LAKER NATION - Key Persons
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- DJS Learning Opportunities Program Administrator
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- Coordinator of Safety and Security
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- Assistant Director of Workforce Development
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- Director of Human Resources
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- Chairman of the Executive Board
- Certified Public Accountant With a B.S
- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer for First United Bank & Trust
- President, CEO and Chairman of the Board / First United Bank & Trust
Carissa Rodeheaver's long-standing membership on the Garrett College Foundation Board of Directors and her current leadership over the organization is a testament to Carissa's strong belief in education and her passion for the students of Garrett County. She sees the Foundation as a supporting arm of the College, creating educational opportunities for students through scholarships, grants, capital campaigns and ongoing support. She is also particularly passionate about the I Can Swim program and the opportunity that it provides to all Garrett County kindergarten students. Carissa believes that a strong education can open doors to amazing careers and life experiences and is happy and honored to serve on the Garrett College Foundation Board.
Carissa Rodeheaver is Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer for First United Bank & Trust and First United Corporation, a $1.8 billion publicly traded financial holding company headquartered in Oakland, Maryland and operating 27 branch offices and a $1.4 billion wealth department. Carissa is passionate about customizing financial solutions for customers throughout Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, having worked in the banking industry for over 30 years. Her career in banking began in wealth management where she served as a Trust Administrator, Sales Officer and Sales Manager before she transitioned into bank finance where she served as Chief Financial Officer before becoming CEO. She is an avid supporter of the financial industry through her involvement as past Chairman for the Maryland Bankers Association, current Director for the Maryland Bankers Association and Director and Treasurer for the American Bankers Association, past Chairman for the American Bankers Association BankPac and Membership Committees, member of the American Bankers Association Government Relations, Investment and Venture Investment Capital Committees and Voter Education Advisory Council, past member of the American Bankers Association Accounting Committee and founding member of the Maryland Bankers Association Council for Professional Women in Banking and Finance.
Locally, Carissa currently serves on boards and committees for the Garrett College Foundation, the Garrett Development Corporation, UPMC Western Maryland Health Systems, the Community Trust Foundation and the Garrett County Public Schools CTE Committee.
Carissa is a certified public accountant with a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Maryland at College Park where she graduated with honors. During her career, Carissa has been publicly recognized by the Maryland Association of Public Accountants as a Woman to Watch, was inducted into the Garrett County Women's Hall of Fame, was recognized as one of Maryland's Top 100 Women by The Daily Record in 2020 and 2022, their 2022 Maryland Power 30 in Banking and Finance and 2022 Most Admired CEO. Under her leadership, First United Corporation has been recognized for multiple years by Women on Boards and Executive Alliance 20/20 Honor Roll for its gender diversity and has established a charitable foundation to benefit the communities where the bank operates.
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- Student Activities Manager
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- Dean of Academic Affairs / Chief Academic Officer
- Interim CAO
- Interim Dean of Academic Affairs / CAO
Christa Bowser, who most recently served as Garrett College's interim dean of academic affairs, has been named GC's dean of academic affairs and chief academic officer (CAO).
Bowser, who became interim CAO on July 1st, said her major goals for the 2023-24 academic year include "advancing dual enrollment with Garrett County Public Schools and increasing academic program offerings at GC." To that end, the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) recently approved both an Associate of Science degree in Exercise Science and a Health Sciences certificate for Garrett College.
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- Facilities Maintenance Technician I
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- Facilities Maintenance Technician III
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- Dean of Student Affairs / Chief Student Affairs Officer
Dean Kerns, who became dean of student affairs in 2018, is committed to a continued expansion of support services for Garrett College students.
"Our Students in Need Group does an excellent job," said Dean Kerns, pointing to the student food pantry as an example of the volunteer group's positive impact. "I'd like to expand the work this group performs in order to provide more services to those students in need of additional resources." Read more.
Dean Kerns earned a bachelor's degree in economics from University of Louisville, where he attended on a full athletic scholarship to play soccer for the NCAA Division I Cardinals. He is currently working with the GC Athletic Department, which resides in the Student Affairs Division, to expand intercollegiate athletic offerings.
