Town Council

About the Council

Stephen Surko (Council President) - Term expires 2022

Steve Surko has lived in Somerset since 2005 where he and his wife, Elizabeth Thompson, have raised three children. Steve retired from the Navy as Commander in 2004 and currently serves as the Chief, Office of Technology Development at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). An Eagle Scout, he has served as a Cubmaster and Assistant Cubmaster. Over the years, he served as a soccer and lacrosse coach. He was first elected to the Somerset Town Council in 2018. An avid cyclist, Steve commutes to BEP on the Capital Crescent Trail. Elizabeth and Steve enjoy a small zoo of rescue cats and dogs. Steve also enjoys reading and gardening.

Stephen can be contacted by e-mail - ssurko@townofsomerset.com

Robin Barr - Term expires 2022

Robin Barr was elected to Council in 2020 after serving as a member of the Town' Budget Committee, and as Chair of the Town's Environment Committee. Among other activities, he led the effort to introduce our municipal composting service. He recently retired after a long career at NIH where he directed a major division of the National Institute on Aging. He is now a Visiting Scholar at the Gerontological Society of America. He and his wife, Leslie Caplan, raised their son, Matthew, in Somerset, and enjoy being grandparents to Ellen. Robin earned his doctorate in cognitive psychology from Oxford University.

Robin can be contacted by e-mail - rbarr@townofsomerset.com

Debbie Heller - Term expires 2023

Debbie Heller and her husband Jamie have lived in Somerset since 1985. Prior to serving on the Town Council, Debbie was a long-standing member and past Chair of the Pool Committee. She also served as a parent rep in charge of the Somerset Dolphins Swim Team for two summers. Debbie is a graduate of Lehman College (CUNY) and holds graduate degrees from both Michigan State University (Higher Education Administration) and Johns Hopkins University (School Counseling). In her professional career, she was the Assistant Middle School Director and Chair of the Middle School Guidance Department at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (JDS). She also served as the Director of Student Activities at both Georgetown University and the University of Detroit, as well as a dorm director at Michigan State University. Debbie volunteers with Project Knitwell, a group that teaches knitting to children and adults in stressful situations. She also currently leads a project at the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents (RICA), a school for emotionally disturbed children. She is most proud of her job as a Mom to her three boys. She has also served on several boards of directors, most recently with the Lavinia Engle Scholarship Fund, which gives grants to women attending Maryland colleges, and who are in financial need. She has also served the Keshet Board, and organization that works for the full inclusion of the LGBTQ community in Jewish life, the Kol Shalom Synagogue, and the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School boards.

Debbie can be contacted by e-mail - dheller@townofsomerset.com

Kabir Kumar - Term expires 2023

Kabir Kumar lives on Trent Street with his wife, Kelly, and their kids, Peter and Indu. Somerset has been their home for nine years. Peter attended Somerset Elementary and Indu was born while the family lived in Somerset, before a stint in India. Kabir is originally from India where his parents still live. The kids swim for the Dolphins and Kabir and Kelly both volunteer for the swim team, led admirably by wonderful volunteers. Kabir works for an investment firm that backs technology companies and non-profits. He serves on the boards of several organizations.

Kabir can be contacted by e-mail - kkumar@townofsomerset.com

Shannon Rovak - Term expires 2023

Shannon Rovak was appointed to fill the vacancy left by former Council member Jack Frink's resignation in July 2021. Shannon has been a Somerset resident since June of 2019, with the hopes of staying for a long time. Her and her husband Kenny are raising two children in Somerset, one of whom is a participant on the Somerset Dolphins swim team. As a working mother living in Somerset, Shannon has a range of interests on the Council, including stormwater management, safety, the Town Pool, tennis courts, the environment, and the enjoyment of the neigjborhood.

Shannon can be contacted by e-mail - srovak@townofsomerset.com