Maryland leaders are adding more checks and balances — and members — to Howard Community College’s Board of Trustees.

The moves come at a tumultuous time for the college, as President Daria Willis has faced sharp criticism over her leadership and the seven-member board has been depleted by three resignations and the death of former state Del. Frank S. Turner.

Gov. Wes Moore recently named four people to fill the board’s open seats. They are Stacey Ullrich, vice president of communications and marketing for Baltimore Gas and Electric; H. Russell Frisby Jr., president of a local regulatory and corporate issues consulting firm; immigration attorney Alicia Altamirano; and public policy expert Michele Douglas. Both Altamirano and Douglas were recommended by Howard County’s state senators.

Moore’s office did not go along with one of the senators’ recommendations, citing concern about a potential conflict of interest with their state employment. The nominations have been sent to the Senate Executive Nominations Committee, which makes recommendations to the full Senate.

Meanwhile, Howard County lawmakers are moving forward with legislation aimed at creating more transparency at the community college.

State Sens. Katie Fry Hester, Clarence Lam and Guy Guzzone, all Democrats, had introduced legislation to expand the board from seven to nine members. They have amended the bill to include other reforms, which have been approved by the county’s House and Senate delegations.

Under the amended bill, all board meetings would have a public comment period and have an audio and visual recording. Also, four members would need to be present for a quorum.

“HCC is a gem here in the county, and we want to make sure it stays that way,” Lam said by phone Wednesday. “There are a lot of great things going on at HCC but also a lot of challenges that have come up in the last couple of months.”

The Baltimore Banner reported in November that Willis, the first Black woman to lead the college, was facing rising discontent. Two dozen current and former employees and students described high staff turnover and a toxic culture that they said had negatively affected staff and student services. An anonymous online message board began raising concerns about Willis shortly after she took the helm of HCC three years ago.

In the months since, the college administration and a full-faculty union represented by the American Federation of Teachers have been at odds.

Supporters have defended Willis.

A college spokesman in November disputed claims of high turnover and called Willis’ tenure “a successful administration and an era of progress for the college.”

Willis, who has been praised by Moore and County Executive Calvin Ball, has cited accomplishments such as introducing seven-week courses and leading the fundraising campaign for the college’s Workforce Development & Trades Center. She has also said she believes that opposition is being led by longtime campus employees resistant to change, saying that her advice to her younger self would be to “trust no one.” She earns $325,000 a year, and her contract was extended last year to June 2028.

Lam said the senators’ bill was drafted in response to “the governance, accountability and transparency issues that have come to our attention,” and to allow for the delegation to be kept up to date on the progress of contract talks between the college and the faculty union, which was formed 19 months ago.

Other changes would establish procedures for the renewal of the president’s contract or hiring a new president, including requiring that public feedback be sought and that the public be given an opportunity to comment.

HCC trustees would also be required to provide reports on the status of the faculty union contract to the General Assembly every six months beginning on or before Jan. 1, 2026, through July 1, 2028.

Despite voting for her colleagues' legislation, state Del. Vanessa Atterbeary voiced concerns about legislative overreach.

“I think it’s really unfortunate that we are voting on this; I think it’s unfortunate that we have been put in a position to regulate the community college,” she said at a delegation meeting last week. “I don’t believe that all of these provisions are necessary.”

The proposals related to the quorum, which is the minimum number of members required to be present to conduct business, and open meetings should be left to the board’s discretion, she said.

“I think this is an attempt to control the college. … I think we are moving in the wrong direction and in the future I will not be supporting legislation that is related to controlling the college,” said Atterbeary, a Democrat.

Although Willis initially gave her full support to a bill to expand the board, saying it could ensure more diversity, college officials balked at subsequent amendments to the bill.

Jarrett Carter Sr., a college spokesperson, said in a February email to the county delegation that the amended bill “would undermine” the authority of Willis and the board. He added that the legislation stands to “hamper the ability for any college board or executive officer to govern effectively.”

Lam said it’s “notable” that the legislation was unanimously backed by both the county’s Senate and House delegations. “We feel these are good commonsense provisions to the concerns we have heard,” Lam said.

The bill is currently making its way through the Maryland Senate.

Vivian Moore Lawyer, the community college board’s interim chair, advised lawmakers in a letter that the board had charged Willis with developing a plan to resolve some concerns. The plan includes several of the senators' amendments.

The board also wants to amend its bylaws so that it can recommend potential board members to the senators for consideration.

“We maintain our commitment to the principles of governance and institutional autonomy as enjoyed by every other college and university in the state,” Lawyer wrote in the letter.

Through a college spokesperson, Willis and Lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.

By practice, when there’s a vacancy on the college’s board, the county’s state senators recommend names to the Governor’s Appointments Office. Then, by law, the governor nominates individuals, who are reviewed by the Senate Executive Nominations Committee. The committee holds individual hearings for each appointee, and, if they make it through, they are confirmed by the state Senate.

Should the council expansion bill be approved, the county’s senators will recommend two more people to fill newly created board seats. The terms for these newly added members will end in 2032 and 2033, respectively.

The board of trustees hires the college president. In 2021, the board unanimously chose Willis as the fifth president of the college, which opened in 1970 and serves more than 13,000 students. She was previously president of Everett Community College in Washington state.