Meet the Team at
Harford’s Heart
Each member of our team brings experiences from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds, education and training. Collectively, we’ve acquired and developed skills and interests across a broad spectrum. We’ve invested in our families and homes, we’re involved in our community and we’re passionate about Keeping It Local. We know what it takes to operate a small business and we know the satisfaction that comes from staying connected to the people and businesses that stay connected to us.
Sandy Mislak-Kapinos, Publisher
Sandy utilizes her natural talents and flair, along with her business and corporate communication degrees from the University of Baltimore. She has been in the design and marketing industry for over 32 years, initially for other firms and for the last 25 years as the owner of Sonipak Design & Marketing, providing design, advertising and marketing services for regional and national businesses. She currently balances her agency work with the welcome demands of motherhood and assisting her husband Kevin with the operations of Kapinos Builders, a home improvement company. In addition to volunteering in the community, Sandy has served on several boards and participates in coordinating fund-raising events and assists in marketing for a number of local non-profit organizations. She’s a devoted friend and animal lover, passionate concert-goer, fascinated by medieval history and art, and an energetic decorator, gardener and cook. And when it’s time to unwind, you will find Sandy and her tribe somewhere on the bay enjoying family time on the boat.
Debbie Umbarger, Editor & Health Columnist, Staying Fit
Debbie has been a staff writer with HH since 2011 and has recently made the transition to the role of Editor. Her enthusiasm for helping others and a firm belief that excellence is achieved through commitment and effort are behind Debbie’s personal and professional life choices. The energy that she brought in her careers as a teacher at Homestead-Wakefield for over 24 years, personal trainer and group fitness instructor, field hockey coach, Certified Rock Steady Boxing Coach and Advisory Board Member for the non-profit, Rally Against Parkinson’s is a testament to her passion for a healthy, active lifestyle. Her daughters and husband share her enthusiasm and readers are inspired by the recommendations and helpful tips in her regular columns – Staying Fit and Healthy Choices.
In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, golf and traveling with her family.
Laurel Abell, KidLit Book Columnist,
AKA: Professor YaYa, the Anti-Critic
Laurel has loved living in Harford County since 1997. After raising and homeschooling her six kids, she returned to school herself in 2011, earning a BS (Towson University, 2014) and an MFA (Vermont College of Fine Arts, 2018) in writing. Since then, Laurel has spent most of her creative time composing & revising picture books and middle-grade novels.
When she’s not writing, Laurel is extremely distracted by her other two loves: her beautiful fairy granddaughters who inspire her writing (They call her YaYa!) and her students at Stevenson University where she teaches creative & critical writing (That’s Professor YaYa!).
Laurel also happens to be one of those eternal optimist folks, the kind who looks for and points to beauty in everything, especially picture books. As a Black-Eyed Susan Picture Book Award Committee member, Laurel LOVES to collect, read, talk about, & give away picture books. Because she truly believes all stories are important and have their very own audience, Laurel joyfully discovers the silver linings and hidden gems, the rainbows and miracles, the sunshine in the shadows; because . . . “no one likes a critic,” right? (So, that’s what makes her Professor YaYa, the Anti-Critic!).
As a columnist for Harford’s Heart, Laurel will discuss what’s new and fascinating in Kidlit. For more and to participate in Professor YaYa’s periodic book giveaways, check out her blog LaurelAbell.com.
Melissa Munro Boyd, PsyD, ABPP, Psychologist and Author
Columnist, Big Feelings and Healthy Coping Skills for Children
Dr. Melissa Boyd is a board-certified Clinical Psychologist and has served active duty in the Army since 2008. She is a proud graduate of Hampton University where she earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology and La Salle University where she achieved her Master’s and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
In 2011, she deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, where she served as the Behavioral Health Officer-in-Charge. She currently serves as a clinical psychologist and behavioral health advisor for the Defense Center for Public Health in Aberdeen, MD. Her professional interests include mental health disparities, suicide prevention and awareness, and the use of literature and bibliotherapy in therapy.
