Board Member Spotlight: Rae Pearl Canizares

For Rae Pearl Canizares, people are always at the center —learning about them, helping them, and teaching them. Whether serving as Chairman of the Rockville Housing Enterprises Board of Commissioners, teaching with the Language Outreach Program (LOP), or working as a therapist, her work has consistently focused on using her skills to make a meaningful difference. Over her nine years as a Reach board member, she has helped guide the organization with that same community‑driven spirit. As she prepares to stepdown from the board this summer due to term limits, we want to thank her for years of service.

Rae Pearl first encountered Reach while attending a choir performance in which her son was singing. The event was a collaboration with Reach (then CMR), and she found herself drawn to brochures detailing our community programs. Soon after, she began teaching English with LOP. Her connection to the mission continued to grow, and in 2017 she officially joined the Reach Board after discussing the opportunity with the former Executive Director.

Rae Pearl is always eager to offer her insight, connections, and time – she has served on the planning committee for the annual gala, assisted with volunteer needs, and helped recruit new supporters. Assisting with fundraising is a particular area of interest. She jokes that there are countless individuals in Montgomery County who have the capacity to give—“but there are only 24 hours in a day, and I can’t do it all!”

Among the causes closest to her heart, the Language Outreach Program stands out. Helping immigrants learn English, she feels, is about far more than grammar or vocabulary—it’s about opening doors. She explains, “I love LOP because, through education and helping immigrants learn English, I can be a channel for assisting them to actualize their earning potential and find their place in American society.”

A fun fact? Rae Pearl laughs easily at herself, and she wants others to laugh with her. “I am clumsy! There is not a day I don’t do a faux pas—stubbing my toes, bumping my head… I’m a little Mrs. Bean in action!”

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