Bryan E. Murfree
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Bryan is the President/CEO/Owner of Telewire Incorporated in Salisbury, MD. He has been involved with the business since 1985. Bryan was born in Devil’s Lake, ND and moved with his family numerous times until his early childhood days when they settled in Salisbury, MD. He graduated from Wicomico Senior High School and then the University of MD College Park. After graduation Bryan joined his father-in-law in a start-up telecommunications company that has grown into a successful Voice and Data MTSSP business.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
- Christian Shelter – Chairman
- Salisbury Urban Ministries – Property Committee
- Greater Salisbury Committee
- Grace UMC – V-Chairman, SPRC, Stewardship
- GSC Foundation – Chairman
- Project O.U.T. – V-Chairman
- I.P.P.P.S. Mentoring
- Delmarva Council BSA Executive Committee
- BSA District Advisory Board
- BSA Tri-County District – Chairman
- I-55 Project
PERSONAL
Bryan is widowed from his wife Marcella Marshall Murfree since 2013. They have two grown children. Daughter Jenna M. Stevens who is married to Chuck lives in Chester, PA. Son Colin M. Murfree is married to Victoria and lives in NYC. Bryan is a proud new grandfather to Samuel L. Stevens born August 2018.
Bryan enjoys volunteering for many different organizations and meeting new people. He also enjoys golf, hunting, hiking, grilling,traveling, live music of all kinds, visiting family and friends.
EDUCATION
BS – Biological Science & Zoology – University of Maryland, College Park
Carlton Bradshaw
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
June 1989 – Present – Principal Engineer,Delmarva Power. Experiences include design of electric distribution and delivery systems, outage restoration and oversight of commissioning and maintenance activities for protection and control systems on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Lower Delaware.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Power and Engineering Society (PES)
PERSONAL
Husband of Kim since 1989, Father of two biological and two God-appointed (adopted) children, David, Mary Beth, Joy, and Lydia. Member of Asbury United Methodist Church; served on Board of Trustees six years and Adult Sunday School teacher. Participant in Asbury’s Appalachia Service Project since 2008; Board Member since 2011 and Leader since 2016. The ASP group spends nine months each year preparing for their mission to Appalachia by serving dinners at Christian Shelter and constructing wheelchair ramps through Chesapeake Housing Mission.
EDUCATION
- United Methodist Lay Academy, 1995
- University of Maryland, Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, 1989
- Salisbury State University, Bachelor of Science, Physics, 1988
David V. Downes
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
David V. Downes is a licensed Professional Engineer in thirteen states and owns and operates an engineering company in Salisbury,MD. David has over 40 years of experience as an electrical engineer in the power and energy industry. Areas of expertise include; power systems,energy infrastructure, energy deregulation, energy economics, power interconnection and alternative energy. Downes Associates, Inc. has clients and projects throughout the eastern seaboard from Massachusetts to Florida. David is CEO of Downes Associates, Inc.
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
- Secretary – Board of the Christian Shelter, Salisbury, MD
- Board member of Chesapeake Housing Mission (Christian volunteer ministry)
- Member of a number of professional associations (IEEE, NSPE, MSPE, AIPE, other)
- President of the Rotary Club of Salisbury (past) and Rotarian of the Year (past)
- Chairman, Wicomico County Board of Education, Committee on Efficiency and Facilities (past)
- Board Member – Asbury UMC, Appalachia Service Project (past)
- Chairman of Wor-Wic Community College Foundation (past)
- Chairman of Local Advisory Council for Wor-Wic Community College (past)
- President of Wicomico County Soccer Federation (coach &mentor) (past)
PERSONAL
David is married to Linda (Lenny) Swift Downes, a local CPA. David and Lenny celebrated 44 years of marriage. David and Lenny have two sons. Nathan Justis operates an IT consulting business in Salisbury, MD and Joshua Asher is a student at Wor-Wic Community College.
David enjoys; mentoring youth,Christian missions, helping those living below the poverty level, disabled or elderly. David enjoys family, bicycling(not often enough), and water activities (also not often enough). David spent almost two decades coaching youth sports (soccer, baseball and basketball) and has been blessed to have been able to mentor, teach and touch so many local young lives over the years. David and Lenny are members of Trinity United Methodist Church in Salisbury and David has participated in the Appalachia Service Project (ASP) for twenty years. Since first volunteering for construction projects at the Christian Shelter in 1999, David has been active as a volunteer at the Christian Shelter and became an Associate Board Member over a decade ago. It has been a blessing to witness the Lord’s hand upon His Christian Shelter.
