The Peerless Rockville Nominating Committee is pleased to present candidates for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.  All members will receive an email invitation to vote for directors and officers electronically after the in-person Annual Meeting on June 5. Please be sure your membership is up to date and your email address is current to receive the on-line ballot. Anyone can request a paper ballot by calling the office at 301-762-0096. Click here for more information on the Annual Meeting.

Nominated for New Terms as Officers:

Paul Hillstrom, Treasurer, one-year-term

Paul is the Broker / Owner of Hillstrom Real Estate, an independent residential brokerage firm started in 1978, with an office in the historic Anderson House at 104 S. Washington Street. He currently serves on his community HOA board and is active with the Rockville Chamber of Commerce where he was a past board member. Paul’s interests span historic preservation, home remodeling, spending time with family, and spoiling three grandchildren.

Jim Gilchrist, Secretary, one-year-term

Jim has 32 years of experience working with various organizations and serving on a number of Boards. His work experience includes time with the MD Department of Housing, History Associates Incorporated, and serving as a member of the MD House of Delegates representing Gaithersburg and Rockville from 2007-2023. Jim was a member of the Americana Centre Condominium’s Board of Directors, served on the Potomac Area Council of Hostelling International, on the Maryland Historical Trust Board, and on the Board of the Harry Hughes Agro Ecology Center. He is currently a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Rockville Rotary Club.

Nominated for New Terms as Directors:

Noreen Bryan, two-year-term

Noreen earned a degree in Physics from Mount Holyoke College and later pursued graduate work in this area at the University of Minnesota. She expanded upon her education to build a successful career with the US Navy, where she retired as a civilian Senior Executive. During her career, Noreen was responsible for the cost analysis organization that developed and defended the cost of naval aircraft and missiles. A long-time historic preservation and community advocate, she has endeavored to preserve the
character of the West End since the 1980s and served as president of the West End Citizens Association for seven years.

Stephen Daoust, two-year-term

Stephen is the founder of a consulting firm called Go FARther LLC. He is an attorney with experience in the areas of government procurement, contracts, compliance, and complex litigation. Steve is also a member of the Board of Advisors for both the American University School of Public Affairs and the Public Contracting Institute.

Nominated to be New Directors:

Michael Greenspun, two-year-term

Michael is a 1984 magna cum laude graduate of Brown University with a degree in Applied Mathematics and Economics. Michael is a member of both the Land Development Council (LDC) and the Baltimore County Chapter of the Maryland Building Industry Association (MBIA). Additionally, he serves as a member of the Selection Committee for the LDC Awards of Excellence Program. Prior to real estate, he ran a nationwide retail flower business, ROSExpress, that he co-founded in 1986. Michael lives in North Potomac.

Richard Fine, two-year-term

Richard is a Supervisory Emergency Management Specialist at the National Archives and Records Administration.  After getting his Masters of Business Administration, he spent several years in commercial lending until GE Commercial Finance shifted him to becoming the trainer of lenders. Later, he developed risk training for NARA, and from there he developed training in a variety of safety areas and now manages the emergency management process for the Agency.  Extensive volunteer activities have included serving as President of the Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington (JCA) and Chair of the Audit Committee for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. He continues to serve on the Audit Committee and volunteer in a variety of roles for JCA.

Continuing Officers and Directors

Debra Liverpool, President

Debra has a diverse background in executive leadership, fundraising, and community-based organizations. She is a former banking executive and a consultant with Capacity Partners LLC. Debra is actively involved in various service organizations, including the Downtown Silver Spring Rotary, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority – Xi Omega Chapter, and Rockville Kiwanis. She has served on numerous boards and was the past president of the Rockville Chamber of Commerce.

Nancee Simonson, Vice-President

Nancee has an undergraduate degree in journalism and a master’s degree from George Washington University in American Studies. Her journalism career spanned positions in Chicago and Washington, D.C. She worked for 40 years in legal and economic journalism for the Bureau of National Affairs in Washington before directing BNA’s journalism training program. Nancee returned to the Peerless Rockville Board of Directors in 2021 having previously served for ten years, was the Presenting Sponsor for the 50th Anniversary Celebration, and founded Peerless Rockville’s Nancee Simonson African American Education Fund.

Paul Newman, Director

Paul has lived and worked in Rockville for over 40 years. A lifetime member of Peerless Rockville, he previously served on the Peerless Board from 2016-2020.  He is a former Board Chair of Rockville Economic Development and current President of the Thirty Oaks Homeowners Association.  He has also served on the Chestnut Lodge committee of the West End Citizens Association and on the Rockville Compensation Commission. He recently retired as an employee-owner at Westat, where he was Associate Vice President for Corporate Administration and Information Technology. His career there and elsewhere has afforded him more than 35 years of experience in information technology, business management and systems analysis, strategic planning and change management, and capabilities development. His education includes a master’s degree in engineering and operations research from Virginia Tech, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Muhlenberg College. Paul and his wife, Bobbi Sprague, live in the West End of Rockville.

Dick Stoner, Director

Dick is a Broker/Owner of Reist Corporation which restores and manages historic rental homes, farms and other properties in Maryland and Virginia. He has been licensed in real estate since 1995, starting with Rory S. Coakley Realty, where he began a property management division and became Associate Broker. He previously worked for CoStar Group, Inc. in Bethesda, MD where he was director of commercial property research for the country’s largest private real estate database, and before that as Vice President and Administrative Manager for Bank Earnings International, Ltd and Golembe Associates, Inc. in banking finance.

Dick specializes in farm and rural land,  is farmer-certified for nutrient management plans,  and is  involved with Land Preservation both for residential historic districts and for agricultural and environmental land use programs . He works with landowners in Washington, Frederick, and Montgomery Counties in rural, suburban, and urban markets to weigh both development and preservation value of open land, nutrient and wetlands credits and other easements for farm properties.