The Character Counts! Advisory Council is comprised of dedicated community and agency people. They work towards the mission of partnering with the people of Queen Anne's County to support and embrace character development in all aspects of our lives.

Advisory Council meetings are held every third Wednesday of the month at 9:00am at the Department of Community Services in Centreville.

All are welcome to attend!

If you are interested in joining the council, let us know.

About Us

The Character Counts! Program is a national effort to increase character education by offering resources, training, and information about the Six Pillars of Character: TRUSTWORTHINESS, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, FAIRNESS, CARING, and CITIZENSHIP.

For over twenty years in Queen Anne’s County, character coaches have been visiting local classrooms to share lessons on the Commissioner proclaimed, “Pillar of the Month”.

The Character Counts! Program has consistently shown increases in student attendance, academic achievement, positive behavior choices, and a more positive sense of self and future.

Character Counts! Coordinator

Melinda "Mindy" Ray

Melinda Ray joined the Character Counts! initiative in April 2023 as the new Character Counts! Coordinator. She is in charge of recruiting coaches from the residents of Queen Anne's County, community organizations, and local businesses as well as school parents and staff. She trains those individuals and prepare them to deliver the CC! message to the students in our schools. She will be the liason between the schools and the coaches and assist the coaches in their weekly lesson as part of the CC! team.

Mindy moved to Queen Anne's County in 2007 and currently lives in Centreville with her husband. She has three grown children who all graduated from Queen Annes County High School. After spending several years volunteering in the schools, she spent 7 years working as a 5th grade teacher at Matapeake Elementary School on Kent Island. Working as the Character Counts! Coordinator allows her to continue to make a positive impact on the youth of our county.