EDUCATION
- 1975 BS – Electrical Engineer – University of Maryland – College Park, MD
- 1972 BA – Biology –Western Maryland College (McDaniel) – Westminster, MD
Jane A. Hoy
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2017 – Present – Assistant Director, Salisbury Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. The position responsibilities are to assistant the Executive Director in the daily operations of the agency. Under the supervision of the Executive Director the Assistant Director is responsible for customer intake for residential mortgage applications including verifications, underwriting, processing loan documents and qualifying applicants for our loan products and grants that the agency facilitates. Meeting with applicants for pre-qualification sessions and referring customers for counseling if need be. Preparation of loan requests and presenting to our loan committee for approval or denial. Ensuring that the loan policies are followed for the application process. Preparing loan applications and related documents, coordinating settlements and providing attorneys with information needed for closing. Intake and processing for the State of Maryland Rehab programs as an agent for the State of Maryland. Completing site visits for persons/families that have applied for our rehab loan and for the states. Maintenance of files and collections for delinquent accounts. Keep the Executive Director informed on any changes of the lending process and completion of required reporting to our financial supporters.
2006 – 2017 – Homeownership Services Manager/Counselors, Salisbury Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc.
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
- Delmarva Toastmasters Club
- DTM Distinguished Toastmaster
- CDN Housing Counseling Steering Committee
- MD Notary Public
PERSONAL
Jane is married to Michael L. Hoy, Sr with three children and seven grandchildren. She loves to read, and her favorite author is James Patterson. She enjoys traveling and has visited many places throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Jane is an active member of the United Faith Churches of Deliverance. Her husband Michael is an Elder of the church. They both sit on the churches Leadership Board. She serves in many capacities in the church, the Senior Usher board and she started the Junior Usher board over five years ago. She is a missionary and goes out to visit the sick and shut-ins of the church to pray and serve communion. She has taught Sunday school and teaches at the request of her Bishop. She assists with the planning and teaching of vacation bible school. She is also a member of the cleaning committee of the church. She is a member of the “With Arms Wide Open” ministry that serves dinner at the shelter once a month and volunteers there when and as often as she can.
EDUCATION
- State of Maryland Real-Estate Course
- NeighborWorks Training institutes
- Certificate courses at University of Delaware
- Graduate of Wilma Boyd Career Center
- Studied at Delaware State University
Jeffrey C. Downes
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2000 – Present – Director of Facilities Planning and Capital Projects, Architectural & Engineering Services, Salisbury University (Salisbury, MD). This position is responsible for oversight and management of planning, design, and construction administration occurring on SU’s 200 acre campus. Projects range from minor renovations to major Capital endeavors. In addition to managing consultants for major projects, the Architectural and Engineering Services group performs “in-house” design and construction administration for several million dollars’ worth of annual projects. Procurement of new properties, and planning for future growth is part of the job responsibility as well.
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
- United States Green Building Council (USGBC)
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA)
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- Society for College and University Planning (SCUP)
PERSONAL
Jeff is married to Alice Weatherford Downes with four children, all married, and three grandchildren. He enjoys life on their small farm, as well as fishing, racquetball, and gardening. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Mexico; has also visited the Bahamas, Canada, Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, and Panama.
Family, church and community are very important to Jeff. He is an elder at Providence Presbyterian Church. He has served as Chairman of the Board at Salisbury Christian School, and was a former member of the Wicomico County (MD) Community Relations Commission (appointed by the Wicomico County Council). Jeff also served on the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for many years.
He is a current Board Member at The Christian Shelter, believing that God has called him to service there. He brings his knowledge of the construction industry to the Shelter to assist with planning, projects and maintenance. He has a strong desire to pray for and serve the homeless of the Salisbury community with his gifts and talents.
EDUCATION
- B.A. in Biology – Berea College – Berea, KY
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering – University of Kentucky – Lexington, KY
Rita A. Plaskon
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2000 – Present – Affordable Bookkeeping Corporation. Account manager for more than 15 companies offering full bookkeeping services including payroll, sales tax returns, quarterly payroll returns, W2’s and 1099s. Building a trusting relationship with clients is important to Rita as she still has clients from when she first started with Affordable Bookkeeping back in 2000.
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
- Adopt A Block Ministry – Team Leader
- Christian Shelter – Board Member
PERSONAL
Rita is originally from Pittsville and resides in Parsonsburg with her husband Roger. Rita and Roger have been married for 31 years and have 2 grown children, both married. Rita likes to read, garden, and most of all going to the beach at Assateague.
