Meet Our Staff
Executive Director - He/Him
Ken handles the administrative duties, social media, website, outreach training, and Nutrition Education in the center. He started in 2015 as a facilitator of the Support in Transition group. In 2016, he was hired as the Peer Support Specialist, and in 2017, became the Program Director at Hearts & Ears. He is a Registered Peer Supervisor, and currently has certifications in Wellness and Recovery Action Planning (WRAP), Whole Health Action Management (WHAM), Trauma Informed Care for Peer Support, CCAR, and is a Cohort IV & V Peer Recovery Coach through MPAC ALP. He is also a graduate of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts where he majored in Holistic Nutrition and Wellness.
Ken has facilitated trainings at various wellness centers and conferences, as well as training Crisis intervention Officers (CIT) within the Baltimore City Police Department. As a Transman in the LGBTQIA+ community and one of the founders of The Baltimore Transgender Alliance, Ken is very involved in advocacy and helping to address issues of discrimination and violence against transgender individuals in Baltimore City, with a specific focus on bringing awareness and addressing needs and issues of Transmen/Transmasculine and Nonbinary individuals.
Program Director - She/Her
Mary handles all of the centers programming. She statrted working as a Peer Support Specialist in 2009, and from June 2015 to June 2020, was the Executive Director of Hearts and Ears. Mary's passion to help others came after a long struggle with mental health and addiction issues. She has since dedicated herself to helping others on their road to recovery.
Educated in both Psychology/Sociology and a certification in Case Management from the Community College of Baltimore County, Mary is also a graduate of the Shapiro Training and Employment Program (STEP). She holds certifications in Wellness and Recovery Action Planning (WRAP), Trauma Informed Care for Peer Support, CCAR, and Whole Health Action Management (WHAM). She is also a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist.
Peer Support Specialist - She/Her
Ms. Laron, a Massachussettes Native, began her advocacy career in Baltimore City at The Health Education Resource Organization (HERO) in 2007. Driven by her passion for community empowerment and support, she later joined AIDS Action Baltimore, where she served as a Peer Navigation Expert from 2008-2023. In this role she provided guidance and support to individuals and communitities through facillitation of social support groups, cordination and hosting of annual town hall events, public speaking engagements, data management, and active participation in community meetings and outreach efforts throughout the Baltimore Area.
Throughout her career, Ms. Laron has collaborated with and supported numerous local and state organizations, including The Mayor’s Office, The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, The Baltimore City Health Department, FreeState Justice, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and The Pride Center of Maryland, among others. Her work reflects a longstanding commitment to advocacy, education, and improving community health outcomes.
Ms. Laron is a certified CLEAR (Choosing Life: Empowerment! Action! Results!) facilitator and a certified SISTA HIV prevention curriculum facilitator. She is currently working toward her CPRS certification as she continues expanding her impact in peer support and community advocacy.