Dr. Boyd is the author of a children’s book series called Skills for Kids. Her books are focused on emotional learning, wellness, social development, and healthy coping skills. Her books include B is for Breathe; Keeping it Cool; Better Together; Creating Calm; and Kindness is Cool. To learn more visit: linktr.ee/boyd_books
Dr. Boyd is married to Bryan Boyd and has 3 children, ages 6, 8, and 10. She loves the Lord, enjoys running, reading and writing, and is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Carol Deibel, History Columnist, Historical Harford
Carol Deibel served as the Director of Planning and Community Development for the Town of Bel Air for twenty-six years, developing the town’s first historic preservation program and overseeing development as the town grew from a small rural community to a major suburban center. This experience placed her in a unique position to document the history of this community. Ms. Deibel is co-editor of Marilynn M. Larew’s book, Bel Air: An Architectural and Cultural History 1782 – 1945; editor of the Historical Society of Harford County, Inc, bi-monthly newsletter; and author of several publications and articles for the Town of Bel Air, the Historical Society of Harford County and several local boards and commissions. She is currently working on an oral history project with the Harford County Historic Preservation Commission, collecting stories from Harford County residents about their lives and experiences in Twentieth-Century Harford County. She serves on the Board of the Bel Air Downtown Alliance and is the Vice President of the Historical Society of Harford County, Inc.
Cameron Emely, Staff Writer
Cameron Emely has lived in Harford County since 2004 and is an avid fiction writer. Cameron graduated from the John Carroll School and, four years later, St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in English. With experience in both short stories and novel writing, Cameron is looking forward to pursuing a career as a fiction author, most experienced in the fantasy and broader speculative genres. Previously, he penned the short story series “The Gambler” in Harford’s Heart under the pen name Lawton von Emelen. He also authored, edited, and self-published a family history book on behalf of family relatives, detailing their heritage dating back to the Revolutionary War. When not writing, Cameron is visiting friends all over the state of Maryland, keeping up with the latest Marvel films or engaging in what’s new in the fantasy book industry.
Chip Emely, IT Services, Advertising Sales & Distribution
The efficiency of our website and email accounts is due to technical support from Chip, through his firm, The Emely Group. He and his wife Mandie run the company, offering web solutions, Internet marketing and professional photography services to small businesses throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region, from their home office in Street. Their business shares their home with their two sons, Cameron and Max. Chip’s first-hand management experience, along with his considerable technical skills, enables him to find solutions that work best for other small business owners.
Greg Gerding, Advertising Sales & Distribution
Greg has been a Harford County resident for over 32 years and is married to Rhonda, a CPA, for 36 years. Greg boasts a lifelong career in printing that dates back 4 generations starting in 1899 when his great-grandfather started a printing business in Fells Point. Greg is a passionate and talented woodworker! He inherited his love and talent from his other great grandfather who was a shipbuilder.
Greg loves to play golf, cook on his pellet grill, travel exploring old and new destinations and kicking back with a good cigar and a glass of bourbon.
Greg and Rhonda have two grown kids. Their oldest married his Clemson sweetheart and they recently blessed the Gerding family with their 1st granddaughter. Greg’s daughter is married to a 1st responder at the University of Maryland and they live downtown in Canton with their new puppy.
Howie & Dawn Hundley, Columnists & Fishing Enthusiasts, Fishing Harford’s Waters
Howard Hundley has lived in Harford County since 1968 and has been fishing Harford’s streams since he was 3. His first catch, on an overcast morning in May, was a 4″ perch and he became hooked on the experience, connecting with nature and the thrill of the sport. He has completed courses in fly casting and fly tying and is an avid fly fisherman. Howie has fished nearly every inch of the many streams in the county and has written about his adventures for Maryland’s Fisherman’s Annual. Dawn has lived in Harford County for more than 30 years. She has learned to fish fairly well from Howie and enjoys tying flies. Like Howie, she is a talented chef and enjoys creating new ways to cook their catch on the rare occasion that they decide to keep it.
