Leading the Way

Amy Kelsch Bielski ’97

Founder and CEO, Ripple Effect
MAJOR: Business Administration 

Bielski was named one of The Startup Weekly’s 2021 Women in Business to Watch, based on business and personal achievements in 2020, contributions to industry thought leadership and contributions to the business community at large.

Please share a positive experience from your time at Frostburg that still influences you.
Even though you are at college to learn, my best experiences were outside the classroom participating in clubs and volunteering. I met so many interesting people, including my amazing husband (James Bielski ’97), and learned a lot about myself as a person and being an effective leader. 

What advice would you give young women graduating college today?
There are many bumps in the road ahead. Learning to be resilient when things don’t go as planned will help you manage these bumps in the road, even if the bump is the scale of a pandemic. Resilient people set goals, have an optimistic outlook, handle change and stress effectively, are empathetic of others and don’t dwell on failures. If you want to prepare for your future, learn to be resilient!

Dr. Yolanda Michelle Forno Harman M’05/D’20

Assistant Principal at Northern Garrett High School
MAJOR: Administration and Supervision (2005) and Education (2020)

Harman was unanimously approved for membership on the Garrett County Commission for Women.

Please share a positive experience from your time at Frostburg that still influences you.
So many moments stand out, but one professor, Dr. Glenn Thompson, always gave great leadership advice throughout our doctoral coursework. A particular quote was (and I paraphrase) “…to honor the people in the room as well as those not in the room.” This makes me pause to consider the words that I say each day and the power, negative or positive, that they can have.

Additionally, the many moments of encouragement provided by my chairs, the late Dr. Todd Rosa and Dr. John Stoothoff, pushed me to finally complete a long, challenging journey to my Ed.D. As Dr. Thompson says, “It’s all about the journey.” And it sure was!

What advice would you give young women graduating college today?
Never give up. Persevere and push toward your goals no matter how difficult and impossible they may seem because, in the end, it is all worth it! Remember those who helped you (like all my past professors, classmates, colleagues, friends and family) and pay it forward by lifting others up in their own pursuits.

Dr. Jerri Drummond Howland ’91

Vice President for Student Affairs, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
MAJOR: Political Science

Howland began her position at St. Mary’s in July. She was previously vice president for Student Affairs and dean of Students at State University of New York at Oswego.

Please share a positive experience from your time at Frostburg that still influences you.
While at FSU, two experiences catapulted my career: becoming the first Black Campus Activities Board president and being a student manager at the Lane Center. Bill Mandicott and Mary Kay Poljan were my supervisors at the Lane Center and mentors. Both Bill and MK helped me to find my voice and passion as a student leader. As a first- generation college student, I didn’t see myself as a student leader or even know I could have a career in higher education. Without their encouragement and guidance, I would not have continued my education or chosen student affairs as my career. I love what I do every day, and I owe it to them.

What advice would you give young women graduating college today?
Believe you are good enough. Confidence does not always come with success; it often comes from perseverance and never giving up.

Bethany Strawderman Lord ’06

Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources and Culture Officer, Woodsboro Bank
MAJOR: Business Administration

Lord was appointed to the senior vice president position in March. She has been with Woodsboro Bank since 2017.

Please share a positive experience from your time at Frostburg that still influences you.
Dr. Evan Offstein is the professor that really influenced me to become an HR professional. His experiences as they related to the content he was teaching made the HR profession seem to offer a broad scope that connected psychology with business. His enthusiasm for it was contagious, and I caught the bug. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention Dr. Ahmad Tootoonchi as another key influencer, but more on ethics and how I wanted to show up as a leader every day. The lessons I learned in those classrooms have served me well.

What advice would you give young women graduating college today?
Take every opportunity that is presented to you to learn and make connections. Show up, do what you say you’re going to do, and don’t be afraid to ask for what you deserve.

Patricia Muldoon ’89

Another Bobcat at Woodsboro Bank was also promoted in March. Patricia was named executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Dr. Carol A. Rothstein D’16

Vice President of Academic Affairs and Workforce Development/Higher Education, Nashville State Community College
MAJOR: Educational Leadership, Concentration in Higher Education Administration

Rothstein was appointed to her position, which is chief academic officer for the college, in January, after serving as dean of Instruction at Hagerstown Community College.

Please share a positive experience from your time at Frostburg that still influences you.
The most influential experience I had while in the FSU doctoral program was learning from then-program director/professor Dr. Glenn Thompson. Not only did Dr. Thompson encourage and inspire me, he instilled in me the importance of authentic leadership. His lessons on “removing the mask” and being authentic still resonate with me.

What advice would you give young women graduating college today?
My advice is to be purposeful about your professional growth and career goals. Identify areas in which you need to grow or acquire new skills, then seek out opportunities that will help you do that. Do not be afraid to take on new challenges. Getting outside of your comfort zone can be intimidating, but have confidence in yourself. You can learn to do anything. You may make mistakes as you learn and grow, but mistakes are a necessary part of the learning process. Be forgiving of yourself, learn from it and move on.

