The Board of Education of Charles County at its April 24, 2023, work session approved four administrative appointments. The appointments include two new Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) elementary principals, and the approval of two current CCPS acting principals to principals.
The Board was also briefed on a few administrative moves and the selection of the coordinator for the new Early Childhood Education Center. All appointments and moves take effect July 1, 2023. The Board approved the following appointments.
New principals for the 2023-2024 school year
- C. Martin Elementary School: Ethel Hosendorf.
- Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School: Portia Parker.
- Arthur Middleton Elementary School: Nicole Hawkins (moves from acting principal to principal at Middleton).
- Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School: Diedra Barnett (moves from acting principal at J.P. Ryon Elementary School to principal at Mitchell).
Administrative changes for the 2023-2024 school year
- Candice Vallandingham-Adam, assistant principal at Mary B. Neal Elementary School, moves to the position of coordinator of the CCPS Early Childhood Education Center.
- Nicholas Adam, principal at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School, moves to the principal role at J.P. Ryon Elementary School.
- Orlena Whatley, principal at Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School, moves to the principal role at General Smallwood Middle School.
- Todd Wonderling, principal at T.C. Martin Elementary School, moves to the principal role at the F.B. Gwynn Educational Center.
Ethel Hosendorf begins her tenure as principal at T.C. Martin July 1. She is currently an assistant principal at Theodore G. Davis Middle School. Prior to beginning a career in administration, Hosendorf was a 10-year financial literacy and business education teacher at North Point High School. As an administrator, she has also held positions as an administrative intern and assistant principal at John Hanson Middle School. Hosendorf is a native of New York and has been an employee with CCPS since 2008.
Portia Parker starts her principalship at Dr. Mudd on July 1. She is currently an assistant principal at Mattawoman Middle School. Parker has been a CCPS administrator since 2017 when she first served as an administrative intern at Benjamin Stoddert Middle School. Parker was appointed as an assistant principal at Stoddert in 2018 and transitioned to her current role at Mattawoman in 2019. Prior to pursuing a career in administration, Parker was a math teacher at Mattawoman. Parker also taught math in North Carolina for several years before joining CCPS as a teacher in 2014.
Nicole Hawkins was named as acting principal at Arthur Middleton last year. Hawkins’ appointment moves her from an acting role to a principal role. She remains at Middleton as its principal and previously served as an assistant principal and teacher with CCPS for several years.
Diedra Barnett was named as acting principal at J.P. Ryon Elementary School last year. Her appointment to principal moves her from an acting principal role, and Barnett will begin her role as principal at Mitchell July 1. Prior to being named as Ryon’s acting principal in 2022, Barnett was an assistant principal at Ryon for four years and taught at several CCPS schools prior to pursuing a role in administration.
As its coordinator, Candice Vallandingham-Adam will help to open the new CCPS Early Childhood Education Center. The center is located on the La Plata campus of the College of Southern Maryland and CCPS is leasing the facility to expand its current prekindergarten program enrollment. Vallandingham-Adam is currently assistant principal at Mary B. Neal Elementary School, a position that she has served in since 2018. Prior to her career with CCPS in administration, Vallandingham-Adam was an instructional resource and classroom teacher at various CCPS schools.
Nicholas Adam has been a CCPS principal since 2019. He was named principal at Mitchell in 2019 when the former principal was assigned to open the then new Billingsley Elementary School. Prior to his appointment as a CCPS principal, Adam was an assistant principal and teacher with CCPS.
Orlena Whatley has been a CCPS principal since 2014. She was first appointed as principal at Eva Turner Elementary School. She was named principal at Dr. Mudd in 2017 and was the 2020 CCPS Principal of the Year. Prior to joining CCPS, Whatley was a principal, assistant principal and teacher in Texas. Effective July 1, Whatley replaces General Smallwood Middle School Principal Brenda Tillotson, who announced she will retire at the end of the school year.
Todd Wonderling, current principal at T.C. Martin Elementary School, moves to the principal role at the F.B. Gwynn Educational Center. Prior to his career serving as an elementary school principal, Wonderling taught at the Gwynn Center and served as its coordinator of programs for several years. Daphne Burns, principal at the Gwynn Center, has announced her retirement from CCPS at the end of this school year. Wonderling’s new role takes effect July 1.
Today, parents and staff at the affected schools were notified of the upcoming administrative changes. Before the end of the school year, outgoing principals will work with incoming administrators to help them transition.
