The Mayor & Town Council
Pictured from Left to Right:
First row: Councilmember Debbie Heller, Council President Steve Surko, Councilmember Shannon Rovak, Mayor Jeffrey Slavin, Town Manager Matthew Trollinger, Councilmember Robin Barr, & Councilmember Kabir Kumar
Second row: Office Administrator Linda Williams, Town Attorney Ron Bolt, & Deputy Town Manager EJ Hardwick
Here you can information on the Mayor and our Town Councilmembers!
MEET THE MAYOR
MAYOR JEFFREY SLAVIN
(First elected in 2008, current term expires in 2024).
Jeffrey Slavin was initially elected as Mayor of Somerset in 2008 where he was previously a member of the Town Council from 2002 to 2008. Active in Montgomery County’s philanthropic community & nonprofit sector, he has served on a variety of boards & commissions. He is a member of the Maryland Mayor's Association, has been elected to several terms on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Municipal League, & has served as a trustee of the Community Foundation for Montgomery County. In 2011, he was named as the county's Philanthropist of the Year. Jeffrey has been a licensed real estate broker since 1983 & for over 25 years had his own property management company. A graduate of Tufts University, Georgetown University Law Center, & the State & Local Government Program at Harvard's Kennedy School, he also has participated in numerous leadership programs, including Leadership Montgomery & Leadership Maryland.
Mayor Slavin can be contacted by email at mayor@townofsomerset.com, his direct line at (202) 549-2299, or his cell (301) 657-2229.
MEET THE COUNCIL
COUNCIL PRESIDENT STEPHEN SURKO
(First elected in 2018, current term expires in 2024).
Steve Surko has lived in Somerset since 2005 where he & his wife, Elizabeth Thompson, have raised three children. Steve retired from the Navy as Commander in 2004 & currently serves as the Chief, Office of Technology Development at the Bureau of Engraving & Printing (BEP). An Eagle Scout, he has served as a Cubmaster & Assistant Cubmaster. Over the years, he served as a soccer & 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 & dogs. Steve also enjoys reading & gardening.
Council President Surko can be contacted by email at ssurko@townofsomerset.com.
COUNCILMEMBER ROBIN BARR
(First elected in 2020, current term expires in 2024).
Robin Barr was first elected to the Town Council in 2020 after serving as a member of the Town’s Budget Committee & as Chair of the Town’s Environment Committee. Among other activities he led the effort to introduce a municipal curbside food scraps pick-up service in the Town. Our residents’ food scraps now create compost that enriches the soils around us. After joining the Council, Robin also serves as a Board member of the Montgomery County Chapter of the Maryland Municipal League & as vice-chair, & MML representative, to the County’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee. He & his wife, Leslie Caplan, raised their son, Matthew, in Somerset & enjoy being grandparents to Ellen & Flora. Robin retired in 2020 after a long career at NIH & is now a Visiting Scholar at the Gerontological Society of America.
Councilmember Barr can be contacted by email at rbarr@townofsomerset.com.
COUNCILMEMBER DEBBIE HELLER
(First elected in 2021, current term expires in 2025).
Debbie Heller & her husband Jamie have lived in Somerset since 1985. Prior to serving on the Town Council, Debbie was a long-standing member & 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) & holds graduate degrees from both Michigan State University (Higher Education Administration) & Johns Hopkins University (School Counseling). In her professional career, she was the Assistant Middle School Director & 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 & 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 & 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 who are in financial need. She has also served the Keshet Board, an organization that works for the full inclusion of the LGBTQ community in Jewish life, the Kol Shalom Synagogue, & the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School boards.
Councilmember Heller can be contacted by email at dheller@townofsomerset.com.
COUNCILMEMBER KABIR KUMAR
(First elected in 2021, current term expires in 2025).
Kabir Kumar lives on Trent Street with his wife, Kelly, & their kids, Peter & Indu. Somerset has been their home for nine years. Peter attended Somerset Elementary & 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 & Kabir & Kelly volunteer for the swim team, led admirably by wonderful volunteers. Kabir works for an investment firm that backs technology companies & non-profits. He serves on the boards of several organizations.
Councilmember Kumar can be contacted by email at kkumar@townofsomerset.com.
COUNCILMEMBER SHANNON ROVAK
(First elected in 2021, current term expires in 2025).
Shannon Rovak was first appointed to fill the vacancy left by former Councilor Jack Frink's resignation in July 2021 & was reelected to the position in 2023. Shannon has been a Somerset resident since June of 2019, with the hopes of staying for a long time. She & her husband Kenny are raising their child, Claire, in Somerset; she 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, & the enjoyment of the neighborhood.
Councilmember Rovak can be contacted by email at srovak@townofsomerset.com.