Gwenivere Kapinos, Distribution
Gwenivere is a student at Harford Community College. She has a passion for all things creative and has recently started her own boho jewelry line. Gwenivere is also employed with Pure Raw Juice in Bel Air. Stop by to see her and she’ll whip up the best Acai bowl or smoothie in town!
When Gwenivere is not working or in school, she loves spending time with friends, getting out in nature, creating healthy recipes, baking, concerts and boating with her family.
Sue Batton Leonard, Columnist
Sue Batton Leonard has worked in many capacities in the independent publishing field since 1998. She is an award-winning writer and blogger. Her most recent publication, Richard Galusha: An Artist’s Journey was a finalist in the 2020 Eric Hoffer Award book contest. It is the largest International book awards contest for small, academic and independent presses.
Her debut publication 2014, a memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected won 3 book awards and is available in paperback, a self-narrated audiobook and e-book.
In early November 2021, Heart of Community, a sequel to Sew the Heart will be available. It is book #2 in Sue Batton Leonard’s Neighbor to Neighbor Series.
She is also blog mistress of AllThingsFulfilling.com and SowtheHeart.com with more than 2500 posts to her credit. More of her writing about Cherel Ito, a photojournalist whose work is in the National Museum of Art is posted on the website ThroughtheLensofHerCamera.wordpress.com.
Larry Noto, Music Columnist, Harford Picks
After Larry’s father, Music Land founder Joe Noto, passed away in May 2015, Larry left his career in marketing to take over the store and keep his father’s legacy alive. Larry most recently served as Director of Marketing and Communications for the National Aquarium in Baltimore’s famous Inner Harbor. Before that, he was Director of Marketing for Harbor Magic Hotels and Travel Media Manager for Visit Baltimore. Noto is also a stand-up comedian on the side who has opened for such major headliners as Brad Garrett, Lewis Black, Richard Lewis, Paul Reiser, Brian Regan and many others. He’s the author of the book “The Opening Act: Comedy, Life and the Desperate Pursuit of Happiness” co-written by author and long-time Sun columnist Kevin Cowherd and a recipient of an EMMY Nomination by the Baltimore/DC chapter of the National Association of Academy Arts and Sciences for his work on WMAR-TV’s Rodrick’s for Breakfast Show.
Larry currently serves on the board for the Maryland Center for the Performing Arts and the Harford County Arts and Culture Advisory Board. Music Land has been named One of the top 100 music stores in the world by NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants), as well as being recognized for the ‘Best Store Turnaround” by NAMM.
Patty Nyitrai, Columnist, Your Guide to Vibrant Senior Living
Patty Nyitrai has lived in Harford County for over 18 years with her husband Steve of 31 years and her two adult children. Patty’s greatest strength is her commitment to the aging population and the families she serves, as she has been in senior care for more than 30 years. It is this dedication and commitment that has led her to her greatest professional achievement of fulfilling her dream of operating her own Senior Care Consulting Agency known as Senior Placements by Patty. She prides herself in being a kind, caring and genuine person and it is those character traits that allow her families to trust her guidance and assistance when finding the best fit in an assisted living or memory care community for their loved one. Six years ago, Patty had to place her own mother into an assisted living community after the death of her father, so she truly understands how difficult this time can be and can sympathize with a family when making hard decisions. In addition, Patty holds the credential of Certified Dementia Care Practitioner and has her degree in Psychology. In her spare time, she loves spending time at the lake in the family’s Pocono Mountain home or traveling with her husband now that they are empty nesters.
