Executive Staff
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Kevin Lowndes, Chief of the Office of Teaching and Learning Kevin E. Lowndes is the chief of the Office of Teaching and Learning. Mr. Lowndes provides organizational leadership to ensure the coordinated planning and implementation of the school district’s instructional programs. He oversees student services, special education, assessments and testing, professional learning, certified technical education programs (CTE), Title, I, and the James E. Richmond Science Center. Through strong organizational leadership, Mr. Lowndes fosters student academic success with prioritized support, tailored to meet the diverse needs of each school. He supports the superintendent in the continuous review and revision of operational goals and objectives, and efforts to measure student progress to improve academic achievement. Mr. Lowndes started his career as a special education teacher at Thomas Edison Junior High School in Los Angeles. He transitioned to Montgomery County Public Schools and served as assistant principal and student support specialist at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School before assuming the principalship at Wheaton High School. From there, he served as the director of high schools and acting associate superintendent for high schools before becoming the associate superintendent for special education. Mr. Lowndes has a Bachelor of Arts in business management from Marietta College in Ohio and a master’s in special education from California State University. Additionally, he earned a social studies certification from Connecticut State University and an administrator certification from Johns Hopkins University. |
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Marvin L. Jones, Ed.D., Chief of the Office of School Administration and Leadership Marvin L. Jones, Ed.D., named Chief of Schools in 2022, oversees the CCPS Office of School Administration and Leadership, including the executive directors of schools, principals, assistant principals, the daily operations of schools and also supports school leader development. Additionally, Jones oversees school safety and security, school resource officers (SROs), CCPS athletic programs and extra-curricular activities, the community engagement and equity office and the student disciplinary hearing process. Prior to his appointment to the Chief of Schools roles, Jones served as an executive director of schools with CCPS for nine years. He has 30 years of experience in education, with 22 years in administration and eight years of direct classroom instruction. Jones has served as a teacher, vice principal and principal in Charles and Prince George’s counties since starting his career as a special education teacher in 1992. He joined CCPS in 2000 as a vice principal and led Berry and Dr. Gustavus Brown elementary schools as principal before transitioning to the role of executive director. Jones holds a doctorate degree in educational leadership from Delaware State University, a master’s degree in school administration and supervision from Bowie State University, and a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. |
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Michael L. Heim, Chief of the Office of Operations and Supporting Services Michael Heim is the chief of the Office of Operations and Supporting Services. He was appointed to the position in 2016 and oversees the maintenance and operations of all school system facilities, oversee the construction of new schools and building renovations, and manage the transportation department. Heim previously served as the director of transportation and managed all school bus operations. In this role Heim worked with bus contractors, bus drivers and attendants who provide transportation for more than 23,000 students. Heim first joined the transportation department in 2011 as an assistant supervisor after serving as a vice principal at North Point High School for seven years. Before pursuing a career in administration, Heim served as a social studies teacher at Westlake High School and also taught at the Radio Station Road Academy, a former alternative school, for one year. Heim has a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from McDaniel College and a bachelor’s degree in social studies from West Virginia University. |
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Karen Acton, Chief Financial Officer Karen Acton joined Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) in July 2020. Prior to joining CCPS, Acton served as controller for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C. In her position, Acton oversaw revenues of nearly $274 million. She provided direction to the accounting and business operation, and grants administration units within the Office of Finance and Accounting. Acton managed accounting staff within accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, bank reconciliations, general ledger entries and general ledger analysis. Additionally, she coordinated the annual audit process, worked closely with the chief financial officer to prepare monthly and yearly financial reports and analysis, and developed financial business plans and forecasts including cash flow projections. Acton is not new to working in the Charles County community. Before taking on positions in Washington, D.C., Acton worked in the media and publishing field. For six years, Acton was the chief financial officer for the Post Community Media, LLC and Post Newsweek Media. Her experience included overseeing operational departments, human resources, technology and finance, as well as supervising and managing accounting departments, including a controller. In these roles, Acton oversaw financial operations resulting in nearly $40 million in annual revenues. Prior to her experience as a chief financial officer, Acton was the controller and publisher for eight years for Southern Maryland Newspapers in Waldorf, and controller and general manager of Chesapeake Publishing in Waldorf for nearly 20 years. In these roles Acton not only oversaw all accounting and financial aspects of operations, but she was responsible for the daily operations of four community newspapers and printing manufacturing plants. Acton has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master of Science in Financial Management from the University of Maryland University College. She has held positions on the board of directors with the Charles County Chamber of Commerce, and the board of governors with the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center. Additionally, Acton was both a member and executive board member of the MDDC Press Association for 15 years. |
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Nikial Majors, Chief Human Resources Officer Nikial Majors joined Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) as the executive director of human resources in 2017. Since joining CCPS, Majors led the expansion of recruitment efforts to hire diverse candidates. Under her leadership, CCPS doubled its percentage of minority teacher hires last school year, launched a strategic recruitment committee and implemented new teacher retention initiatives. As of 2019, CCPS leads the tri-county school systems in the hiring of minority teachers. Majors also led human resources staff in updating CCPS employee onboarding procedures, the restructuring of salary scales during union negotiations, and embedding among her staff a culture and commitment to effective employee relations. Prior to joining CCPS, Majors served as the regional human resources director for eight years and the human resources manager for two years with Nixon Peabody LLP, a global law firm in Washington, D.C. Majors has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Towson University, and a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Human Resources Management from Johns Hopkins University. She is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and the Human Resources Association National Capital Area (HRA-NCA). Majors holds both the SHRM-SCP and SPHR certifications. |
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Charmaine Thompson, Chief of Instructional Technology Charmaine Thompson joined Charles County Public School as the chief of Instructional Technology in 2017. She is responsible for creating a technology vision for Charles County Public Schools to include a cutting-edge technology infrastructure, while communicating and fostering an instructional technology vision, which maximizes student engagement and achievement. She oversees a department of IT professionals who manage and provide technical support, enterprise network and connectivity, infrastructure and systems management, business continuity and recovery, cybersecurity, and instructional technology education and training. Thompson has worked in the field of Educational Technology for over 20 years serving as a computer science teacher, director of academic technology, director of instructional technology and distance education, instructional systems specialist, instructional designer, and online IT professor in the K-12, academia, business, local and federal government sectors. Thompson holds a Master of Arts in Education and Human Development in Educational Technology Leadership (ETL) from the George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Education and Management Information Systems from East Carolina University. |