WC-ALL Council Nominee Bios
NOMINEES FOR RE-ELECTION TO A SECOND TERM
WENDY CRONIN
Wendy Cronin, PhD, retired to Chestertown in 2018 from Baltimore City where she lived for 26 years. She earned a BA degree in Biology from Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College), an MS degree in Hospital Epidemiology from the University of Virginia, and a PhD from the University of Maryland-Baltimore School of Medicine in Infectious Disease Epidemiology. She was Maryland site principal investigator, in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University TB Research Center, of a national TB research consortium funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Consulting with WHO and Hopkins, Wendy also spent 15 years in low-income countries in Asia and Africa, working in both infection control and TB prevention. In retirement she enjoys making wheel-thrown porcelain pottery and participates in the RiverArts Clay Studio when she can. She has taught several courses for WC-ALL and is the current Chair of the program’s Curriculum Committee.
PAT POOLE
Pat grew up in a small East Texas town and earned her BS degree in Industrial Engineering from Lamar University. After graduation she went to work for Mobil Oil, which later became ExxonMobil. The majority of her career was spent working in the Information Technology organization where she held several individual contributor and managerial positions. Her different roles afforded her the opportunity to travel extensively across the United States and around the world. She retired in 2015, and she and her husband moved to Chestertown in 2017. In addition to currently serving as Vice Chair of the WC-ALL Council and Chair of the Membership Committee, she is also a member and Treasurer of the Olde Kent Quilt Guild. In her leisure time she enjoys golf, quilting, traveling, cooking a good meal, seeing a good movie, and reading a good book.
NOMINEES FOR ELECTION TO A FIRST TERM
CHARLES ALDRICH
Charles Aldrich moved to Chestertown from the Washington, DC area after a lengthy career as an active-duty Air Force officer, a consultant supporting the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and a civilian employee of the Department of Defense. He earned his BS degree in History from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and taught World and Asian History there for four years. He also holds an MA degree in Asian History from the University of Indiana and an MA degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. In addition to his active participation in WC-ALL programs, Charles is a member of the Chester River Chorale, the Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Dover English Country Dancers, and a frequent historic reenactor at the Mount Harmon Plantation and other regional historic sites.
NANCY BENNINGTON
Nancy Bennington is a Chestertown native who returned to Kent County after living for a number of years in Washington, DC and Pittsburgh. She received a BA degree in Art and Education from Towson University and had a varied career as an art and special education teacher in the Kent County public school system, an employment specialist for the County’s Department of Social Services, and in the art world as a specialist in the gilding, conservation, and restoration of antique frames for museums and private clients. Since retiring from full-time employment, Nancy has tutored in the local schools and been an active participant in many local nonprofit organizations, serving on the boards of Imagination Alley, Kidspot (a subsidiary of RiverArts), and The Friends of the Library, which she also served as President. Nancy’s many years of membership in WC-ALL include teaching two courses.
BARBARA BROWN
Barbara Brown retired to Chestertown in 2013 after living in the Washington, DC area and working in management roles for an architectural review board and a company providing services to over 200 planned communities and resident associations. Prior to that, she earned a BS degree Business, Health, and Nutrition from Penn State University and worked as an information specialist in food and nutrition in New York State and West Virginia. In addition to her membership in WC-ALL, Barbara has served as a commissioner on Chestertown’s Historic District Commission, Co-President of the Women’s League of Washington College, a volunteer for the Sultana Foundation, a docent for the Kent County Historical Society, a member of the League of Women Voters, a founding board member of the Eastern Shore Democrats Political Action Committee, and Vice President of the Kent County Democratic Club.
YOLANDA SANCHEZ
Yolanda Sanchez is a native of Oviedo, Spain, where she earned an undergraduate degree in Biology and a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She met her husband, Fernando, while both were doing post-doctoral research at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. After nine years on the faculties of Washington University in St. Louis and the Wake Forest School of Medicine, Yolanda spent fourteen years in positions of increasing responsibility at GlaxoSmithKline in Philadelphia. Most recently, she has worked with more than a dozen biotech companies as an independent scientific consultant in various therapy areas and drug modalities. She and Fernando became familiar with Chestertown and Kent County while living in Philadelphia and keeping their sailboat in Rock Hall. Since moving to Chestertown full-time in 2022, she has been active in WC-ALL as a student, instructor, and member of the Curriculum Committee.