Tom Fedor/The Gazette Kedra Reese, of Germantown, is a member of the Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board.

Unlike other members of the board, Reese, 28, of Germantown, had no specific issues that she wanted to address when she joined last spring.

"I wanted to be more involved in the community," she said. "Joining the board forced me to become more serious about where I live."

Reese believes that she brings a different perspective to the board, which mostly consists of people who are married and have children.

"I give the voice of someone who is young and divorced," Reese said. "There are a lot of unmarried people in the upcounty and I want to get them involved in recreational or other activities."

Reese moved to Germantown almost five years ago and enjoys both the physical environment of the area and the people who live there.

"I like looking outside and seeing beautiful hills," she said. "However, there are also suburbs and a downtown. Germantown is really being built up. I love how warm and caring the people are as well."

Reese, who is heavily involved with her church, enjoys dancing, music and going to the movies. She graduated from the University of Maryland in 1996 and attended American University for graduate school. She is currently a program specialist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

As a representative of Germantown, Reese is the chair of the social issues committee, which focuses on topics such as the new Germantown Library, schools and mental health.

"I don't want there to be over development," she said. "I'm also concerned about traffic problems and I want to make sure that it doesn't get out of hand," she said.

The Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board represents more than 280,000 county residents living north of Shady Grove Road. The 20-member board advises the director of the Upcounty Regional Services Center, the county executive, and County Council on area needs and priorities such as transportation, human services, environment, public safety, and other issues of local importance.

Members serve three-year terms without compensation and attend meetings one Monday a month, September through June, at the Upcounty Regional Services Center in Germantown.

The board will meet Monday at 7:15 p.m. at the Upcounty Regional Services Center, 12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown.

For information, call 240-777-8000 or go to http://www.co.mo.md.us/upcounty.