The Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) is pleased to share a few special announcements, including joyful updates from our growing MCDD family.
In August, Christopher Mason-Hale, BSW, MCDD community advocate, was accepted into the Johns Hopkins University School of Education to pursue a Master of Education (MEd) in Learning Design and Technology. This opportunity is made possible through a special partnership among the Kennedy Krieger Learning Design and Technology Team, the Human Resources Pathways to Higher Education Program (PHEP), and the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. Mason-Hale joined a cohort of Kennedy Krieger colleagues in this exciting initiative, with an anticipated graduation in 2027.
We are excited to welcome a new addition to the MCDD family! Megan Meck, MS, MCDD project manager, welcomed a baby girl, Hannah Meck, on July 23, 2025. She weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces, and was 21 inches long. Welcome, Baby Hannah!
Additionally, Kendall Eaton, Esq., staff attorney for Project HEAL (Health, Education, Advocacy, and Law), welcomed twin girls on Nov. 3, 2025. Hadley Ann Eaton weighed 7 pounds, and Penelope Jane Eaton weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces. Congratulations to Eaton and her family on their two newest bundles of joy!
The MCDD is pleased to welcome Alexis Nartey as the team’s new training program coordinator. Nartey is a public health professional with three years of experience in infectious disease surveillance and program coordination. She earned her Bachelor of Science in public health from Towson University in 2022, where she also served as an MCDD trainee during the fall of that year. During her internship, Nartey gained experience in qualitative research as well as program coordination and evaluation. After graduating, she joined the Maryland Department of Health as an HIV surveillance specialist, supporting leadership in the coordination and collection of statewide HIV surveillance data. Her professional journey has led her back to the MCDD, where she looks forward to applying her strong organizational and analytical thinking skills to advance the missions of both the MCDD and Kennedy Krieger Institute.