A new Harford County Board of Education member was appointed by County Executive Bob Cassilly and approved by the council Tuesday night.

Mark Korn, 56, was selected from a pool of 52 applicants to replace Terri Kocher on the board. Korn was raised in Baltimore County but has lived in Harford County for the last several years.

“I’m driven by a deep belief that education is the foundation of a strong community,” Korn said. “As a parent and longtime resident of Harford County, I’ve seen firsthand how our schools shape young lives.”

He noted that his goal is to “serve, listen and ensure” that Harford schools reflect the values of “opportunity, fairness and hope for the next generation.”

One of his top priorities is supporting teachers as they are “the heart of our schools.”

“I will champion policies that show appreciation for their hard work, foster a positive and efficient work environment and provide the resources they need to succeed without waste,” Korn said.

Korn is one of three appointees approved by the council to serve four-year terms starting July 1. The other two, board President Aaron Poynton and Lauren Strauss, were originally appointed to serve two-year terms in 2023, and were reappointed by Cassilly for the next four years.

The county executive appoints three board members, according to legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2022. Before the 2022 legislation, those three appointments were made by the governor.

At the time, Cassilly was a state senator who endorsed the bill, saying it preserved “local flavor” and maintained local control.

A provision in the bill stated the appointed members should reflect the county’s gender, ethnic and racial diversity. .

However, council members Jacob Bennett and Nolanda Robert questioned whether the provision is being followed since the appointees are two white men and a white woman.

Bennett   tried to find out the race, gender and ethnicity of the 52 applicants but said the county told him the applications did not ask for that information.

“Which puts into question for me, how can we ensure that we, to the extent practicable, are representing the county as a whole if we don’t even collect that basic information for the applicants who came forward,” Bennett said.

Robert expressed concern that an educator was not named to the board.

“I do know for a fact that there were some educators thrown into the interview process, and like any other board, there should be some subject matter expertise on the subject matter,” Robert said. “The resumes I have read, nobody is an educator, and that is my concern with the selection.”

Korn’s appointment was approved 5-0, with Robert and Bennett abstaining.

Poynton was approved in a 5-2 vote, with Robert and Bennett dissenting. Strauss’s reappointment was approved unanimously.

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