Michelle Sanchez-Bickley ’94

Chief Human Resources Officer, Renown Health in Reno, Nev.
MAJOR: Double Major in Political Science and Justice Studies; Double Minor in Spanish and Sociology

Sanchez-Bickley was recognized by Ragan Communications and Workplace Wellness Insider as one of its 2020 Top Women in HR Awards honorees for her leadership and innovation in human resources.

Please share a positive experience from your time at Frostburg that still influences you.
Frostburg was an amazing school that afforded me the opportunity to obtain an excellent education and learn from amazing professors. Dr. Walter Lackey Jr. in our constitutional law classes was such an interesting and intelligent professor, teaching many court cases and analyzing data. This was one of many courses that truly helped shaped my future career plans. It was also one of the classes in which I met my husband, Scott Bickley ’93. We are celebrating now 25 years of marriage and have two amazing sons. Frostburg left us both with so many fun memories. One of mine includes joining the sorority of Phi Sigma Sigma with a lifetime of memories and connections.

What advice would you give young women graduating college today?
Do not be afraid to ask for help, as you won’t know everything, and others are often willing to assist. The worst thing that anyone can tell you is ‘no,’ so don’t be afraid to ask. Most importantly, do not give up on what you want in life as you can accomplish anything. Stay humble and kind. Learn from your mistakes and be willing to learn from others.

Tracey L. Stancliff ’97

Grid Modernization Portfolio Manager with the Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)
MAJOR: International Studies, Business Concentration

Stancliff received a BPA Administrator’s Excellence Award for Workplace or Technology Innovation for leading a team to develop a data dashboard to track and manage BPA’s portfolio of 35 grid modernization projects, a six-year effort of advancing the region’s transmission and power systems. The process required developing new tools to manage the portfolio, transforming the tracking process by eliminating the use of outdated, labor-intensive spreadsheets and working across the agency to design a single platform to track financials, project status and change-management metrics.

Please share a positive experience from your time at Frostburg that still influences you.
The friendships I formed in Cambridge Hall, the honors/ international dorm, are still some of the best and most meaningful friendships of my life.

I had a professor (I believe it was Dr. Joan Serafin Andorfer) who spoke at the beginning of her classes about how students needed to be better consumers of their education. If a professor made a class easy, or if you put in minimal effort to pass, students would often think that was a great break. In reality, you are missing value from the very real money you spend on your education. It changed the way I thought about school and has continued to influence how and where I spend my time and effort.

What advice would you give young women graduating college today?
In one word: ask. It took me a while to realize that I could not be shy and just work hard and wait to be noticed. I had to advocate for myself. Ask for help. Ask for mentoring. Ask to be considered for opportunities. Ask for the raise.

You will sometimes be told “no,” and that is OK. “No” can be a gift. Sometimes it is a great signal to move to the next opportunity. It can also be a chance to be coachable and learn how to incorporate feedback from people you respect. You learn more, you develop yourself, and you create opportunities for great relationships.

Kathrine Gibson Townsley ’00

Executive Director, Carroll Technology and Innovation Council
MAJOR: History

She and the Carroll Technology and Innovation Council were highlighted in Carroll Magazine’s “Women in Business” segment.

Please share a positive experience from your time at Frostburg that still influences you.
My freshman orientation advisor Wray Blair (former associate vice president for Enrollment Management, previously associate director of Admissions) was a huge influence on me personally and my time at Frostburg, and, through his messaging, still to this day.

As my first-year advisor during freshman orientation, Mr. Blair quickly encouraged me and gave me a reason to get involved in campus activities so that I didn’t get lost in the shuffle and chaos of the freshman year experience of college. I took that message to heart, and it really resonated with me.

He asked me to serve as an FSU ambassador and tour guide for prospective students. That opportunity encouraged me to get involved with other campus activities and led to an on- campus job and then eventually my pledging Alpha Xi Delta.

I would continue to seek his wisdom and advice for various matters, and we became friends. As an alum, I would make a point to seek him out when I came back to campus for various events so that we could catch up face to face.

I pride myself in being a great connector of people, ideas and things in my profession and within my community. I certainly appreciate him giving me a reason to stay at Frostburg and to get involved, which is what I try to do for others in Carroll County, where I live, work and play.

Mr. Blair and I are still connected via LinkedIn and Facebook, where he continues to be one of my biggest advocates, celebrating my successes, personally and professionally!

What advice would you give young women graduating college today?
Remember to practice random acts of kindness, and always give back! Find a way to get involved in something that matters. Relationships and careers will come and go, but the opportunity to in your community will leave lasting impressions and leave you feeling rewarded and fulfilled.

You know the saying, “Be the Change”? It’s pretty easy to do; you just have to be willing to do it! Your acts will not go unnoticed.