Commander Benjamin (BJ) Armstrong, PhD

Commander Armstrong is a United States Naval Academy Permanent Military Professor. Previously in his career, he was a helicopter pilot supporting JSOC/SOCOM Special Warfare Operations. He deployed to the 4th, 5th, and 6th Fleets with Amphibious Ready Groups, Marine Air Ground Task Forces, and numerous covert special operations around the globe.

Ashore, Commander Armstrong served in the Pentagon as a strategic assistant to the Secretary of the Navy. He joined the faculty of the Naval Academy History Department during the fall term of 2016. Commander Armstrong also serves as the Director of the McMullen Naval History Symposium. In addition to being widely published, Commander Armstrong is the recipient of the U.S. Naval Academy Faculty Excellence Award, the Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement, and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation General Roy Geiger Award.

Paul Carroll was born in Boston and graduated from Boston College. He began his career with Chrysler Corporation and then worked for 30 years in sales, marketing, and business development with Eastman Kodak. He also did business development consulting in Washington for MCC, an Austin, Texas-based business consortium. Paul lived in the

Annapolis area from 1975 until moving to Easton in 2005.

Emily Chandler owns Piazza Italian Market, in Easton, which opened in 2008. Her previous work experience includes making cheese in New York State and working for Slow Food USA and the Bedford Cheese Shop. Emily travels to Italy annually to explore and continue learning about Italian food and culture.

Payne Kilbourn retired from the Navy as a Captain after serving on five nuclear attack submarines and several assignments ashore. From 2004 to 2011 he was CEO of a robotics company. He is the author of several fiction and non-fiction books, writing under the pen name of Payne Edwards.

Jason Lee has an Associate's Degree of Applied Sciences in Computer Science, as well as many specialized degrees in the field, including a MCP, NET+, CCNA and MCSE. With over 25 years of experience, Jason and his Salisbury University-trained team provide computer consultation, diagnostic, repair, and retail services to businesses and homes throughout the Chesapeake mid-shore.

George R. Merrill, a retired Episcopal priest. George has led workshops on spirituality and aging. He’s co-authored a book on spirituality: Reflections: Psychological and Spiritual Images of the Heart and a collection of essays, The Bay of the Mother of God: A Yankee Discovers the Chesapeake Bay. George is a columnist for The Talbot Spy, and airs essays on Delmarva Public Radio. He and his wife, Jo, live in St, Michaels.

Joe has been the proprietor of “Hair O’ The Dog Wine & Spirits” since 2004. In 2018, he opened his companion venture, “Snifter’s Bistro,” in the adjacent retail space. Both establishments are built on Joe’s customer focus philosophy: provide an alluringly uncommon experience. Although he features beer, spirits, and wine found elsewhere, Joe’s loyal customers often seek a unique beverage ‘adventure’ satisfied by concierge-like service that’s the soul of his business. During the past year, Snifters has become a gathering place for fine wines, craft beers, and small plate dining.

Joe has been an active member of Comptroller Peter Franchot’s commission to reform Maryland’s restrictive beer and spirits laws.

Early in his career as a CPA, Mr. Petro was Controller at Easton Utilities, and Celeste Industries. His lengthy list of contributions to our community include treasurer for non-profit Kidworks Learning Center, and President of Talbot Humane Society.

Micah Risher started his career in aviation in 1993 after graduating Easton High School. As a Talbot County native, Risher took an interest in aviation while in High School and joined the US Navy upon graduating. He studied Air Traffic Control and became a Tower Supervisor at NAS Brunswick, Maine by the age of 19. He would go on to serve aboard the USS Dwight D Eisenhower, controlling aircraft from the Carrier Air Traffic Control Center (CATCC) and also Naval Test Center Patuxent River, Maryland.

After his time in the service, Micah worked at Bridgeport Airport (Connecticut) and Salisbury Airport (Maryland), as an air traffic controller. He was selected as the Manager of the new Easton Tower in July 2007. He set up the initial ATC operation and managed the tower for 7 years.

Because of his expertise in small airport operations, in 2014, Micah was presented with an opportunity to support the FAA Contract Tower Program in Washington DC. He led a team of contractors that ensured contractual and operations compliance at 256 FAA Contract Towers across the nation.

After a successful 4 years in Washington DC, Micah returned to Easton Airport and was hired as the Airport Manager in August 2018. Through the Midshore Community Foundation, Micah launched the Aviation Career Education (ACE) Program in January 2019 to help educate local youth about aviation career opportunities.

Mark Scallion is a graduate of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He is the Director of Pickering Creek Audubon Center in Easton and has resided at the Center for over twenty years. He has lead the Center’s effort to convert over 150 acres of the Center’s marginal cropland to wildlife habitat.

Sal Simoncini was born and raised in New York City, where he owned his own construction company. He and his wife raised their two daughters on Long Island, where they live now with Sal's seven grandchildren. After retirement, he and his late second wife relocated to Wittman, to a twenty-six acre farm.

Following her retirement from Bryn Mawr Trust in Bryn Mawr, PA as a SVP, Dodie Theune joined the adjunct faculty at Temple University while continuing her executive coach practice. The thesis of her dissertation is that life coaching is a form of transformational adult education. She has held executive positions on professional boards and has received many awards and citations including the “Women of Distinction” by Drexel University Business School and the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Catherine Wilson received her BA in History at the University of West Florida, and also holds a BS in Nursing and a MA in Education from Delaware State College. She moved to Easton in 2005, with her husband, former NSA Deputy Director Dick Wilson. Catherine is a certified genealogist. 

Among her works in genealogy, Catherine worked on Talbot County’s ‘The Hill Project’ through the University of Maryland-CP, and did a genealogical study of an abandoned African-American Cemetery at Broad Creek Neck for the cemetery association. Three years ago she was commissioned to conduct the exhaustive research that this class is based upon.

Forest Hansen has degrees in English and Philosophy and did graduate study in counseling.  Hired by Lake Forest College to teach Western Civilization and Philosophy, he chaired both departments and eventually taught a variety of undergraduate and Master of Liberal Art courses. He also co-founded a highly successful program to study ancient Minoan, Mycenaean, Classical Greek, and Byzantine architecture and art on site in Greece and Turkey.  After retirement, he and wife lived in England for ten years before moving to Easton in 2003.

Bruce Jones spent forty years in the health industry, as technician, as hospital administrator and later as executive management in information technology companies deploying first generation systems.  He retired in 2008 to pursue lifelong learning, to travel, and to revel in leisure around the Chesapeake Bay.

Retired from Ford Motor Company, Hans is an Electrical Engineer who spent most of his career in IT. Hans was an early adopter of computer controls, including putting the first micro-computer onboard for vehicle engine control. Hans was assigned to Europe for 5 years where he learned that much of the user acceptance of new technology is culture driven.

Margot Miller holds a PhD in French literature and has taught at both the former ALL and the IAL at Chesapeake College since about 2005. Her specialty is contemporary women writers of French expression but she has branched out. She has a wide following for the depth of understanding she brings to literary discussion. Her first life was in psychology (counseling and cognitive studies) and she taught “How to Read a Text/How to become a Close Reader” when she was a TA at the University of Maryland, College Park. She finds multiple levels in literary fiction.

Suzanne Sanders earned a B.A. in Humanities from Johns Hopkins because, hey, somebody has to balance out all those pre-med students. She has worked as a journalist, bartender, metaphysical manager, poet, full-tilt mom, and Russian translator. She teaches the occasional class at Chesapeake College and volunteers at the library. She and her husband are currently lacking in the kitten department.