Rita was invited to Emmanuel Wesleyan Church back in September 1995. God used Pastor Tom Bunting to speak to her heart and to her head. A few short weeks later she gave her life over to the Lord and has never looked back. Rita has volunteered in several capacities at Emmanuel Wesleyan including children’s church, greeter, food pantry, trunk or treat, Easter program, and many more. Rita is one of the original team leaders for the Adopt A Block Ministry that was started six years ago. This ministry serves the community surrounding The Christian Shelter area. This ministry was designed to give food, clothing, prayer, and most of all Hope by showing the love of Jesus Christ.
Rita is currently serving as Treasurer for the Christian Shelter.
EDUCATION
Extensive Quickbooks Training
Mark S. Thompson
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2016 – Present – Pupil Personnel Worker/Mentoring Coordinator with the Wicomico County Public Schools
2010 – 2016 – Pupil Personnel Worker/Mentoring Coordinator with the Wicomico County Public Schools
2004 – 2010 – Executive Director, The Salvation Army
1983 – 2004 – Senior Manager, FedEx Corporation
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
2nd VP, Maryland Association of Pupil Personnel Workers
PERSONAL
Ministry (serving people) is very important to Mark as he volunteers as a Chaplin at Coastal Hospice, serves on numerous boards in Salisbury including The Christian Shelter, Wicomico HOPE, Lower Shore Children’s Center, Wicomico Housing Authority and PAC14. Mark is also a member of the Salisbury Rotary Club. He resigned from Fed Ex in August of 2004 with 23 years of service to become the Executive Director of the West Salisbury Youth Club, now called the Richard Hazel Youth Center of The Salvation Army. There he established many successful youth programs for a variety of different needs in the community including implementing a program called the New Day Youth Development Center for students who were suspended or expelled from school. Currently he is the Director for the Adopt-A-Block Outreach Ministry at the Emmanuel Wesleyan Church. This ministry serves over 250 people in the community with food twice a month. He and his wife Felicia are the proud parents of David 25, and Joshua 21. He lives by the song “If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain.”
EDUCATION
- Associates Degree in Theology from World College of Theology
- B.S. Degree in Industrial Management from Gannon University
- Masters Degree in Education from Wilmington University
Gus Lebois
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Gus retired from Perdue Farms as the Vice President of Wholesale Industrial Sales in July 2016 after 38 years of service. This position oversaw the sales to all of Perdue’s wholesale & industrial accounts. He oversaw a staff of 17 people with annual sales at approx. $500 million a year. Other positions held during his career at Perdue Farms were Live Production Service Supervisor, Live Production Manager, Field Sales Representative, Director of Retail Sales, Quality Improvement Process Manager and Vice President of Club/Mass Merchandising Sales. In the early days of his sales experience Gus was privileged to have been under the direct supervision of Frank Perdue himself which gave him tremendous insights to the way that Frank ran the company. Working with Frank gave him the opportunity to learn from the best in the business. Gus states that Frank Perdue was the reason he stayed and made Perdue the only employer that he worked for in his entire career.
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
- DPI (Delmarva Poultry Industry). Held several offices.
- Boy Scout Assistant Scout Master – Bethesda United Methodist Church Troop
- United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore – For the past 20 years held many board positions including being Board President.
- Christian Shelter Board Member since 2016
- Rotary Club of Salisbury board member since 2016. Currently Sargent of Arms
PERSONAL
One of five (5) children, Gus was raised in southwestern PA in the small town of California. He has 4 sisters; 3 older and 1 younger. His father, Dr. Gaston Lebois was a professor at the University of California, PA. His mother Mary was a homemaker. After high school, Gus attended Penn State University and graduated in 1978 with a Masters in Poultry Science and immediately went to work for Perdue Farms. He met his wife Nora while living in NJ working as a Field Sales Rep for Perdue. He married Nora in 1980. They have two sons, Evan and Ryan, both married. Evan is married to Lauren and graduated from the University of Delaware with a BS in Biochemistry, from Vanderbilt U with an MS in Drug Discovery and from Emory U with a PhD in Neuroscience. He currently works for Broad Institute in Cambridge MA as a Senior Research Scientist. Ryan graduated from the University of MD with a BA in Aerospace Engineering and currently works for 3L Technologies as an Aerospace Engineer in Columbia MD. He and his wife Erin reside in Mt Airy, MD with their son Louis. In his spare time Gus enjoys doing yard work, boating, working out, walking, hiking, camping and spending time with his family.
