New Advisory Board Members will lend their expertise to advance the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown’s vision to serve as a hub of innovation for educational transformation and a vital regional economy.
University System of Maryland at Hagerstown announced today the appointment of five members to the board of advisors: Howard “Blackie” Bowen, Robert “BJ” Goetz, Heather Guessford, Dr. Mitesh Kothari, and Jason Rappaport. Each of these new Board members brings with them a unique perspective and set of personal and professional experiences in addition to each being deeply involved in the community.
Board Chair, Hon. Brett Wilson said “The USMH Board of Advisors is very pleased to continue its tradition of attracting community leaders to serve with the addition of these top-quality individuals. Adding leaders with track records of success positions us tofocus on the future expansion of USMH and its mission to provide high-level, affordable educational opportunities. I welcome them and I look forward to working with them.”.
When reached for comment, Mr. Bowen shared, "Several years ago, I chaired the Capital Campaign for the USMH Physician Assistant Graduate Program. During that time, I realized what a wonderful asset USMH is to our community. I look forward to serving on the advisory board and hopefully helping USMH grow its services to Washington County.”
Dr. Kothari stated that he is “Honored to serve as an advisor to USMH. When I was growing up in Hagerstown, access to a 4-year degree was not available here thus I am acutely aware of how important it is for our City and neighboring areas. I am a big believer that education serves as a great path for upward mobility, and it is essential for growth and prosperity. I look forward to collaborating with the amazing group of individuals that have assembled to be on this board of advisors to achieve excellence in education for our community.”
The new Board members began their three-year term on July 1, 2023. To view the full list of business and community leaders serving on the USMH Board of Advisors, visit https://hagerstown.usmd.edu/about/board-advisors.
About Howard “ Blackie” Bowen
CEO and Chairman of the Board of Ewing Oil Company, Inc.
Howard “Blackie” Bowen is CEO and chairman of the board of Ewing Oil Co. A 1969 graduate of St. Maria Goretti High School, Bowen received a bachelor’s degree in finance from Villanova University in 1973. Through the years, Blackie and his wife, Virginia “Ginny” Bowen, have served on numerous boards and helped raise money and secure funding for a host of organizations. This included a fundraising effort that raised $1.45 million for the new University System of Maryland at Hagerstown’s nurse practitioner and physician assistant program. In 2018, Blackie was named Herald-Ma il Media's Person of the Year, which is awarded to someone who makes a positive contribution to the community.
About Robert ‘BJ’ Goetz
President and CEO of Middletown Valley Bank
Robert “BJ” E. Goetz, Jr. joined the Bank in 2012 and serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Bank and serves as vice chairman of the board of Millennium Financial Group, Inc. (Mlend). Mr. Goetz has over 20 years of banking experience and serves as the 125th Chairman of the Maryland Bankers Association and as a member of the Meritus Health Board of Directors. He is a member of the Washington County Planning Commission and is the incoming Chair of the Greater Hagerstown Committee and serves on its Executive Committee. Mr. Goetz received a bachelor’s degree from Frostburg State University and is also a graduate of the Maryland Banking School and the Maryland Banking School for Advanced Management. In 2019 Middletown Valley Bank was named the Chamber of Commerce’s Large Business of the Year and B.J. was named Businessperson of the Year in 2021
About Heather Guessford
President and CEO of United Way of Washington County
Selected as the CEO and President of United Way Washington County in February of 2020, Heather is well-known for her philanthropic efforts such as emceeing and leading many special events as well as board leadership of several other notable organizations in Washington County including Horizon Goodwill Industries, Lasting Change Recovery Solutions, HEAL of Washington County, and several others. She attended HCC, Kaplan University, and recently received her Master of Business Administration from Purdue University Global. She has been an active member of The Greater Hagerstown Committee since 2021. Guessford is a Washington County Chamber of Commerce 2020 Young Professional of the Year finalist and a 2019 Businessperson of the Year finalist.
About Dr. Mitesh Kothari
Managing Partner at Capital Women’s Care
Dr. Kothari is board certified by the American Board of OB/GYN and is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland, College Park in 1991, graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1995, and then went on to complete his residency training in OB/GYN at the University of Maryland Hospital in 1999. That same year he returned to his hometown of Hagerstown, Maryland to practice medicine. He served as Chairman of the board of the Greater Hagerstown Committee in addition to serving on boards of many other local organizations and is a member of the Credentials Committee at Meritus Medical Center among his many other affiliations. In 2019, The Chamber of Commerce named Capital Women’s Care as a finalist for the Large Business of the Year.
About Jason Rappaport
President and CEO of Innovative Incorporated
Working with computers since the third grade, Innovative’s founder and current President and CEO, Jason has been in the IT industry for more than 20 year and holds multiple technical certifications, including Comp TIA A+, Novell CNA, Microsoft MCP/MCSE, LifeSize Certified Sales Professional, and Cisco CCNA. In 2022, Innovative Inc. was named “Small Business of the Year at the Chamber Business Awards.