The Elville Center for the Creative Arts – Expanding Its Reach and Making a Difference in our Communities – Fall 2017 Update

January 12, 2018 · 6 min read

By: Jeffrey D. Stauffer – Executive Director In June 2017, the Elville Center for the Creative Arts celebrated its three-year anniversary. Founded in 2014 by Stephen Elville, the mission of The Elville Center is to improve the quality of life of children of all ages by providing them the opportunity to learn music theory and application, experience cultural events related to the musical and creative arts, and to use music and the promotion of music-related activities to transcend social and economic divisions. The Elville Center partners with local and regional businesses, non-profit organizations, and school music programs to give the gift of music to children of all ages who want to participate in music but don’t have the means to do so on their own. The Center and refurbishes donated musical instruments, purchases new instruments for programs, provide rental instruments and music lessons for students, funds field trips, and helps organizations develop music programs. Since our spring update, one of the Elville Center’s most exciting new projects is the establishment of a music program for children with autism in partnership with the Howard County Autism Society (HCAS). With the leadership of Executive Director Melissa Rosenberg, along with volunteer parents of children with autism, HCAS’s mission is raising awareness and educating the general public about the complexities of autism. HCAS offers many social activities for children and their families, and this winter the Elville Center is excited to collaborate with Howard Community College and The Music Institute to develop group classes and individual lessons that will bring music to children with autism. Research shows that music and music therapy can be very therapeutic to children with special needs. Along these lines, this program will enhance these young people’s lives by facilitating the joy of music to and for them. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and our goal is to have this dynamic initiative in place and providing music education and services to children by February 2018. As our past updates have always mentioned, the need for support in Baltimore City’s school music programs is a dire one. The Elville Center has continued to work with its partner schools in the City to help them with their music-related needs, and along the way has continued to discover more needs, such as those at Coppin Academy High School. This public charter high school on the campus of Coppin State University has a music program under the new direction of Jesse Williamson, a Master Teacher of music education. After receiving a request for assistance from Mr. Williamson, the Elville Center responded by facilitating repairs for numerous instruments and providing much-needed trombone and flute cases, along with a strap for the school’s bass clarinet. On a monthly basis, the Elville Center continues to refurbish many instruments that need care so that they may be put into working condition and is actively bringing many donated refurbished instruments to the School, including an alto saxophone, a bass saxophone, a flute, a trumpet, a Yamaha keyboard, and a baritone euphonium (thus far). The Elville Center also helped Mr. Williamson transport an important piano from his previous school to Coppin Academy and arranged to have it repaired and tuned for the new school year. "This year, I transferred to Coppin Academy High School #432, and The Elville Center has been helping me to get many of my instruments repaired and refurbished and ready for my new high school band students. My Band II students have already begun playing their instruments and I am grateful beyond words to the Elville Center for all of their support," said Mr. Williamson. "Over the years I have spent thousands of dollars of my own money in support of my program, but it is heartening to know that there is an organization that seeks to help teachers like me make a difference in the lives of children who otherwise might not have the opportunity to play an instrument. Coppin Academy is a small public charter school with an urban population of students, most of whom cannot afford to buy an instrument. It is my goal to instill in them a love of music and foster discipline and self-confidence to go on to greater things in life." Another Baltimore City school the Elville Center has just begun to provide assistance to is the K-8 Empowerment Academy. The new music teacher at this school, Marcus Neal, is a teacher the Elville Center has partnered with before at another inner-city school, Franklin Square Middle. The Empowerment Academy encourages arts enrichment for all of its students, which is a unique philosophy for a Baltimore City school. The Elville Center is working to bring recorders, xylophones, and boomwhackers (yes, boomwhackers!) to the music program’s younger students, and as Mr. Neal is working to develop a band for grades 5-8, the Elville Center is working to provide more standard brass and woodwind instruments to the older students. In what is undoubtedly The Elville Center’s most ambitious venture thus far, the Center is now a major sponsor of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, a professional orchestra whose home is located near the Annapolis State House in hee historic Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. The Center will be paying for the bus transportation and tickets for hundreds of children to attend the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra’s “Concerts for Schoolchildren” series. This partnership with the ASO personifies our mission to give children the opportunity to experience extraordinary cultural events related to music they never would have experienced without such outside support. The Elville Center is honored to partner with an organization such as the ASO, one that aligns with our mission and vision so closely, and we are very excited about the impact this sponsorship will make on so many children in the Anne Arundel County community. “Schools in lower-income communities often do not have the resources to afford tickets or transportation to enjoy cultural events outside school,” said Patrick Nugent, Executive Director of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra. “The Elville Center has made it possible for these schools to attend the Annapolis Symphony’s Concerts for Schoolchildren free of charge, for the first time in our history. Early exposure to classical music can captivate a child’s imagination and bring benefits throughout their education and their life. The Symphony is immensely grateful to the Elville Center for its commitment to ensuring children from all backgrounds can enjoy the pleasures and benefits of classical music.” The projects The Elville Center for the Creative Arts is spearheading right now are all very unique in scope. We are supporting music programs and organizations all over the state – founding new music programs and enriching established ones, and facilitating music-related opportunities to thousands of students! Participants in these programs come from a wide variety of backgrounds – many from disadvantaged situations that need support just to participate in music, and some with disabilities where music therapy can offer so much to enrich their lives. Regardless of background, the one thing these students all share is a strong and enduring desire to participate in music. The Elville Center for the Creative Arts needs your support to further its important work so that these important projects continue to be successful now and in the years to come. The need is great and growing. We need your monetary support to help refurbish instruments, obtain supplies and new instruments, and facilitate cultural learning experiences. We need those instruments you don’t use anymore that are taking up space. We also need volunteers, especially for our upcoming April 2018 Fundraising Event. If you would like to donate or learn more about the Elville Center for the Creative Arts, please visit www.elvillecenter.org, or contact Jeffrey Stauffer, Executive Director, at 443-393-7696, or jeff@elvillecenter.org. And, don’t forget to mark your calendars for Saturday, April 28th, when the Elville Center for the Creative Arts hosts its first annual fundraiser! Details will be forthcoming.

