Board of Directors
Please see full biographies, below.
John H. Shoemaker III
Board Vice President
FDA, Health and Human Services
Marla Johnson
Board Treasurer
Independent Realtor - Frederick County
Kelli Piscano Nelson
Board Secretary
Consultant, Maryland State Department of Education
Dena Ward Clayton
Co-founder Spectrum Support
Psychotherapist
Larry Helminiak
Retired, Construction Industry, After 47 Years
Consultant
Robert E. Vincent II
Deputy Director, Office of the Judge Advocate General,
Criminal Law Division
Stephen Brannan
Team Leader, IBM Leasing Division
Robert Holt—Board President
Robert is also President of Baltimore Credit & Collection Services, Inc., a commercial collection agency which he founded in 1997. He is married with two daughters, including a 12-year-old with Autism. He is active in the local Special Needs community, including the Carroll County Special Education Citizens Advisory council, the FOCAS Autism Support Group, and a team leader for the annual Autism Speaks Walk. Mr. Holt also serves on the Board of Caring Communities. He is an avid runner and biker, and has attended Orioles baseball and Terps football games for many years. Mr. Holt is a veteran of the United States Air Force.
John H. Shoemaker III—Board Vice President
John holds a BA in Sociology and a BA in Information Systems from University of Maryland Baltimore County. John has worked as an IT consultant supporting multiple federal agencies for the past 9 years. John currently serves as the Software Configuration Manager and final approval authority for all system deployments at USFDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. John has a wife and 2 young children, ages 4 and 6.
Kelli P. Nelson—Secretary
Kelli is a wife, a mother of three children and serves as guardian to an adult with multiple disabilities, who lives in a residential group home. Her son has Autism and Anxiety Disorder. He received his high school diploma and now attends Catonsville Community College. Kelli’s twins experienced developmental delays and health problems as a result of premature birth. They received early intervention/special education services from the Baltimore County Infants & Toddlers program.
Kelli works closely with local and state-elected officials to advocate for improved funding and services for children with special needs. She has received numerous awards for her work for children with special needs. Kelli currently serves as a Consultant for the Maryland State Department of Education, providing assistance to the Early Childhood Intervention and Education Branch.
Marla Johnson—Treasurer
Not yet available.
Dena Ward Clayton—Co-Founder/Director
Dena Ward Clayton, MS, BC-DMT, co-founded Spectrum Support, Inc. in 1989, along with her late husband, Ron Ward, M. Ed. She is a psychotherapist, cancer guide, and dance/movement therapist. Her private practice includes helping clients face life-limiting illness—their own or that of a loved one, bereavement support, deep process inner spiritual exploration, Samyama (a form of mindfulness meditation), as well as other body/mind/spirit resources. Dena specializes in working with clients and students via phone sessions.
Dena has a passion for volunteering with Vets Journey Home. She began staffing healing weekends for veterans in 1999.
Larry Helminiak—Director
Larry graduated from Calvert Hall College High School in 1958. He worked in the construction industry from 1958 until retirement in 2005. In that space of time, he started Carroll Insulation in 1970 and helped form National Contracting Resources and United Subcontractors, Inc. He was elected National President of Insulation Contractors Association of American in 1985 and 1998.
Larry has served on many boards prior to beginning his work with Spectrum Support. Among those are Home Builders Association of Maryland, Insulation Contractors Association of America, South Carroll Business Association, Maryland GOP and Sykesville Rotary.
Commander Robert E. Vincent II—Director
CDR Vincent graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park with a BS in Psychology in 1982. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1986. CDR Vincent has served in many legal posts in the Navy and presently is the Deputy Director of the Office of the Judge Advocate General, Criminal Law Division. He has received several personal awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. He is married with two children.
Stephen Brannan—Director
Stephen (Steve) Brannan has a BS in Finance and an MBA from the University of Maryland. Steve has held numerous positions for IBM and IBM Global Financing over the past 25 years. He is currently a Team Leader in the leasing division of IBM. Steve is also a House Corporation President and financial advisor for a University of Maryland fraternity.
