Mid-Shore Community Foundation welcomes eight new members

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (EASTON, MD – OCT. 14, 2025)

CONTACT: Heather B. Pickens, 410-820-8175, ext. 102

Mid-Shore Community Foundation welcomes eight new members

EASTON—Mid-Shore Community Foundation welcomes eight new members to its board of directors: Leslie Bishop, Suze Chaffinch, LaMonte Cooke, Kathleen Deoudes, Rabbi Peter E. Hyman, Richard “Rich” Loeffler, Dr. Margaret “Peggy” Rennels, and Arraminta Ware.

"As one of the founding board members, I am always pleased to welcome a new slate of directors to this outstanding organization,” said Moorhead Vermilye, president of the board of directors. “With Buck Duncan at the helm and a robust, working board of directors, MSCF does exponential good on the Mid-Shore. We love to see more people energized and inspired by the work."

Vermilye said he was grateful for the 2025 board of directors and thanked outgoing board members Bill Christopher, Joe Holt, John Lewis, Becky Loukides, Jenny Rhodes, and Tracy Tyler for their service to the Mid-Shore.

About the new directors

In 2016, after raising two sons and having a career as a residential interior designer, Leslie Bishop and her husband retired to Cambridge from Washington, D.C., and soon after, she founded MidShore Meals til Monday, a supplemental food program for children and families facing food insecurity in Dorchester County. When not working to help feed children, Leslie spends time with her grandsons and enjoying her garden.

Suze Chaffinch of Denton was born and raised on the Eastern Shore and has lived most of her life in Caroline County. As an elementary school teacher, she taught for many years at Greensboro Elementary School. Since retirement, she has enjoyed volunteering with various organizations. Chaffinch previously served on the MSCF board from 2018 to 2024.

LaMonte Cooke of Chestertown is the Director of the Queen Anne’s County Department of Corrections, a position he has held since 1987. He has more than 40 years of criminal justice and government service experience, including serving as the first African American Kent County Deputy Sheriff. Originally from Philadelphia, Cooke moved to Chestertown in 1971, and over the years he has been involved with numerous organizations.

Kathleen “Kathy” Deoudes currently serves as chair of the UMMS Shore Regional Health Board of Directors. Before retirement, she worked in the Maryland State Senate as a legislative aide to state Sen. E.J. Pipkin. Deoudes is a native of Massachusetts, and a graduate of Trinity College in Washington, D.C. She lives in Queen Anne’s County with her husband Nick. Kathy served on the MSCF board from 2017 to 2023.

Rabbi Peter E. Hyman of Easton recently retired after serving 18 years as the first full-time rabbi at Easton’s Temple B’nai Israel. A native of Connecticut, Hyman came to Easton after serving congregations in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Florida. Hyman is very active in the community, and he has a long history of promoting greater understanding and respect for individuals with different religious beliefs.

Richard “Rich” Loeffler received his mechanical engineering degree from Newark College of Engineering and for the past 20 years, he has worked as a business consultant for the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Before working for the SBDC, Rich was part owner of a small manufacturing company located in Dorchester County, where he served as president of the Dorchester YMCA and on the board of directors for Dorchester General Hospital.

Dr. Margaret “Peggy” Rennels was born and raised in Talbot County. After graduating from Easton High School and Skidmore College, she received her M.D. at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Rennels cared for patients, taught, and was involved with clinical evaluations of vaccines for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Food and Drug Administration. Since retirement, she has devoted her energies to the wellbeing of children through her work on the board of directors of the Critchlow Adkins Children’s Center. Peggy previously served on the MSCF board 2018 to 2024.

A lifelong resident of the Eastern Shore, Arraminta Ware grew up on a farm near Sudlersville. After graduating from Lynchburg College with an accounting degree, Ware began working in Chestertown, where she is a principal with Anthony, Judge and Ware LLC. Ware lives near Chestertown with her husband Eric Schrader, a self-employed farmer. She serves on the board of directors of Chesapeake Bank and Trust and previously served on the MSCF board from 2016 to 2022.

Officers for the 2026 MSCF board of directors are Vermilye, chair; Alice Ryan, vice chair; Carrie Manuel, treasurer; David Nagel, assistant treasurer; and Andy Meehan, secretary

About Mid-Shore Community Foundation
Established in 1992, Mid-Shore Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to enhancing the quality of life throughout the Mid-Shore region of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties. The Foundation works with donors to establish funds for the region — funds that are distributed as grants and scholarships, provides training programs and endowment management services to area nonprofits, and supports start‐up charities and local charitable projects through fiscal sponsorship. MSCF is located in the historic Bullitt House in downtown Easton. For more information, visit https://www.mscf.org.