Vickie Kite Milburn, left, and Paula Martino have been named foundation directors by the College of Southern Maryland Foundation. (Submitted photo)
LA PLATA, Md. (June 9, 2011)—The College of Southern Maryland Foundation has announced the additions of Vickie Kite Milburn and Paula Martino as foundation directors.
Milburn is co-founder and publisher of “Southern Maryland—This is Living” magazine, a quarterly publication, in its 13th year of publication.
“I am excited to be a part of a special group that supports the efforts of the College of Southern Maryland,” said Milburn, a resident of St. Mary’s County. “Having attending the college when it was Charles County Community College--some 30 years ago--and looking at it now, the progress is remarkable. The new facilities and programs, and the college’s services and connection to the community have grown tremendously.”
In addition to her publishing work, Milburn works as a senior loan officer with George Mason Mortgage, LLC located in Prince Frederick. She has provided professional mortgage services to the residents of Southern Maryland for more than 11 years.
Milburn was raised in Charles County and attended CSM before transferring to the University of South Carolina and then the University of Maryland where she earned a bachelor of science in journalism in 1987. She earned a master of science in management from Troy State University while living in Okinawa, Japan with her husband, Patrick Milburn.
“While I still have so much to learn about CSM, it is clear that the college has something for every member of the community and I am delighted to make any contribution that I can to assist the college as they pursue providing excellence for Southern Maryland,” she said.
Martino, who lives in Charles County, owns a consulting firm specializing in government affairs for the private sector in matters related to real estate and land use legislation and the regulatory processes associated with land use and development permits. She has a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in art history both from the University of Maryland at College Park.
"I would not have had the chance to return to college to finish my bachelor's degree and go on to pursue my master's had it not been for the scholarship opportunities available to me at CSM. By serving as a member of the CSM Foundation, I am thrilled to have the chance now to pay it forward for the benefit of our current and future students."
Martino moved to Charles County in 1982 and loved it so much she decided to stay and raise three children here, she said. During her career in public service, Martino was Charles County’s zoning administrator and the chief building official and director of permits and inspections for St. Mary’s County Government. She was also appointed by Governor William Donald Schaeffer to serve on the Task Force on Uniform Maryland Building Performance Standards.
Martino joined CSM in 2004 as a faculty member teaching art history. During the winter 2010 Commencement Ceremony, Martino received the Faculty Excellence Award Honoring Adjunct Faculty. She was recognized for her commitment to higher education and her enthusiasm in developing classroom and field learning opportunities for students in art appreciation and art history.
“As community college faculty, I believe we have an obligation to be flexible in our responses to the needs of our diverse student population,” Martino said. “Every student with the desire to learn something new should be given an opportunity to do so. As a student who returned to college at the age of 40, I am living proof that art history broadens a student’s horizons.”
Since 2005, she has participated in CSM’s travel study abroad program to Central America, Italy and Greece. In 2006, she was appointed by Governor Robert Ehrlich to serve on the Maryland State Arts Council and she is a past president of the Charles County Archaeological Society (CCAS).
Active in the community, Martino won the title of Queen Mystique at the 17th Annual Civista Foundation Mardi Gras Ball, raising more than $47,000 for the hospital. She has also served on the Foundation Board of the Southern Maryland Women’s League and helped to establish the SMWL scholarship fund at CSM.