EDUCATION
- BS Animal Science Penn State University 1977
- MS Poultry Science Penn State University 1978
Ted R. Evans
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Ted has over 20 years of sales and marketing experience with Lance Snack Foods and Nabisco Brands. Position responsibilities for both Lance and Nabisco were to develop and cultivate trusting relationships with management and grow sales through incremental displays and effective merchandising. With both employers, Ted consistently surpassed required company sales objectives.
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
- Volunteer at the Christian Shelter
- Board member of the Christian Shelter
- Member of the Magi Choral Festival Committee
- Member of the National Day of Prayer Committee
PERSONAL
Ted was born and raised on Smith Island, MD, and moved to Salisbury at the age of twelve (12). He has been married to Margie for 44 years. Margie retired from the Somerset County Health Department Developmental Disabilities Administration after 20 years of service. Her position as a case manager was very rewarding and also challenging.
Ted attends Providence Presbyterian Church and enjoys competitive skeet shooting and spending time with family and friends. Those who know Ted appreciate him for his wonderful (wacky) sense of humor, or so he thinks. Ted is thankful for the many years of serving at the Christian Shelter where he believes God has taught him about serving, empathy, and loving the homeless men, women, and children who stay at the Shelter.
EDUCATION
- BS Business Administration – Old Dominion University (1969)
Laura Hurley
Professional Experience
Laura Hurley has served as the Wicomico County Council Administrator since her appointment in January 2017. She is a Registered Paralegal and has experience working with Wicomico County as a Legal Assistant in the Wicomico County Department of Law and as an Executive Office Associate in the Council Office. Prior to her employment with the County in 2008, she worked in the private practice of the former County Attorney, Edgar A. Baker, Jr., at Seidel Baker and Tilghman, PA, from 1999 to 2008.
Professional Organizations
- Member of the Maryland Association of Paralegals
- Member of the National Federation of Paralegals
- Tri-County Council Board (ex-officio member)
- Tri-County Council Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee
- Christian Shelter – Board Member
Personal
Laura has been married to Christopher Hurley since 1992. They have two children and three grandchildren. Laura is an active member of Allen Memorial Baptist Church and volunteers regularly at church events. She has previously volunteered for Young Life of Salisbury and is currently a Saturday volunteer at the Christian Shelter and serves on the Human Resources Committee. In her spare time, Laura enjoys walking, hiking, and spending time with her family.
Education
- Professional Development Academy, NACo, December 2018
- Paralegal Certification- Paralegal Advanced Competency Exam and Credentialing, April 2015
- Academy for Excellence in Local Governance, MACo, August 2013
- BS- Business Management- Salisbury University, May 2012
- AAS-Legal Secretary- Wor-Wic Community College, December 2003
Executive Director
J. Anthony Dickerson
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Executive Director at Christian Shelter, Salisbury, MD, 2019 – Present. Responsible for operations, leadership, planning and vision of the Christ centered ministry to homeless and lost families of our community.
Senior Pastor at Greater Mt. Olive Full Gospel Baptist Church, Cambridge, MD, 1996 – Present. Teaching, preaching, counselling and shepherding the flock of Christ.
Job Readiness and Project ReConnect Coordinator, Goodwill Chesapeake, 2016-2019. Responsible for assisting and instructing individuals with barriers with gainful employment that will lead to self-sufficiency. Developed several partnerships with employers and implemented customized transportation in the community enabling customers to work without transportation barriers.
Case Manager, Fatherhood Program, Caroline Co. Dept. of Social Services, 2012-2016. Responsible for ensuring that fathers were reconnected to their children and were current with their child support. Assist with employment opportunities and reorganized the support group for fathers.
Mental Health Clinician, Eastern Shore Mobile Crisis, 2010-2012. Responsible for assisting patients with psychotherapy, substance abuse treatment and crisis management.
Director of Career Services, Lower Shore Enterprises, 2008-2009. Responsible for overseeing the day to day operations for individuals with disabilities. Overseeing Life Skills Class, Vocational Assessment, Employment Development, Job Coaching Services and Job Placement Services.
Job Training, Vocational Training, Retention Specialist (various locations), 1991-2008
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
- Center for Credentialing and Education, Inc.
- Maryland Institute for Employment and Training Professionals
PERSONAL
J. Anthony Dickerson is a certified Career and Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, Mentor and Advocate. He has been married for 28 years to his wife, Annette and they are proud parents of five children and five grandchildren.
EDUCATION
- BS – Theology, International Bible Institute and Seminary, Orlando, Florida
- Honorary Doctorate Degree in Divinity, St. Thomas Theological Seminary, Jacksonville, Florida