"Garrett College has a rich tradition in intercollegiate athletics," observed Dean Kerns. "We're perfectly positioned to attract student athletes with an excellent faculty and staff, as well as being one of only two community colleges in Maryland with on-campus residence facilities."
Dean Kerns is helping to spearhead a GC effort to acquire funding for a baseball/softball/soccer turf field, which he believes "would be a game-changer" for athletics.
Dean Kerns holds six advanced degrees including a doctorate in higher education administration,a juris doctorate, and master's degrees in business administration, psychology, law, and library and information science.
Dean Kerns and his wife, Whitney, who practices law in Morgantown, reside in Morgantown with daughter Elle, 8, and son Kellan, 2. In his spare time, Dean Kerns said he enjoys "playing tennis with my daughter and watching cartoons with my son."
Job Titles:
- Dean of Business & Finance / Chief Fiscal Officer
Dean Ouellette, who became dean of business and finance in February 2020, came to Garrett College in 2019 as director of business and finance after six years in the local private sector.
Read more.
Dean Yoder is a statewide workforce development leader, having served as president of the Maryland Community Colleges Association of Continuing Education and Training (MCCACET) in 2018-19. She currently serves on the board of directors for both Garrett County Community Action and Garrett County Development Corporation.
Dean Yoder resides in Garrett County with her husband, Dennis, who works for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources as maintenance supervisor for the Green Ridge State Forest in Allegany County. They are the parents of two adult sons, Derek and Andrew, both of whom attended Garrett College before transferring to Frostburg State University.
Dean Yoder is the longest-serving member of Garrett College's leadership team, having served as dean of continuing education and workforce development since 2011.
Read more.
Job Titles:
- President
- 13th President
- Ex - Officio Member As President
Garrett College's Senior Leadership Team includes the President, the College's four divisional deans, and the Executive Assistant to the President.
Dr. Richard Midcap became Garrett College's 13th president in January 2017 after almost 23 years at Chesapeake College on Maryland's Eastern Shore. While he has spent most of his career in student affairs - including 13 years as Chesapeake's vice president of student affairs - Dr. Midcap has also taught as an adjunct faculty member and served a one-year appointment as Chesapeake's interim vice president of academic affairs.
Dr. Richard Midcap became Garrett College's 13th president in January 2017 after almost 23 years at Chesapeake College on Maryland's Eastern Shore. While he has spent most of his career in student affairs - including 13 years as Chesapeake's vice president of student affairs - Dr. Midcap has also taught as an adjunct faculty member and served a one-year appointment as Chesapeake's interim vice president of academic affairs.
A strong supporter of workforce development initiatives, President Midcap sits on both the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development Group and The Greater Cumberland Committee's Education Subcommittee. He has been an advocate for creating seamless pathways between credit and noncredit workforce development programs, supporting Garrett College's groundbreaking Associate of Applied Science programs in Paramedic Studies and Professional/Technical Studies that recognize workforce credentials earned in noncredit education.
"From my perspective, the key isn't whether learning takes place via credit or noncredit programs, or a combination of the two," said President Midcap. "The important thing is that we find a way to recognize the skills our students acquire through the learning process."
President Midcap praised Garrett County's collaborative spirit, which he said allows the county to reach goals that might otherwise be unattainable.
"There is an impressive emphasis in Garrett County on local partnerships that allow us to achieve shared goals," said President Midcap, citing the new Performing Arts Center at Garrett College (PAC) as a perfect example of collaboration.
"It took the coordinated efforts of the County Commissioners, Senator [George] Edwards, Delegate [Wendell] Beitzel, and College officials to acquire the state and local funding to construct the PAC," observed President Midcap. "Even with that accomplished, the performing arts center would not have been possible without the ongoing financial commitments of the PAC's founding partners: Garrett County Government, Garrett County Public Schools, the Garrett Lakes Arts Festival, the Garrett County Arts Council, and Garrett College."
President Midcap is also committed to strengthening the partnership between Maryland's 16 community colleges, which work formally through the Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC). He currently serves on the MACC Executive Committee and served two terms as chair of MACC's Chief Student Affairs Officers affinity group while at Chesapeake.
"It's important that Maryland's community colleges work together to address the needs of our students," said President Midcap. "I think our coordinated statewide efforts in advocating for necessary funding and programming have been very successful over the years."
