CHARLES COUNTY, Md. — The Charles County Board of Education opened its first meeting of 2026 on Jan. 13 by holding its annual leadership elections, a process required each January under state law and board policy.
Board members elected Nicole Kreamer, who represents District 3, as chairperson, and Samichie Thomas, who represents District 1, as vice chairperson. Both positions carry one-year terms and may be renewed through future board votes.
Before nominations began, outgoing Chair Yonelle Moore Lee, District 4, announced she would not seek another term, marking the end of her two years as chair and one year as vice chair.
“Thank you very, very much to my colleagues for the faith and trust you’ve put in me for the past two years as chair, and the year before that as vice chair. I am not seeking reelection, and I will happily support whoever is elected today. But this really, really has been an incredible experience. I’ve learned a lot. I think that we have done wonderful things, and I’m very, very proud of all of you and the work that we have done. So thank you so much.”
Under the board’s established election procedure, nominees were given time to address fellow board members before voting began. Once a candidate received six votes, the voting concluded and the individual was immediately seated as chair.
Chairperson Election
During the nomination process, Kreamer was nominated for chairperson, and her nomination was seconded by Jamila Smith, District 2. David Hancock, District 1, also nominated Dottery Butler-Washington, District 3, with that nomination seconded by Letonya Smalls, the board’s at-large member.
“My commitment has always been rooted in service — service to this board, to our educators and staff, and most importantly, to the students and families of Charles County,” Kreamer said. “I believe strong leadership is collaborative, transparent, responsible, dependable, and focused on solutions.”
Vice Chairperson Election
Following the chairperson vote, the board repeated the process to elect a vice chair. Thomas was the sole nominee for the position and was elected to serve as vice chairperson for 2026.
“I am running for vice chair because I’m really committed to having a more robust role on this board — committed to student learning and academic results, as well as supporting the educational professionals across our county,” Thomas said.
With new leadership in place, the Board of Education looks ahead to a year focused on academic achievement, student support, and continued collaboration with the broader Charles County community.
The Jan. 13 meeting can be viewed below.
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Moore selecting Moore. I thought Yonelle could’ve been chosen as a delegate just because she is a Moore and the Governor is a Moore. I thought the Governors going to take the opportunity to choose a Moore.