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Jan 26, 2026 in News

Elville and Associates Announces Practice Group Leadership Promotion

At Elville and Associates, delivering consistent, high-quality service to our clients depends on strong leadership and coordination behind the scenes. We are proud to announce that Vonda Dubard has been promoted to Practice Group Manager at Elville and Associates. In this role, Vonda helps lead and coordinate the firm’s core practice groups—ensuring attorneys and staff work seamlessly together, workflows are efficient, and every client receives thoughtful, organized estate planning and elder law services. Practice groups play a critical role in supporting complex planning, maintaining quality standards, and guiding matters smoothly from start to finish. Vonda’s deep knowledge of the firm, steady leadership, and commitment to exceptional client service make her exceptionally well suited for this position. Her promotion reflects both her professional skill and the trust she has earned from colleagues and clients alike. Please join us in congratulating Vonda on this well-deserved achievement!

Jan 16, 2025 in News

Elville and Associates’ Managing Principal Stephen R. Elville and Principal Attorneys Shannon Goodwin and Shannon Ladner Named to 2025 Maryland Super Lawyers and Rising Stars List, Respectively

Authored by: Jeffrey D. Stauffer – Community Relations Director Stephen Elville, Managing Principal and Lead Attorney of Elville and Associates, P.C., has been selected to the 2025 Maryland Super Lawyers List. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. This is Mr. Elville’s 10th year being named to the Maryland Super Lawyers List and ninth consecutive year as well. Mr. Elville works with individuals and families to provide a unique attorney-client experience and peace of mind solutions to the challenges they face with estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, asset protection, tax planning matters, and more. Mr. Elville has extensive experience in working with clients involved in crisis situations, and also brings a unique and personalized approach to pre-crisis planning. Along with his work in the aforementioned areas, Mr. Elville’s maintains a focus in the areas of asset protection, tax planning, and disability and long-term care planning as well. He is widely regarded as one of the preeminent attorneys in the State of Maryland and beyond for his legal-technical knowledge and ability to navigate many different types of legal matters for clients. He is a seasoned speaker and educator, and each year presents by way of dozens of webinars, workshops for businesses and their employees, conferences, and continuing education events. Mr. Elville is currently a member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), Elder Counsel, Wealth Counsel, the Academy of Special Needs Planners, and the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys. He is the past Chair of the Howard County Bar Association Estates & Trusts and Elder Law Sections and is the past President of the Coalition of Geriatric Services (COGS). Mr. Elville has also served as Chair of the Elder Law and Disability Rights Section Council of the Maryland State Bar Association and was the longtime Chair for Law Day Maryland. Recently, Mr. Elville served as the Chair of the Pro Bono Subcommittee of the Elder Law Disability Rights Section Council. He is also the President of the Friends of Baltimore Classical Music, Inc., and is the Founder of the Elville Center for the Creative Arts, Inc., a non-profit organization developed in 2014 that works to further music education in schools and other organizations that have student musicians with limited means. Shannon Goodwin, a Principal Attorney with Elville and Associates, was named to the Rising Stars List for a second consecutive year in 2025. She is the Leader of the firm’s busy Estate and Trust Administration Department, and has quickly shown the scope and depth of her talents and abilities in the complex world of estates and trusts. Through her guidance, she partners with clients as they address the sometimes challenging matters of the administration of loved ones’ estates from start to finish, including helping navigate the probate process, inventory