President Midcap earned a bachelor's degree in history from Salisbury University, a master's degree in history from Washington College, and a doctorate in education from Wilmington University. He and his wife, Donna, reside in McHenry. They have two daughters: Lyn, 29, who lives in Los Angeles and works for a sports agency; and Cassie, 26, who is a mental health counselor on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
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- Coordinator of Operations - CEWD
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- Member of the Executive Board
- Vice - Chair of the Development Committee
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- Registration Associate - CEWD
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- Assistant Director of Professional & Community Education
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- Coordinator of Professional Education
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- Accounts Receivable
- Manager
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- Director of Financial Aid
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- Coordinator of Grants & Program Funds
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- Coordinator of Career & Technical Education
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- Coordinator of Community Outreach
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- Administrative Associate - Facilities
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- Secretary of the Executive Board
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- Administrative Associate - Foundation Office
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- Executive Assistant to the President
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- Member of the Executive Board
- Vice - Chair Finance & Investment Committee
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- Events Management Specialist
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- Administrative Associate - Faculty
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- Coordinator of Programming - CARC
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- Assistant Director of Community Aquatic and Recreation Complex
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- Director of Equity, Compliance and Security
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- Coordinator of Academic Affairs
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- Technical Services Librarian
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- Health Services Coordinator
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- Technical Services Librarian
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- Dean of Business & Finance / Chief Fiscal Officer
"I started my career working for a regional public accounting firm located in Garrett County, and fell in love with the community and the non-profits that I worked with," said Dean Ouellette. "I wanted to find an organization that I could help support with a mission that I truly valued, which is why I ended up at Garrett College."
Job Titles:
- Dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Development
"My job is incredibly rewarding because so many elements of it are community-facing," said Dean Yoder, who has spent her entire Garrett College career in CEWD. "After 27 years, I still love going to work every day."
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- Executive Assistant to the President
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- Campus Safety and Security Officer
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- Coordinator of Student Affairs
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- Dean of Business and Finance
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- Director of Campus Facilities and Security
Professor Kapoor earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota, a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Baroda-India. He is a proponent of active learning and uses a variety of methods to encourage discussion and interaction on the topics the course presents. Professor Kapoor believes that students who are active participants learn much more than those whose participation is largely passive. He welcomes students who are actively involved, thinking and questioning the material presented to them in the classroom.
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- Administrative Associate - Advising & Academic Success Center
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- Director of Community Aquatic and Recreation Complex
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- Assistant
- Athletic Trainer
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- Administrative Operations Support Assistant
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- Adventure Equipment Center Manager and TAY Coordinator
"Our Students in Need Group (SING) does an excellent job," said Dean Kerns, pointing to the student food pantry as an example of the volunteer group's positive impact. "I'd like to expand the work this group performs in order to provide more services to those students in need of additional resources."
Job Titles:
- Campus Safety and Security Officer
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- Vice Chair of the Executive Board
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- Facilities Maintenance Technician II
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- Director of the Advising & Academic Success Center
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- Creative Services Specialist
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- Director of Student Development
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- Director of Analytics and Institutional Research
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- Professor of Business & Economics
Professor Miller was born in Southern California to a military family. He moved to West Virginia to be closer to family when his father retired from service. Professor Miller had an appointment to the United States Naval Academy but declined and instead attended WVU. He earned three degrees from WVU including a Juris Doctorate, Master of Science in Labor Relations, and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. After being in private practice for a few years after completing law school, Professor Miller got an instructor's position at Garrett College and has been at Garrett ever since, rising to the current rank of full professor with tenure. Professor Miller has also served in administrative roles at Garrett College including Assistant Women's Basketball Coach, Coordinator of Business, Interim Director of BAIT, and Associate Dean of Student Life. In his spare time, he enjoys scuba diving, travel, watching sports and going to movies.
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- Associate Professor of Biology
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- Mechanical Systems Supervisor / Chief Electrician
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- Records & Registration Assistant - Transcript Evaluator
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- Coordinator of Community Education
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- Treasurer of the Executive Board
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- Assistant Director of Financial Aid
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- Director of Admissions & Recruitment
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- Dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Development
Job Titles:
- Facilities Maintenance Technician I