At the next annual meeting of the BGCA we will hold an election for the officers and members at large. We anticipate 3 openings for new members-at-large, and we invite all those interested to submit a letter of interest to the nominating committee. Please submit no later than Friday, April 17th, by 5:00 p.m. Letters may be sent to Bilal Askaryar at president@bellonagittings.org.

Are you interested in the future direction of the Board, but don’t have the time to join in a formal capacity? We are inviting one member of the community to join the nominating committee in reviewing the candidates’ applications and interviewing them. If interested, please email Bilal, specifying the role you are interested in playing in this process.

The Board has discussed changes to be made to the BGCA by-laws, which are online at our website. If you are interested in joining the Board, and/or working on a committee to review potential changes to the by-laws, please read them at https://bellonagittings.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BGCA-2007-Bylaws-Apendix-A.pdf

Reminders—the next annual meeting will be May 12th at the Church of the Redeemer, in the Parish Hall, starting at 6:30.

The next community dumpster will be Saturday, April 4th, followed by one on June 13th. Look for a sign-up email soon to volunteer for the associated community clean-up. We need to demonstrate that we can have 20 people participating in order to schedule dumpsters in the future. View flyer

** POSTPONED ** There will be a Spring community yard sale in the parking lot of Pinehust Wine Shoppe on Sunday, April 19th. More information will be coming soon. ** POSTPONED **

Mark your calendars! Hope to see you soon.

Darlene Townsend
President, Bellona-Gittings Community Association

Bellona Gittings Community Association slate of nominees for the board, 2026

Bilal Askaryar, President (he/him/his) – Since moving to Bellona Gittings more than five years ago, I have enjoyed being an active member of the community, including two years as a BGCA board member. I was invited to join the board in 2024 and have since organized several community events. I also led the recruitment process for new board members over the last two years.

As president, my priority will be to ensure the board becomes a representative body that reflects the makeup and priorities of our community. At last year’s annual meeting the BGCA board facilitated small-group listening sessions. Community members shared they are most concerned about traffic calming, improving public transportation options, especially for our youngest neighbors, and creating opportunities for community-building. I also look forward to being a member of the committee that will review the association’s bylaws, which haven’t been updated for decades. Above all, I will endeavor to do everything with transparency and accountability.

Louisa Murphy, Vice President – I have lived in Bellona-Gittings since 2003, when I moved into the house where my husband had lived since 1993. Since then, we have raised two children, four dogs and two cats in this family-friendly neighborhood, characterized by close communal ties and tranquility. I currently serve as the President of the Eudowood Foundation of Johns Hopkins. In the past, I have served on the boards of the Maryland SPCA, Boy Scouts of America – Baltimore Area Regional Council, Maryland Art Place and the Elkridge Club. I continue to be interested in zoning issues and in improving neighborhood cohesion.

Andrew McLoughlin, Treasurer – My wife and I, along with our three daughters, moved here in 2021 from Cockeysville to be closer to school, work, and other family in the city. We’re lifelong Baltimoreans (me since age 4) and previously lived nearby in Lake-Evesham.

In the past I’ve served as Treasurer for both the Brown Memorial Weekday School and its Parents Association, and appreciate the opportunity to contribute again in the same capacity. My main focus as a member of the board is working to preserve the relative quiet of Bellona-Gittings while also helping us feel a bit more connected as neighbors.

Personally, I’m an avid DIYer, vinyl enthusiast, and foodie, especially sourdough bread baking.

Alexandra Hoffman, Secretary (she/her) – I’ve lived on Bellona Avenue for the past 13 years with my husband, daughter, and dog. I’m a Roland Park Elementary Middle School parent, a Girl Scout Troop Leader, and enjoy riding my bicycle around the city. Since joining the association, I have served as the Bellona-Gittings representative to the York Road Partnership, completed community organizing training with BUILD, and have helped organize community cleanups in conjunction with the dumpster days. I look forward to finding ways to get more neighbors involved in the association with the shared goal of making our neighborhood a great community for people of all different backgrounds.

Darlene Townsend, at large –Our family moved into this neighborhood in 1991, and we raised our two sons here. I was active on the Board of the Armagh Village Community Association during our 12 years there, and was happy to be asked to join the BGCA Board some 20 years ago. I started the first BGCA email list. I served as Vice President before assuming the presidency in 2019. I continue to be interested in increasing ties between neighbors, and looking beyond our neighborhood to the Greater Baltimore area.

Nancy Maronick, at large – My husband and I and our two young sons moved to the Bellona-Gittings community in 1983. Prior to that we lived in the Rodgers Forge community where I served on their Board of Governors. A few years after the move and having gotten to know the community better, I accepted an invitation to join the Bellona-Gittings Community Association Board. I served as president of the Board for a number of years when a good deal of development was taking place both internally and at our borders. From that involvement, I gained valuable experience working with the governments of both jurisdictions in which our community lies, Baltimore City and Baltimore County. I currently represent the Bellona-Gitttings Community at the meetings of the Towson Communities Alliance, an umbrella organization of many county communities similar to the York Road Partnership umbrella organization in the City of which our community is a member.

I believe the main responsibility of a BGCA Board member, as the mission statement of our community bylaws specifies, is to maintain and enhance the safety and and quality of the environment of the community as a residential neighborhood, and in so doing, protect the investment residents made in choosing the Bellona-Gittings community for their home.

Mari Ross, at large –The best part of living in the Bellona-Gittings neighborhood for 45 years is experiencing the sense of shared community and stability. Neither attributes mean growth and change are not valuable and that, to me, is why Board members serve the community to help direct those efforts. I am a retired City of Baltimore employee having served 27 years in the Department of Finance, Office of the Mayor and the Department of Public Works after receiving a Masters in Public Administration. I also serve as Vice President of the Lakewood Community Association.

Morgan Scanlon, at large (she/her) –I moved to Bellona-Gittings in 2023 from Northern Virginia. My husband and I were delighted to purchase our home from family members who lovingly took care of it for 35 years. I believe in engaging with your community at the hyper-local scale. I am looking forward to serving on the BGCA board and hope to get more neighbors involved and actively participating in events. Some of my special interests are sustainability, resilience/emergency preparedness, and governance.

Rachel Osten, at large –I have lived in Baltimore, and the Bellona-Gittings neighborhood, since the summer of 2018. I really enjoy the neighborhood and would like to give back. I have participated in several community activities such as neighborhood clean-up, hosting a Beer and Popsicles Event in 2024, and hosting two apres-cleanup social events at my house.

I am familiar with serving on oversight committees – I currently am a co-chair of the National Academy of Science and have served on similar committees within the astronomy community in the past. Some of the areas I would like to focus on are social activities to bring more neighbors together; sustainability issues; or other topics (perhaps a plant swap in the spring time?).

Laura Siciliano, at large – My husband, three sons and I moved to the neighborhood in 2020. I am honored to serve as a member at large for this board. I am looking forward to helping with coordinating dumpster days and engaging in community activities. My goal is to support the board members and work to make the Bellona Gittings community a wonderful place to call home