel in all trades. He was the campus HVAC/Mechanical Supervisor.

He brings to the Board table his expertise from all of these experiences. Mr. Palmer is a member of the Wicomico County Republican Club and is serving his third term as an elected member of the Wicomico County Republican Central Committee.

Email - jpalmer@wcboe.org