About TAYA

PRESIDENT

Krista Paquin moved to Tilghman full time in June of 2018 after retiring as the Acting Deputy Administrator of NASA. She joined the Board of the Tilghman Area Youth Association in May of 2021 and served as the Treasurer and Chair of the Fundraising and Events committee in her first year as a TAYA Director. She was elected President of TAYA in May 2022 and continues in this role. She is a co-founder of the Tilghman Little Big Market which opened in 2021. Krista opened and manages the very successful TAYA Heart & Hope Resale Shop located in the Tilghman Post office building. Krista and her husband Eric met while students at the University of Maryland and have three children, Drew (wife Jenna), Kelsey and Griffin and three grandchildren. Life is good.

VICE PRESIDENT

Cassidy joined the TAYA Board in 2021. She participated in the TASK program as a child, was the first recipient of the Diane L. Simison Scholarship in 2014, and served as the TASK Director from 2016-2018. She has an M.Ed from Goucher College and has worked as an early childhood educator for Talbot County Public Schools for the last 6 years. She will be teaching at Tilghman Elementary School beginning in the 2024/2025 school year. In addition to volunteering with TAYA, Cassidy is a member of the Tilghman Island Volunteer Fire Company and works at a local jewelry store, Silver Linings.

TREASURER

Patrick and his family moved from downtown Baltimore to Tilghman in September of 2020 and have worked to give back to the community that has had an incredibly positive impact on our lives. He, along with his wife Melissa and sons Mario and Logan, participate in community events and volunteer as coaches for youth sports throughout the year. Patrick holds an MBA from Loyola University and BS from York College of PA. He joined the TAYA Board in 2022 and looks forward to seeing how the local youth help shape the future of our community

SECRETARY

Nicole Miller Sadler was born and raised in Tilghman Island, to a family with generations of commercial fishermen. She currently resides in Sherwood and is raising her daughters, together with her husband Kent (also a commercial fisherman), with the same values and appreciation for life on the water. Nicole earned a double BS degree at Frostburg State University and University Of Maryland School of Dentistry. She has been working as a Registered Dental Hygienist for 15 years. She enjoys art, baking, morning coffee on the porch with her mom, beaching and boating! She loves her Tilghman Community and is excited to be involved in giving back to the “village” that helped raise her.

DIRECTOR

Logan Blake was born in Annapolis, MD and has lived on the eastern shore since 1995. She joined the TAYA Board in 2023 and works as a school social worker at both Tilghman Elementary School and Chapel District Elementary School. She received her  Bachelors in Communications and Masters in Social Work from Salisbury University. She has served on the PTO and helped to bring the Girls on the Run program to Tilghman Elementary School during the 2023-2024 school year. Logan and her husband, LaDarian, welcomed their first son, Bennett, during the summer of 2024. They currently live in Easton with their golden doodle, Lola.

DIRECTOR

Joelle has been a part-time Tilghman resident since 2014, fully relocating in June 2024 from Alexandria, Virgina.  It was through volunteering at Heart & Hope that she learned about the other great programs TAYA supported which aligned with her love of learning, children and community. Joelle holds an MBA from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Delaware.  Her passion for enriching communities is evident throughout her life which has focused on enhancing and growing services on higher education, corporate, military and government campuses...making the 'day-to-day' brighter for everyone.  Joelle has been a member of the TAYA Board since September 2024 and enjoys spending time on her faith, family, friends and fur-babies.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Elizabeth grew up in New York and moved to St. Michaels in 2009 after completing her MS.Ed in Research, Measurement, and Evaluation at the University of Miami. Passionate about educational opportunities for children and experiential learning, Elizabeth has extensive experience in HIV/AIDS research and outreach in inner-city Miami. Elizabeth has also developed a strong background in program evaluation and enjoys considering both qualitative and quantitative aspects of data analysis to gain a comprehensive understanding of program effectiveness and outcomes. She finds joy in spending time with family and is kept wonderfully busy by her three children.