and reportings, accountings, and much more. After her undergraduate work at North Carolina State University, Ms. Goodwin participated in multiple internships and externships and went on to distinguish herself as a member of the Syracuse Law Review. Upon graduating from law school, Shannon gained valuable experience by working as a Judicial Law Clerk for three years in the Circuit Court for Washington County, as well as in the District Court for both Washington and Frederick Counties. Shannon then transitioned to private practice and joined Elville and Associates in 2021. Shannon Ladner, also a Principal Attorney with Elville and Associates, was named to the Rising Stars List for a third consecutive year in 2025. She is an integral member and Leader of the firm’s Estate Planning Department. She educates and counsels clients through the entire estate planning process – beginning with the initial consultation, followed by the design and implementation of their plans, as well as the necessary maintenance and updating of their planning as changes occur in the laws and their lives. Ms. Ladner’s practice focus includes estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, and tax planning. During law school, Ms. Ladner participated in the Human Trafficking Prevention Project Clinic where she diligently represented victims of human trafficking as a Rule 19 Student Attorney. Upon obtaining her Juris Doctor, Ms. Ladner gained valuable experience by working as a Judicial Law Clerk for Magistrates Susan M. Marzetta and Lori Joy Eisner in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Prior to bringing her skills to Elville and Associates, Ms. Ladner worked as an Associate Attorney at a small law firm in Towson, Maryland where she represented clients in Family Law and Criminal Law matters. To learn more about this year’s honorees and the entire team at Elville and Associates, please click here. To learn more about Elville and Associates, its practice areas, its commitment to client education, and events calendar, please visit www.elvilleassociates.com. Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys. The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. Super Lawyers Magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com. #elvilleeducation

Elville and Associates Montgomery County Rockville

Jul 01, 2024 in News

Elville and Associates, P.C. Opens New Montgomery County Office in Rockville

Authored by: Stephen Elville – Managing Principal and Lead Attorney – Elville and Associates, P.C. After nearly 25 years of serving residents of Montgomery County at its former Rockville and Pike and Rose locations, I’m proud to announce the opening of Elville and Associates’ new permanent Montgomery County office at 1700 Rockville Pike, Suite 530, Rockville - serving Rockville, Bethesda, Potomac, Gaithersburg, and all of Montgomery County. Montgomery County is a dynamic setting for business and government, and a diverse population with continuous and growing needs for comprehensive and contemporary estate and other related planning. Montgomery County remains largely underserved in Elder Law, now a burgeoning area of law affecting nearly all individuals and families. Elville and Associates is both proud and privileged to serve this great community and County, and to be a Member of the Bar Association of Montgomery County. If you are a community leader, nonprofit organizer, financial advisor, CPA, insurance professional, Aging LifeCare Manager, firefighter or police officer, or other collaborative professional; or, if you know someone who is in need of client care-focused, education-based estate planning, elder law planning, special needs planning, or business related planning, we invite you to contact us. We look forward to meeting you as Elville and Associates continues to serve those who make Montgomery County great. You can reach me, Stephen R. Elville, J.D., LL.M., at 443-393-7696 x108, or at steve@elvilleassociates.com. You can also reach Lillian Hummel, our Principal Attorney at the new Montgomery County office, at 240-583-7990 x201, or at Lilly@elvilleassociates.com. Or, send us a general message here. Elville and Associates, P.C. - Planning for Life, Planning for Legacies. What’s your Plan? What’s your Legacy?