One of the newest members to the Harford County Board of Education is a Havre de Grace resident.

Ronald Browning, owner of La Cle D'or Guesthouse in Havre de Grace, was appointed last Friday, by Gov. Martin O'Malley, to serve on the school board. He was sworn in Monday afternoon and participated in his first meeting later that evening.

Browning is well known around town, not the least because he's the Havre de Grace neighborhood columnist for The Record.

"It was a privilege to be chosen by the governor," Browning said Monday afternoon. "I hope I serve the citizens of Harford County well."

He did regret, however, that former Board President Mark Wolkow, who resigned in June, left before Browning was able to meet him. It was Wolkow who helped Browning secure the position.

Wolkow called him, Browning said, and suggested that he put in an application.

"It was actually through him," he added.

In addition to owning the bed and breakfast and writing his weekly column for The Record, Browning's experience also includes a 31-year teaching career in Baltimore County Public Schools. Even now he still teaches Spanish at the Community Colleges of Baltimore County and geography at area nursing homes.

"Having been a school teacher for 31 years, it'll be interesting to be on the opposite side so to speak," he said.

Browning was joined by five other members in the swearing in ceremony Monday afternoon, which also included members Robert Frisch and Rick Grambo, who were sworn in to intermittent positions in December, after being elected in November.

Cassandra Beverley was also elected to her position, but had to wait until then member Thomas Evans vacated the position in June to take over. Frisch and Grambo filled empty seats.

To keep accordance with a new law that requires school boards to have nine members, O'Malley appointed four members in the past few months to bring the board up to capacity and replace Wolkow and Donald Osman, who both resigned.

Browning was appointed along with James Thornton to two seats on Friday, with previously appointed members Joseph Hau and Nancy Reynolds joining the ceremony Monday afternoon. Browning replaced Osman, who is also from Havre de Grace.

The historic nine-member board held its first meeting that evening, where members elected Leonard Wheeler, one of the two holdover members, as their president and Rick Grambo as the vice president. Wheeler is an Aberdeen resident.

Both Wheeler and Grambo emphasized that every board member be involved and heard in the decision making process and deciding the issues.

One of the issues Browning has already pointed out is the budget, which he said should be spent "scrupulously."

"I think that the public is looking at the Board of Education to be very careful in how they spend the public's money," he said.