Dr. Justin Hartings Elected President of the Maryland State Board of Education
Stephanie Iszard Elected Vice President
BALTIMORE – The Maryland State Board of Education today unanimously elected Dr. Justin M. Hartings as president, and elected Stephanie Iszard as vice president.
Dr. Hartings spent most of his childhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended the University of Notre Dame on an Army ROTC scholarship where he earned a BS degree in physics. Following graduation and commissioning, he completed masters and doctoral degrees in applied physics at Yale University, specializing in optical characterization of aerosols.
Captain Hartings served more than four years of active duty in the U.S. Army, completing assignments at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC and at USAMRIID on Ft. Detrick.
After his active duty service, Dr. Hartings founded Biaera Technologies, LLC, a biotechnology company focused on infectious disease research. He works with customers across the United States and around the world as they work to understand, prevent, and treat respiratory acquired infectious diseases. His work has produced seven patents and been published extensively in the scientific literature.
Dr. Hartings was elected in 2008 and 2012 to the Washington County Board of Education. He served as president of the board for two years and vice president for three. During his tenure on the board, Washington County Public Schools opened the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, the first public-private partnership public school construction project in Maryland, implemented the first of its kind county-wide digital learning plan for k-12 students, and developed a Hagerstown downtown partnership between Washington County Schools, the Maryland Theater, and the University System of Maryland – Hagerstown.
Dr. Hartings lives in Washington County with his wife and three children. His children all attend Washington County Public Schools.
Stephanie R. Iszard, M.Ed., has more than 25 years of administrative and classroom experience in the public and private sectors of education. Currently the principal at a private school in Prince Georges County, she obtained her B.A. in Education from the University of Louisiana and Master’s degree in Education from Regent University. Ms. Iszard earned a Lifetime Educator’s Certificate by the Executive Board of ACSI. She is certified by ACSI as a principal at all levels.
She has served the educational community as math instructor, Dean of Students, Instructional Council Member for developing curriculum, chair of several committees (safety, site advisory, funding, etc.), parent/student/ teacher conflict ombudsman, to name a few. Ms. Iszard loves getting parents and communities involved in the educational process. Black History Festivals, Cinco de Mayo Celebrations, and Pi Day Celebrations are a few examples. She has led fundraisers for various private institutions, written grants, and worked to get Smartboards in every classroom in her school. Her resolute drive and passion for teaching and challenging students to grow has made her prominent among her peers.
Ms. Iszard worked and taught at Teen Challenge in Brooklyn, New York, a faith-based organization that offers solutions for youth, adults, and families struggling with life-controlling problems, such as addiction. She recently served on the Maryland Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force.
Stephanie R. Iszard, an Annapolis resident, was born and raised in southern Louisiana and has lived in Maryland over 23 years. She is the proud mother of, Zach, 23 and Katie, 22.