January 8, 2026 – The Community Foundation of Howard County (CFHC) is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Trustees: Ahmad Hachicho, Dr. Danielle Patrice Hilliard and Rebecca Rothey. Together, they bring deep expertise in philanthropy, community leadership, engineering and technology, and nonprofit advancement that will strengthen CFHC’s mission to inspire and grow philanthropy in Howard County.
“We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional leaders to the CFHC Board of Trustees,” said Barbara Rishel, Board Chair. “Each of them brings a strong commitment to community, deep professional experience, and a passion for expanding the impact of philanthropy in Howard County.”
About the New Trustees
Ahmad Hachicho is Vice President at Allen + Shariff Corporation and is based in the firm’s Columbia, Maryland, office. He co-leads regional operations and oversees multidisciplinary engineering and design teams. He brings more than 20 years of international leadership experience across healthcare, residential, mixed-use, commercial and large-scale development projects in the United States, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa and Mexico. Ahmad has served in senior management roles supporting strategic growth, client engagement and project delivery, and he is actively involved in representing the firm in civic and industry settings. He holds a Master’s Degree in Architecture and Urban Planning and is a LEED Accredited Professional (BD+C).
Dr. Danielle P. Hilliard is an aerospace systems engineer and serves as Technical Lead and head of the Concept Design and Realization team at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. She leads a team providing design, fabrication, and engineering capabilities supporting spacecraft and Department of Defense technologies, and has more than 30 years of experience advancing systems engineering solutions for the U.S. Navy, Missile Defense Agency and other federal partners. Hilliard has held leadership roles in technical program management and early-career STEM development initiatives, serves on multiple STEM and community boards and is an active mentor to engineers and scientists. She holds a B.S. in Aerospace Science Engineering, an M.S. in Information Technology and a Ph.D. in Technology Management. She is the recipient of multiple national engineering and leadership awards.
Rebecca Rothey, CFRE, CAP®, AEP®, IPA is a nationally recognized philanthropic advisor, educator, and speaker specializing in charitable gift planning and donor engagement. She recently retired as the Senior Advisor to the Greater Washington Community Foundation, following her tenure as Chief Philanthropy Officer from 2016 to 2022. Her career also includes leadership roles at the Baltimore Community Foundation, The Johns Hopkins University, Catholic Charities of Baltimore and the American Red Cross of Central Maryland. Rebecca has served on the editorial advisory board of Planned Giving Today, is a past president of the Chesapeake Planned Giving Council and remains active in several estate planning councils and professional associations.
Strengthening Philanthropy in Howard County
With these appointments, CFHC continues to build a Board of Trustees that reflects strong community leadership, professional expertise, and a shared commitment to advancing equity, opportunity, and impact through philanthropy.
“Their expertise and lived perspectives will help guide our strategic vision and deepen our work across partnerships, donor relationships, and community initiatives,” said Melissa Curtin, President & CEO. “We are honored to have them join us in advancing CFHC’s mission.”
The new trustees will join the Community Foundation of Howard County’s current Board of Trustees, which includes the following Officers and Trustees:
Officers
- Barbara Rishel – Chair, Mercer Advisors
- Chris Walter – Vice Chair, Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny
- Russell Berger – Secretary, Offit Kurman
- Mark Stinson – Treasurer, Carson Wealth
- Steven Sass – Immediate Past Chair, Steven D. Sass, LLC
- Melissa Curtin, Ex Officio – President & CEO, Community Foundation of Howard County
Trustees
- Regina Clay, Community Advocate
- Lisa Edwards, Community Advocate
- Ahmad Hachico, Allen + Shariff Corporation
- Danielle Hilliard, JHU APL
- Rebecca Rothey, Community Advocate
- Steve Singh, BGE