Jackie Fogler Reed, Staff Writer
Born and raised in Harford County (with family roots dating back to the Bush Declaration), Jackie has a unique appreciation for all things Harford. After obtaining a degree in secretarial skills and heading off to work, she soon realized her passion was for writing rather than typing and editing other authors’ works. She went on to obtain a degree in Information Management and pursued a career in technical writing, settling into the contracting world at Aberdeen Proving Ground. In her spare time, Jackie is an avid quilter and seamstress. She is also restoring a historic Victorian home in Aberdeen and becoming an active member of her community. When she’s not quilting, writing, sewing or working in her garden, she can sometimes be seen at local antique car shows sitting behind the wheel of her prized 1955 Chevy.
Denise Sawyers, Advertising Sales & Staff Writer
Denise grew up in the Churchville/Bel Air area and has been raising her family in Street with her husband David. Her love for Harford County and her passion for supporting local businesses stems from growing up in the area. Over the years she has built relationships with local business owners through past advertising and marketing roles. Along with volunteering at school, church, scouts, 4-H and sports activities for her three children, Patrick, Paul and Bridget, Denise has served on many boards to help with fundraising, marketing and coordinating events.
Denise is vested in her health and is committed to helping others reach their goals. From weight loss to increasing your natural energy – Denise is a wonderful ally and resource. (DeniseSawyers.Truvy.com)
She’s an avid DIYer who enjoys everything from crafts, decorating to cooking. Finding hacks to transform traditional comfort foods into healthier versions is a specialty.
Amy Smith, Online Calendar Coordinator
The attention to detail required for the production of our calendar of events – both online and in the bimonthly magazine – is matched by resourcefulness in researching and screening the many entries that we receive from community groups, individuals and businesses. Fortunately, as our “Calendar Girl”, Amy brings a natural level of organization that she heightened in her years of administrative work at Towson University’s Advancement Division and Foundation Offices. Like many of our staff, Amy is a “transplant” who quickly became a fan of Harford County after moving here from Parkville. “You feel like you’re out in the country, but you’re close to everything – which makes it easy to Keep it Local!” In addition to volunteering at school for her three sons and being involved with their sports activities, Amy participates in many community events. She’s always interested in finding more events to include in our calendar, which is updated online every week.
Bonike Wright, Sales Associate
Bonike has a wealth of knowledge in marketing and advertising to help you grow your business! She has an education in business marketing and over 16 years of experience in Business Media and Advertising with companies such as The Baltimore Sun, 95.1 SHINE-FM, I95 and others. She has seen and understands many of the marketing challenges that your business may face. Whether a one-time event, seasonal marketing or continual long-term visibility she will help you to create the best plan to meet your goal and reach the clients in Harford County that you desire. She wants her clients to enjoy success!
Bonike enjoys, exercising/dance, church fellowship, cooking and bargain hunting! She resides in Northern Baltimore County with her husband Marlowe.
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Founder, Fran Johnson retired in 2020.
Congratulations Fran!
Fran founded Harford’s Heart Magazine in 2004. Her passion for connecting the community coupled with the need for a local platform for businesses to share their information gave birth to what is now Maryland’s Magazine for Harford County!
And just as Harford County has grew, Fran’s vision continued to grow with it. HH started as a 2-person start-up publication distributing 10,000 4x each year to today becoming a household staple with a staff of over 20 reaching a growing population of over 255,000 with 30,000 printed copies 6x each year and the only live, interactive companion digital edition! Be sure to visit our archives page and take a step back in time, flip through our past editions and enjoy all that is great about Harford County!
A little about Fran:
Fran’s political idealism in her teens translated into specifics of community service during the years that she raised her daughters, taking roles that ranged from girl scout leader, choir mom and PTA volunteer to local political office, all while sharing management of a family-owned design/manufacturing business. A native of Baltimore County, she had lived in Philadelphia’s Main Line and in London before relocating to Harford County, where she and her husband Wayne renovated an 1890s shotgun house in Bel Air. Now enjoying retirement, Fran spends her time gardening, crafting, and visiting her children and grandchildren in San Francisco and NY. And of course, Fran remains committed to her community!