Dr. Gwendolyn J. Mason is a passionate retired special educator/administrator who has served approximately 35,000 students with disabilities and their families in the state of Maryland for 40 years. During her career she was considered among one of Maryland’s strongest leaders in the field of special education. Her reputation as a leader in the field resulted in her serving the largest school systems in the state. Dr. Mason’s desire to serve students with disabilities was an outgrowth of the birth of her younger sister and only sibling Regina, who is intellectually disabled. Dr. Mason’s career began in Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) where she assumed a variety of roles, including teacher, instructional specialist, compliance officer and assistant supervisor for special education.

 In 2001, Dr. Mason transitioned to Montgomery County Public Schools where she ultimately served as the Director of the Department of Special Education Services for ten years. During this period in her career, Dr. Mason was appointed by former Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland to serve on the Commission for Education, Access and Equity in 2014. In 2015, Dr. Mason was recruited to return to PGCPS as the Associate Superintendent for the Department of Special Education and Student Services in an effort to improve the quality of services for students with disabilities and to provide oversight for an array of other services. Ultimately, Dr. Mason served as Chief of the Division of Special Education and Student Services under the leadership of Dr. Monica Goldson, retired Chief Executive Officer for the school district. She participated on a panel on Capitol Hill in June 2018 and October 2023 regarding the need to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Due to her commitment to children and families, Dr. Mason was nominated in 2020 for the Life Changer of the Year Award. 

In February 2025, Dr. Mason received the United States Presidential Life Time Achievement Award for Volunteer Award. Currently, Dr. Mason serves on the National Advisory Policy Committee for Students with Learning Disabilities and the Board for the Reginald Lourie Center for Children’s Social & Emotional Wellness, Rockville, MD. In these capacities, Dr. Mason volunteers her services to advocate at the national and local levels to address the instructional and mental health needs of children. She also served on the Champions of Children Board, established by women to raise funds to promote access to mental health supports for children and families in the region. As a retiree, Dr. Mason has consulted with the Department of Special Education in Frederick County Public Schools, MD. She is currently consulting with Paterson Public Schools in New Jersey. Recently, Dr. Mason was asked to speak at a rally in Annapolis, urging the governor to fully fund the Developmental Disabilities Administration. Most importantly, Dr. Mason continues to devote her time to volunteering by assisting families in the Washington area. Dr. Mason has had the privilege of being mentored and supported by the Honorable Dr. Robert Pasternack, former United States Assistant Secretary of the Department of Education, who was responsible for the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004.

Dr. Terri Savage served 30 years in public education before retiring after a distinguished career across four Maryland school districts. She is known for building transformational relationships that empower others through connection. A determined first-generation college graduate, Dr. Savage earned three degrees in Special Education, breaking barriers and modeling access through achievement. Her passion for educating children with diverse strengths and needs is rooted in her own experiences overcoming childhood adversity, which has been the driving force shaping her leadership and life’s work. Over the course of her career, Dr. Savage held a variety of positions including teacher team leader, staff development specialist, curriculum supervisor, instructional facilitator, program coordinator, executive director, and Chief Academic Officer. In each role, she advanced access and meaningful opportunity for all learners. She is a trusted advocate for inclusive education, particularly for children in underserved communities, and has expanded her work to the international landscape.

Dr. Savage currently supervises student teaching interns in the School of Education at the University of Maryland, serves as an Adjunct Professor of Special Education at Johns Hopkins University, and provides consulting and professional coaching services through her company, Connection Matters, LLC. Grounded in positivity and purpose, Dr. Savage is a servant leader whose values are expressed through respecting others, cultivating relationships, and fostering communication. She is highly regarded for her deliberate leadership moves, solution-focused thinking, and strategic budget advocacy.

Dr. Savage received the inaugural Alumni Visionary Leader in Special Education Award from Hopkins for her outstanding contributions to the field and was recently honored by Influential Women for her leadership impact. She is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children, the Council of Administrators in Special Education, the International Literacy Association, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Brenda Hussey-Gardner is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine with more than 30 years of experience in research and clinical care involving infants, toddlers, and their families. She directs Maryland’s Premature Infant Developmental Enrichment (PRIDE) Program and co-directs the NICU Follow-Up Program, where she also serves as the developmental specialist. Since 2000, she has secured approximately $5.7 million in grant funding to operate and study early developmental interventions for premature infants.

Dr. Hussey-Gardner is an active educator and mentor, holding an Adjunct Faculty II appointment at UMBC and teaching courses on child development and disability. She has mentored learners across undergraduate, graduate, medical, residency, fellowship, and junior faculty levels.

An accomplished author and presenter, she has produced more than 80 written works and delivered over 240 invited and proffered presentations nationally and internationally. She is the creator of the Best Beginnings Developmental Screen and co-creator of Mother Goose on the Loose: Goslings and the BITP-CASH Financial Wellness Model.

A dedicated advocate, Dr. Hussey-Gardner chairs Maryland’s State Interagency Coordinating Council and co-chairs its physician–intervention–education task force. She also serves on multiple advisory boards and was named the 2023 Child Advocate of the Year by the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.