Grace Rivera-Oven and Brenda Wolff Elected to Lead Montgomery County Board of Education

The Montgomery County Board of Education elected Grace Rivera-Oven as president, and Brenda Wolff as vice president.

Grace Rivera-Oven will begin her first term as president of the Montgomery County Board of Education on December 1, 2025, following her election by fellow board members at the beginning of the November 20 business meeting.

“It is an incredible privilege to serve this community. I came to this country as a child and was welcomed, and now I have the opportunity to give back to the schools that shaped my life and the lives of my children,” Ms. Rivera-Oven said. “This work isn’t about us, it’s about the students who walk into our schools every day, many facing uncertainty, hunger, or hardship. Everything we do must focus on making their lives better.”

Ms. Rivera-Oven’s passion for equity and family engagement stems from her own experience as a graduate of Gaithersburg High School, where she remembers the challenges of growing up as a Latina student in Montgomery County Public Schools. She credits her mother’s involvement, helping in the school library despite limited English, with inspiring her belief in the power of parent participation.

Ms. Rivera-Oven was elected to the Board of Education in 2022 and represents District 1. She most recently served as chair of the Committee on Special Populations.  She founded and serves as CEO of the Upcounty Hub, a Germantown-based nonprofit addressing food insecurity and providing social services to more than 1,400 families weekly. 

Ms. Rivera-Oven has three children who graduated from Montgomery County Public Schools. 

Learn more about Ms. Rivera-Oven on the Board of Education website.

Brenda Wolff, representing District 5, was elected vice president. Ms. Wolff has served on the Board since 2018 and was re-elected to a second term in 2022. She previously served two terms as president and one term as vice president, helping guide the district through the reopening of schools after the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to her Board service, Ms. Wolff spent 27 years with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and held leadership roles in several national education programs. She currently serves on the Board of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education and  sits on the Legislative Committee.  Ms. Wolff was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women in 2022. 

Learn more about Ms. Wolff on the Board of Education website.

Board leaders serve one-year terms, with elections held at the first meeting after member terms end. The Board president chairs meetings, signs approved contracts and documents, represents the Board in communications, and performs other duties as needed. More details about the Board president’s role and responsibilities are available in the Montgomery County Board of Education Handbook.

Watch the election and hear remarks from Ms. Rivera-Oven and other Board members on the Board of Education website.