New Foundation Board Members

Chad Clapsaddle is an experienced leader in both his personal and professional life. He is currently the executive vice dean for Strategic Initiatives and Operations at the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. In this key leadership position, he’s responsible for driving the school’s strategic vision, ensuring operational excellence and advancing the school’s reputation in engineering education, research and innovation.

Prior to this role, Clapsaddle served as the school’s senior associate dean for Finance and Administration from 2017 to 2025 and held the position of senior director of budgets for the university, where he was responsible for budget planning, financial reporting and in the formulation of the University’s annual operating and capital budget and five-year financial plan.

Before joining Johns Hopkins University, Clapsaddle served as the executive director, Office of Capital Budgeting, Maryland Department of Budget and Management from 2004-2013. As executive director, he was the senior advisor to Maryland’s Governor on matters related to the State’s capital budget. As one of seven operating units in the Department, the Office of Capital Budgeting develops guidelines for the submission of facilities master plans and capital project requests, evaluates capital budget requests and develops the State’s annual capital budget and five-year capital improvement plan. Prior to that, Clapsaddle held the following positions: deputy director, Office of Capital Budgeting, Maryland Department of Budget and Management (1999-2004); supervising budget analyst, Maryland Department of Budget and Management (1996-1999); legislative analyst, Maryland General Assembly (1993-1996) and policy analyst, Montgomery County (Md.) Public Schools (1992).

Clapsaddle is firmly rooted in the important mission of FSU from his time with the State of Maryland and through his late wife, Mary’s, long membership of the FSU Foundation board. His passion for the University is demonstrated in his longstanding philanthropic support. He and Mary established two scholarship funds -- the Mary E. Clapsaddle Merit Scholarship Fund and the Chadfield B. and Mary E. Clapsaddle Merit Scholarship Fund. Clapsaddle is also a longtime supporter of the University’s Annual Fund and Presidential Merit Scholarship Fund.

Clapsaddle is actively engaged in his community where he held several lay leadership positions at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, where he has served as church council president, treasurer and most recently led the congregation’s search for a new head pastor. He is also a current board member of the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.

He holds a Master of Public Policy degree from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Minnesota.

Jeffrey D. Cornelius '78

Jeffrey D. Cornelius '78 graduated from FSU with a double major in Geography and Political Science. After graduation, he continued his education at the University of Baltimore School of Law where he graduated with his J.D. in 1981. Cornelius was admitted to the Maryland Bar that year.

After law school he accepted a commission into the U.S. Navy as a member of the Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Cornelius spent six years on active duty with the JAG Corps, and his final assignment was as an assistant professor in the Leadership and Law Department at the United States Naval Academy.

Upon leaving active Naval Service, Cornelius joined First National Bank of Maryland’s Trust Department where he worked with clients in Estate and Trust administration. Following his seven years at First National, he joined Farmers Bank of Maryland in Annapolis, heading up their Trust and Estate administration division for five years.

In 2000 Cornelius joined Brown Advisory where he worked for 20 years, retiring in 2020. Brown Advisory is a global independent investment management and strategic advisory firm headquartered in Baltimore. In addition to working with client families with their strategic estate planning and philanthropic goals, Cornelius also held several leadership positions at Brown during his tenure, including serving as the head of the firm’s fiduciary oversight functions.

Cornelius is a native of Cumberland, Md., and has lived in the Annapolis area since 1986. His community involvement includes many years as a coach with the Broadneck Area Youth Sports programs and with the non-profit Athletes Serving Athletes where he was a race Wingman Captain.

Cornelius, and his wife, Chris, met when they were both on active duty in the Navy stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, and were married in 1983. They have three adult children and two grandchildren.

Major General Robert L. Edmonston II '90 is an experienced executive with a distinguished 33-year military record of significant contributions to the country in the areas of national security, information technology and cybersecurity. He is the founder and owner of Edmonson Consulting Group LLC.

After graduating from Frostburg in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and earning a commission into the United States Army, Major General Edmonson rose to become a 2-star commanding general. In his final military assignment, he served as the commanding general of Communications-Electronics Command and senior commander of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. In this role he led an IT enterprise comprised of 9,000 soldiers, federal civilians and contractors in 24 states, 20 overseas locations and direct oversight of a $3.1 billion fiscal portfolio.