About Me
My Story
I am Regina R. McLendon, and my journey has always been rooted in service. As a military brat, I grew up traveling the world with my father, a career serviceman, along with my mom and my brother. I was the youngest in the family, and those early experiences taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of service. When my father retired, our family settled in Columbia, Maryland, in the Village of Oakland Mills. I graduated from Oakland Mills High School and later raised my two sons, Kurtis and Kameron Coleman, in the very same community. Both are proud graduates of OMHS, making us a true three-generation Oakland Mills family.
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For more than thirty years my life has been grounded in friendships, memories, and deep roots right here in District 2. I earned my undergraduate degree from Morgan State University and a graduate degree from Bowie State University. My career began as a fifth grade student teacher at Talbott Springs Elementary. Over the years I have served as a reading teacher, leadership intern, assistant principal, and now as the principal at Oakland Mills Middle School. One of my greatest joys in my principalship is leading in the same community where I grew up. Today I have the privilege of serving the children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews of classmates I once walked the halls of OMHS with. That continuity across generations is one of the greatest gifts of my work.
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What I treasure most is the relationships across generations that hold our community together. In 2015 I partnered with the Local Children’s Board to create the Summer Scholars program. This effort later grew into a county-funded initiative under County Executive Calvin Ball and the program received seven hundred twenty thousand dollars in support in 2022. The program later grew into a Howard County Public School System program. The program expanded opportunities for academics, enrichment clubs, family support, and social-emotional learning for countless students.
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I also co-founded the Ubuntu Project, an initiative that provides young people and their families with a space to grieve, heal, grow, and be empowered. Ubuntu Project is supported by the Local Children’s Board, Celebration Church, St. John’s Baptist Church, Restorative Justice Partnership and the Harriet Tubman Center. We provide monthly sessions where young people learn about identity, academics, rites of passage, and the importance of giving back to the community.
Beyond my school and community work, I serve on the Youth Engagement Strategies Council. The YES Council is a county-wide effort to align organizations and groups that are committed to youth development. It focuses on mentorship, conflict resolution, economic mobility, and programming that ensures young people are not only prepared to succeed but also to lead.​
Why I’m Running?
I am running for County Council in District 2 because I believe our community deserves bold, present leadership that listens with compassion and takes action with purpose. I see every day what families need. We need stronger mental health supports, secure jobs that pay fairly, affordable housing, and safe spaces for our young people to thrive. These are not abstract talking points to me. They are lived realities I witness daily as an educator and community leader.
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I am a servant leader. I listen first. When you call, I will listen, and together we will find solutions. My leadership is rooted here, and it has been proven through decades of service. The students and families I serve at Oakland Mills are thriving, achieving, and evolving, and I want that for every family in District 2.
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I invite you to join me. Volunteer, donate, and add your voice to our campaign. Together we can make sure Howard County remains a place where all of us can grow and thrive.
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Our Voice. Our Roots. Our Regina.
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