Maxine Gross

Chairperson

Maxine Gross, a lifelong activist and learner, serves as chair of the College Park Partnership’s Board of Directors. Her connections to the Partnership’s founding institutions, the City of College Park and the University of Maryland at College Park, run deep; at least five generations of her family lived in the City’s historic Lakeland community and served as employees to what we now know as the University of Maryland.  Apart from several leadership roles such as civic association president, city council member, and historical society chairperson, she was educated exclusively in public schools within Prince George’s County, including an undergraduate degree in theater from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in human resource development from Bowie State University.

Edward J. Maginnis, J.D.

Vice-Chairperson

Mr. Maginnis is the Assistant Vice President for Real Estate at the University of Maryland. His prior post was in the Office of Legal Affairs, serving as general counsel with a concentration on real estate and commercial law. Mr. Maginnis attended The Johns Hopkins University (B.A., 1984) and The American University Washington College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1988). Before joining the University of Maryland, Mr. Maginnis worked for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. In private practice, Mr. Maginnis’ practice areas included real estate, leasing, public finance, bankruptcy, adult guardianship, and commercial litigation. Mr. Maginnis serves as treasurer for the Partnership.

Kate Kennedy

Treasurer, Co-Chair, Trust Advisory Committee

Kate Kennedy recently completed her third term as a City Council member in District One. She earned her Master’s in Business Administration from Georgetown University and put her business savvy to work for nonprofits. An executive who specializes in fundraising, Kate has raised funds for the Girl Scouts, League of Women Voters, and a tuition-free private school in Anacostia. She currently serves as Chief Development Officer at the National CASA/GAL Association for Children. As co-chair of the College Park Community Preservation Trust Advisory Committee, Kate leverages her fundraising and business experience to advance the strategic priorities of the Trust.

Dennis Passarella-George

Dennis Passarella-George currently serves as Director of Resident Life, supervising the staff in the Department of Resident Life. As Director, he leads the on-campus housing program for approximately 12,000 students in a variety of types of residence halls and on-campus public-private partnership apartments and serves as a member of the Division of Student Affairs Leadership Team. The first in his family to go away to college, Dennis graduated from Franklin & Marshall College, where he studied economics and Spanish literature. He earned his Master of Education degree in College Student Personnel from the University of Maryland’s College of Education. Dennis has worked for the Department of Resident Life at the University of Maryland in a variety of roles since 1994, including Graduate Assistant, Resident Director, Community Director, Assistant Director, Associate Director, Senior Associate Director, and Director. Dennis has been recognized on numerous occasions for his service to the UMD Community and beyond and is the recipient of Resident Life’s Employee of the Year award, Pillar of Excellence Award, Division of Student Affairs Outstanding Service Award, and the President’s Distinguished Service award. Dennis lives in College Park with his husband, son, and their dog, and they love spending time enjoying all that the University and Greater College Park community have to offer.

Dr. Llatetra Brown-Esters, Ed.D

Dr. Llatetra Brown Esters is originally from Brooklyn, New York and has resided in the City of College Park for over 30 years. She served as a Councilmember in the City of College Park from December 2020 until December of 2025. In that capacity, she served as the co-chair of the College Park City-University Partnership Housing and Development Committee. She is also a member of the Community Preservation Trust Advisory Committee. Dr. Esters has been a professional in the field of higher education for 34 years and has experience in residence life, admissions, alumni relations, student life/engagement, conduct, and policy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Adelphi University, a Master of Arts in Student Personnel from New York University, and Doctorate in Higher Education Administration/Community College Leadership from Morgan State University. She currently lives in the Oaks Springs neighborhood with her husband, Kelvin.

