DR. LINDA W. LYMAS

principal, and French Instructor at Coppin State College. While serving as an instructional leader for teachers of World Languages, she was Chairperson of the Odessa Sister City Committee student exchange program. Dr. Lymas was appointed by former Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke to lead the first delegation of high school students from the Baltimore Metropolitan Area to travel to Odessa (Ukraine) in the U.S.S.R.

Dr. Linda W. Lymas worked in the education profession for more than 30 years in a wide range of educational and administrative positions. She retired from the St. Mary’s County Public Schools System as Supervisor of World Languages and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) on July 1, 2013. Dr. Lymas was appointed Principal of Great Mills High School in October 2000, the first African American female to serve in the position.

Under her leadership, Great Mills High School was the first high school in St. Mary’s County to be awarded a Smaller Learning Communities grant from the United States Department of Education (Title V, Part D of the No Child Left Behind Act). This award made it possible to give all students, without regard to ability, the opportunity to have successful learning experiences in personalized learning environments. In 2002, former Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening recognized her outstanding contributions and impressive dedication to instructional leadership in Maryland schools.

Dr. Lymas began her career as a classroom teacher in the Beauregard Parish School System in Deridder, Louisiana, where she taught French and German for two years. She relocated to Baltimore City and served as a French and German teacher, World Language Department Head, assistant

From 1999 to 2016, Dr. Lymas served as a member of the Board of Governors for the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center. She is a member of the St. Mary’s Caring Board of Directors. Dr. Lymas is a member of the Rotary Club of Lexington Park. In 2017 -2018, she became the first African American to serve as Club President. Dr. Lymas is an Assistant Governor for Rotary’s District 7620 where she provides support for Rotary Clubs in St. Mary’s, Calvert, and Charles Counties. She is a Rotary Leadership Institute Faculty. On July 1, 2022, she was appointed to the Police Accountability Board and Administrative Charging Committee in St. Mary’s .

Dr. Lymas earned her Bachelor of Science in French Education from Grambling State University. While there, she was the recipient of a fellowship from the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana to study at the Catholic University of Angers, Angers, France. She holds a Master of Arts Degree in French Education and completed 30 Postgraduate credits in Curriculum and Instruction, State University of New York at Albany; a Doctorate in Education Policy Planning and Administration, University of Maryland, College Park; and a Special Education Bilingual Certificate, George Washington