Governor Hogan Appoints New Member to Harford Community College Board of Trustees

Governor Larry Hogan has appointed Karen Holt to a five-year term on the nine-member Harford Community College Board of Trustees. Holt, a native of Harford County who resides in Havre de Grace, will represent Councilmanic District F. She will replace former Trustee Dr. James W. McCauley, who was appointed to the Board in 2014 and retired earlier this year. Her term expires in July 2024, after which she will be eligible for reappointment to a five-year term. She was sworn in at the Harford County Courthouse on November 30.

She is Deputy Director of the Harford County Office of Community & Economic Development, serving as point on business attraction efforts and providing oversight with Harford Transit LINK, the county’s transportation system. Holt is Harford County Government’s liaison to Aberdeen Proving Ground and more than 160 defense contracting companies. She coordinates regional initiatives of the Chesapeake Science & Security Corridor (CSSC) Consortium and monitors sustainability, installation and utility resiliency efforts and funding opportunities. Additionally, Holt serves as Harford County’s technology liaison for advanced manufacturing, biomanufacturing, connected and autonomous vehicles, and cybersecurity.

Her first role with Harford County Government began in 2006 as Regional BRAC Manager where, with Harford County at the lead, Holt coordinated multijurisdictional, multi-state collaboration among government, industry, and academia while administering more than $11M in federal funding to support transportation, infrastructure, and workforce initiatives. Prior to Harford County Government, she served as Public Information Officer for Cecil County Public Schools, County Tourism Coordinator with the Cecil Chamber of Commerce, Public Relations Specialist with a grant program through Cecil College, and Public Affairs Assistant with Army Research Lab (formerly Ballistic Research Laboratory).Holt is currently Vice President of the Association of Defense Communities, a 300+ member national organization dedicated to advancing issues that build strong defense communities and strengthen the ability of service members to defend the nation. She is a member of the Army Alliance Board of Directors, chairs the Military Affairs Committee for the Harford County Chamber of Commerce, and serves as community outreach liaison with local chapter boards of the Association of United States Army (AUSA) and the Armed Forces Communication Electronics Association (AFCEA).