President's Update

DRAGON COUNTRY! I am pleased to announce that Ava-Lisa Sommerfeld, JD, SPHR, has joined Howard Community College as our new Director of Human Resources.

Ava-Lisa brings more than 25 years of leadership across higher education, government, healthcare, and private industry. Most recently, she led HR and payroll operations for the University of Maryland’s Facilities Management, and previously helped launch the City of Baltimore’s first HR Shared Services division.

An attorney and member of the Maryland Bar since 1995, she pairs deep expertise in labor relations, compliance, and workforce strategy with a strong record of building people-centered, high-performing teams.

Ava-Lisa holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida. Please join me in welcoming her to our campus community!

Please volunteer for Friendly Campus, an excellent way for you to connect with students!

**New this year: Friendly Campus T-shirts for volunteers. Please pick up your T-shirt in RCF-302**

Monday, August 24, and Tuesday, August 25, from 7:30 AM through 5:30 PM, we need YOUR assistance in welcoming students to Howard Community College for the Fall 2026 semester.

Please choose from one of five locations below:

1. Kahlert Foundation Complex (KC) inside, mathematics entrance

2. Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center (HVPA) inside, in front of dance studio entrance next to Smith Theatre

3. Galleria inside in the T&W Hall/Academic Commons connector across from the elevators

4. Thomas Clement Hall (formerly SET) inside, front lobby next to TCH-101-front entrance from RCF circle

5. Duncan Hall (DH) inside the Quad access doors @ the center of the building.

To volunteer for a shift (one hour each), please click on the following link and complete the form: Friendly Campus Sign Up

Thank you!

Paving work will take place near the Workforce Development and Trades Center construction site from Monday, October 17, through Saturday, October 21, with asphalt paving scheduled for Wednesday, October 19. Some overnight work will occur before paving day.

Please plan for the following:

Entry and exit near the site will be restricted to one lane at the immediate right near the entry point. Flaggers and signage will direct traffic through the work zone, and portions will operate as a single lane. Temporary barriers will mark areas that are fully closed.

Expect delays in this area during the work window and allow extra time when arriving or departing. Please follow all flagger directions and posted signage, and use alternate campus routes where possible.

Register for the fun!

• Race shirt

• Finisher medal

• Weekly wellness newsletters starting in August

• A 90-day complimentary Columbia Association family membership

Bonus for employees: Your registration counts as an employee giving contribution, so you’ll automatically be entered into the monthly prize drawings!

• Register at: howardcc.edu/challengerace

We Need Volunteers!

Help cheer on your colleagues and support scholarships! Volunteers are needed on race day to help along the course and keep the energy high. Morning snacks will be provided.

• Sign up to volunteer: Volunteer Form

For questions, contact the development office at foundation@howardcc.edu or 443-518-1970.

Thank you for your support!

• Alejandro Muzzio; Liberal Studies (transitioning to adjunct faculty, 8/10)

• Lamia Natafgi; Teaching and Learning Services (8/24)

• Lisa Wilde; Liberal Studies (8/14)

Back In When You Park

When you pull into a campus lot, back into the space instead of nosing in. Most parking-lot accidents happen when someone backs out of a space. Back in on arrival and leave with the safer move already made.

Fill the Load

Before you send a print job or place a supply order, ask whether it can wait to go out full rather than piecemeal. A stack of single-page print jobs sent one at a time wastes paper and toner that a batched job would not. Batching tasks and running them once at capacity adds up to real savings campus-wide in paper, energy, and materials.