Dr. Patricia (Patty) A. Perillo, Ed.D

Dr. Perillo began her work as the Vice President for Student Affairs (VPSA) at the University of Maryland in 2019. The institution’s lived values of community, service, well-being, inclusion, and learning resonate with her deepest values. As a renowned scholar-practitioner for over 30 years, Patty has worked at seven institutions of higher learning before returning to UMD. Dr. Perillo now provides leadership and oversight for more than 14 departments and administrative units in the Division of Student Affairs at UMD. With a team of over 3,000 students, faculty, and staff, over a $240 million budget, and responsibility for nearly 50 percent of the campus’s physical capital, she is committed to ensuring transformative learning experiences for students. She is an international leader in higher education, having served as past president of ACPA – College Student Educators International located at the National Center for Higher Education. Dr. Perillo obtained her doctoral degree in Public and Community Health, with an interdisciplinary academic partnership with the Student Affairs program in the College of Education, from the University of Maryland.  Her master’s degree is in College Counseling and Student Affairs, and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology is from the University of Delaware. She has received many honors and awards, such as ACPA’s Esther Lloyd Jones Professional Service Award, ACPA’s Diamond Honoree Award, and inductions into Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa. 

Sen. James C. Rosapepe

Senator Rosapepe is a member of the Maryland State Senate, representing District 21 and serving as Deputy Majority Whip. First elected to the chamber in 2006, Rosapepe currently sits on the Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee. From 2001 to 2006, he served on the Board of Regents for the University System of Maryland. In 1997, Senator Rosapepe was tapped by President Bill Clinton to be a U.S. Ambassador to Romania. Sen. Rosapepe is the former chair of the City-University Partnership and a resident of College Park.

Ken Ulman, J.D.

Mr. Ulman is President of Margrave Strategies, an innovative strategic consulting firm that provides a comprehensive array of economic development, planning, and visioning services to institutions, businesses, and other groups throughout Maryland and the mid¬Atlantic. The firm’s principal client is the University of Maryland College Park Foundation. Ulman serves as Chief Strategy Officer for Economic Development and President of the Terrapin Development Company, LLC. Ulman previously served two terms as Howard County Executive. Ulman has won numerous awards and was named a Tech Titan by Washingtonian Magazine, a Top 25 Doer, Dreamer, and Driver by Government Technology Magazine, and a Regional Visionary by the Greater Baltimore Committee. Mr. Ulman served as president of the Maryland Association of Counties and chairman of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. He lives in Columbia with his wife, Jaki (also a proud Terp), and their daughters, Maddie and Lily.

Kenneth (Kenny) Young

Mr. Young brings more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience in the private sector and local government across the country. Before coming to the City of College Park, Mr. Young served as County Administrator – in Goochland County, VA, Assistant County Administrator – in Loudoun County, VA, Assistant Town Administrator in the Town of Capitol Heights, MD, Acting Assistant City Manager in the City of North Las Vegas, NV. He received his master’s degree in Public Administration and bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University.

Gloria Aparicio Blackwell

Gloria Aparicio Blackwell is the Founder of the Office of Community Engagement at the University of Maryland College Park. She has devoted the past 25 years of her career to forging strong partnerships and collaborating with communities surrounding the University and beyond. Her work involves addressing societal challenges, educational opportunities, and resource access limitations. Aparicio Blackwell earned an associate’s degree in safety and fire science from Instituto Tecnológico de Seguridad Industrial in Venezuela, an Industrial Technology bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland College Park, and a master’s in management from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Charles Reuning

As interim vice president and chief administrative officer, Charles “Bob” Reuning and his team of more than 1,250 full-time staff are responsible for the university’s administrative operations, the 1,352-acre campus and more than 14 million square feet of facilities. His scope includes public safety, human resources, procurement, the campus’s built environment (planning, construction, project management, housekeeping and maintenance), transportation and real estate. Bob came to the interim role from a position as associate vice president and chief facilities officer, a position he has held since 2014. Prior to joining the university, he held the rank of Captain in the U.S. Navy. Bob earned a Master’s Degree in Financial Management from the Naval Postgraduate School and an MBA in Management from Golden State University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Falzul Kabir

Mayor, City of College Park

Dr. Fazlul Kabir is the current Mayor of the City of College Park. He has lived in East Hollywood with his wife since 2003. Dr. Kabir has represented District 1 for the past 12 years. Before making College Park his home, he lived in England, where he received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Canada. For his day job, he works as an information architect for the Federal Government. He has also taught Cybersecurity at the University of Maryland for eight years. Dr. Kabir has advocated for strong public safety, better code enforcement, smart economic development, sustainable and green programs, aging-in-place for our seniors, partnership with the University, enhanced education in our schools, affordable housing, and a healthy mode of transportation.