Who We Are
Susanna Wesley House is guided by a dedicated Board of Directors committed to compassion, accountability, and service. Each member brings unique experience and perspective, working together to ensure the organization remains faithful to its mission of providing safe, supportive transitional housing for mothers and families in need.
President Elizabeth Stemley
Elizabeth Stemley, fondly known as Liz, has over five decades of experience in child welfare and social services in Buffalo, New York and Baltimore, Maryland. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master of Social Work, with additional post-graduate studies in Urban Planning and Administration. A retired professional social worker from the Maryland State Department of Human Resources, Elizabeth has dedicated her career to serving women, children, and youth. She is President of the Susanna Wesley House Board of Directors and an active Certified Lay Minister serving at Sharp Street Memorial United Methodist Church in Baltimore.
Vice President Rod Miller
Rod Miller has served as pastor of several large United Methodist churches in the Baltimore area, and as denominational staff for the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church. He is also a certified life coach and offers training in Positive Intelligence for individuals and groups.
Board Member Kim Marie Walker
Kim Marie Walker is a Manager and Strategic Market Lead of Clinical Operations at Syneos Health, a global organization of Clinical Research, where she manages staff in 48 different roles and positions. Kim holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, and she is a Certified Lay Minister, a Certified Health Minister, and a Lay Planter within the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Board Member Rev. Sarah Schlieckert
Since July 2021, Rev. Sarah Schlieckert has served as a district superintendent, first with the Annapolis and Greater Washington districts, and now as the District Superintendent of the new Harbor District of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church.
DS Schlieckert was raised in the United Methodist Church, and is the fourth generation of clergy in her family, with roots tracing back to the Evangelical United Brethren Church. As a middle and high school student in Baltimore City, she was active in student and local government before hearing a call to ministry. DS Schlieckert has served in a number of conference leadership roles, including district committees on ministry, the Board of Ordained Ministry, and as a clergy delegate to General and Jurisdictional conferences.
During her time in local church ministry, Rev. Schlieckert helped congregations develop ministries for all generations, as well as expand their presence in and ministry with their communities. In her role as a district superintendent, Rev. Schlieckert is passionate about helping clergy, congregations and communities move into greater healing and wholeness as they take their next faithful steps in response to God’s call.
Rev. Schlieckert is married to Chris Schlieckert, Director of Retreat and Camping Ministries in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, and she and her husband are parents to school-aged daughters Anna and Mary.
Board Member Carol D Harten
Born and raised in Baltimore, and a board member of Susanna Wesley House, I am dedicated to advancing initiatives that will help women and their children regain stability through access to short term housing and pathways to empowerment. With the skills I have developed in my 30 years of banking including serving as a Commercial Branch Manager at M&T Bank, it is my desire to apply this knowledge to serve the community. I believe housing and employment are foundational to dignity and long-term success and I am committed to fostering equity and empowering people to get back on their feet and thrive.
Board Member Linda Yost
Linda Yost is currently a member of Wesley United Methodist Church, serves as Lay Member to the Annual Conference, Staff Parish Relations Committee Chair, teaches Sunday School, and is a Certified Lay Servant. She sings in the Wesley Choir and is the Music Librarian of Masterworks Chorale of Carroll County in Westminster. As a Susanna Wesley House Board Member, Social Action Coordinator for the local UMW unit, Immediate Past President of the Conference United Women in Faith Leadership Team, and member of the Mission u Cooperative School Committee, she is committed to mission locally, nationally, and globally.
Board Member Yolande Dickerson
Yolande Dickerson is a long-time resident of Anne Arundel County and a deeply committed civic leader with a lifelong dedication to social justice, women’s advocacy, and children’s education. She believes strongly in volunteerism and community engagement, emphasizing that meaningful change begins with consistent service to family, church, neighborhood, and community.
Ms. Dickerson has held leadership roles with numerous civic and service organizations, including the Coalition of 100 Black Women, where she helped lead the publication of a countywide African American Awareness Report addressing educational underachievement and HIV/AIDS in the African American community. She has also been an active member of the League of Women Voters of Anne Arundel County, serving in Voter Services and developing an interactive civic education program on the importance of voting that was implemented in local public schools.
Her service extends to mentoring and community development through Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where she supported at-risk young women for more than nine years, and through her work with the Anne Arundel County Board of Social Services, Brooklyn Park Community of Hope, and Foster Grandparents with Children Services of Baltimore City. As President of St. John United Women in Faith, she partnered in initiatives supporting literacy, education, and family assistance programs.
Ms. Dickerson is also a respected historian and author. She has served as a Charter Docent at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland and previously at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. Her published works include The Invisible Cryptologists: African Americans, WWII to 1956, Pumphrey Elementary School Highlights, 1901–1973, and The Road We Trod: Pumphrey as We Know It.
Guided by the belief that knowledge must be shared for the good of all, Ms. Dickerson continues to advocate for educational equity, community health, and the empowerment of women and children through service, leadership, and education.