Mayor Scott Appoints New Baltimore City School Board Members

BALTIMORE, MD (Wednesday, July 3, 2024) – Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced the appointments of Emily C. Ames-Messinger, Dr. Stefan L. Lallinger, and Ashiah S. Parker to the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners. These appointments fill three vacancies on the Board. Additionally, the Mayor announced that he is reappointing Khalilah Slater-Harrington and Andrew Coy to their current positions on the Board. The new appointees were sworn in during a ceremony at Baltimore City Hall.

The Mayor is responsible for appointing nine of the twelve board members after a process of application review and a community panel. Two positions are elected by Baltimore City voters, and the final twelfth position is held by a student representative elected by the Student Congress for Baltimore City.

“It’s no secret that our youth means the world to me” Mayor Brandon M. Scott said“When we fill positions on the School Board, we look for the best of the best to serve the students of Baltimore City. I am confident that these three new individuals will excel in their roles on the Board of School Commissioners and help us continue to prioritize the well-being and excellence of Baltimore’s young people.”

Each of the newly appointed members brings a wealth of experience and diversity to the board, and in their oversight roles, they will be committed to serving the students of Baltimore to maintain a culture of excellence in city schools.

Emily C. Ames-Messinger is a social worker, former teacher and charter school coordinator, and current City Schools parent. For the past seven years, she has worked at the University of Maryland Positive Schools Center, developing and managing programs, advocating for policy changes, writing grants, and training school leaders and staff to build positive and safe school cultures. Emily has a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland and a Master of Arts in Education from Johns Hopkins University. She lives in Reservoir Hill with her daughters, Lucy and Madeline, and her husband, Scott.

Dr. Stefan L. Lallinger is the executive director of Next100, a public policy think tank. He is a former teacher, principal, and district leader with a doctorate in educational leadership from Harvard University. He lives in Mt. Washington with his wife and three daughters and is a proud City Schools parent.

Ashiah Parker is a longtime resident of the Sandtown neighborhood in Central West Baltimore. She is dedicated to making her neighborhood and the city of Baltimore a better place. Ashiah serves as the Executive Director of the No Boundaries Coalition, is a non-attorney director at Funk and Bolton PA, and serves on various boards and organizations throughout Baltimore. Ms. Parker holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore and lives with her two children, Aaliyah and Jeremiah, and her husband, Keith.