Harford school system names finalists for Teacher of the Year and other employee awards

Harford County Public Schools will recognize outstanding employees at their annual awards ceremony in April.

Harford County Public Schools announced the employees who will be honored at this year’s Celebration of Excellence in Education ceremony next month. The event recognizes staff members for their positive impact on school communities.

Winners in each category will be announced April 9.

Five finalists were chosen from among 55 nominees for teacher of the year: Verna Hiser, a Gifted and Talented resource teacher at Homestead/Wakefield Elementary School; Jennifer Knapp, a first grade teacher at Red Pump Elementary School; Erica Richardson, a social studies teacher at Joppatowne High School; Jennifer Selke, a teacher specialist for reading at Emmerton Elementary School; and Jill Truszkowski, a foreign language teacher at C. Milton Wright High School.

Richardson is a department chair, senior class advisor and a coordinator of the Homeland Security Program at Joppatowne. She is also a member of the safety and security committee, and the Middle States Council for Social Studies, an organization that helps support social studies as a core discipline from kindergarten to grade 12 and beyond.

Knapp, is in her 19th year at Red Pump Elementary. Described as a role model for first-year educators, Knapp has devoted her career to creating engagement from students’ families, while developing an inclusive classroom environment, according to the school system. Knapp is a member of her school’s instructional leadership team that helps mentor new teachers.

Selke, a 15-year veteran of Emmerton Elementary, heavily participates in curriculum development, supporting and coaching new educators as well as providing professional advancement opportunities, according to the school system. Selke strives to create confident, lifelong readers who “spark their own curiosity about learning,” according to her nomination.

Truszkowski currently teaches Spanish at her alma mater, C. Milton Wright High School. During her 23-year teaching career she has also taught at Joppatowne High School as well as Escuela Sierra Nevada in Mexico City. According to her nomination, Truszkowski is dedicated to her school’s community, working extra-curricular duties as an advisor to the student government and Spanish National Honor Society.

Hiser is a computer science coach at Homestead Wakefield Elementary School. As recent as last year, she was selected as one of 50 Amazon Future Engineer Teacher Ambassador in 2023. Hiser participates in multiple county programs to improve school performance such as SPA and serving as chair of the gifted and talented committee, according to her nomination.

For principal of the year, nominees include Lisa Minutoli of Churchville Elementary; Laurie Namey of Magnolia Middle; and Ronald Wooden of Old Post Road Elementary. Melissa McKay of Southhampton Middle; Erin Morring of Magnolia Elementary; and Tara Sample of Riverside Elementary are all nominated for assistant principal of the year.

For educational support professional of the year, the nominees are lead administrative support specialist Noel First of Deerfield Elementary; school safety liaison Dwayne Howell of Magnolia Middle School; and paraeducator Beth Iampieri of Forest Hill Elementary.

In the food and nutrition category, nominees include Faiza Ansari, a food service worker at Homestead/Wakefield Elementary; Charles Coakley, a distribution center associate in Business Services; and Anne Garner, satellite kitchen assistant at Emmorton Elementary.

In the facilities category, boiler technician Anthony Frassetto; plumbing and heating crew chief Donald “DJ” Smacher; and HVAC technician Ralph Williams are nominated.

Custodian Vickie Brenza Preston and chief custodian Harvey Cage, who work at Havre de Grace Middle School, and Ring Factory Elementary’s David Johnson are nominated for custodian of the year.

Todd Floros, a printer in the Office of Technology, is the sole nominee for this year’s technology award.