Directors

Longtime Waynesboro resident Jackie Mowen has been named executive director of the Greater Waynesboro Chamber of Commerce. Mowen, 43, will begin her new duties with the chamber on Wednesday. “I'm looking forward to cultivating relationships with the local businesses, expanding membership and enhancing the programs and services the chamber already provides and hopefully coming up with new events and programs as well,” Mowen said Friday. She was unanimously approved by the chamber board on Wednesday to replace Carlene Willhide, who resigned last month to spend more time with her family.

The executive director of the Berkeley/Jefferson Day Report Center said Wednesday that he is resigning from the position to take a job that is much closer to his Harrisburg, Pa. area home. Jason Castillo, who replaced Joe Sacchet in May 2012, is resigning from heading up the grant-funded alternative sentencing program to work for Avertest as a regional manager at a forensic drug testing facility in York, Pa. Castillo said the hour-and-a-half commute to Martinsburg and gas prices factored into his decision to resign from what he said has been the greatest job he has ever had. “I'm very sad to go,” Castillo said.

There was some good news mixed with some uncertainties when Hagerstown Regional Airport Director Phil Ridenour briefed the Washington County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday. On the good side, Allegiant Air, which operates twice weekly flights to Orlando from the airport, had nearly 4,800 passengers between Jan. 4 and Feb. 25, Ridenour said. Its planes were at 93 percent of capacity on departures, or 154 passengers per flight, he said. Departures averaged about 88 percent of capacity last year, he said.

Washington County Director of Public Works Joseph Kroboth III is retiring from the position he has held since 2007, but will be taking on new duties as the director of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure with Loudoun County, Virginia. Kroboth said he was looking for a new challenge at this time in his career. “I'm the type of person who enjoys high energy, being very busy, being involved in a lot of projects,” Kroboth said. Loudoun County, one of the richest and fastest-growing in the nation, should meet that expectation.

After nearly six years as executive director of the Greater Waynesboro Chamber of Commerce, Carlene Willhide is leaving. Her last day will be March 22. She submitted her resignation to the chamber board Wednesday. Willhide said she is leaving her post to spend more time with her family. “I'm just going to be taking a little bit of a break. I worked the last 30 years full time in very demanding jobs,” Willhide said. “I'm going to take a little bit of time to just regroup and spend some time with my family.” Those family members include her husband Michael, her recently married daughter Meagan, son-in-law Chris and her great niece and nephew.

Agency collecting furniture in need of donations To the editor: Christian Social Services has been operating a program to provide usable furniture to people in our county who have been “burned out” or find themselves in desperate situations where they have little or no furniture. People make appointments for our volunteers to pick up the furniture. We store the items in a storage facility and, when the need arises, the person makes a request and we make arrangements for delivery.

Washington County will provide temporary medical support service to the Fairplay area and pay surrounding fire companies for fire response until a permanent solution is found for serving the 42-square-mile area in the wake of Fairplay Volunteer Co.'s termination by the county, according to a plan outlined Tuesday by Director of Emergency Services Kevin Lewis. The plan Lewis detailed for the Board of County Commissioners is to station an advanced life support chase vehicle at the Washington County Agriculture Center in the next week or so. The county has a reserve vehicle that can be used for that purpose, he said.

The new executive director of the Humane Society of Washington County said Tuesday that he wants to draw on his experience to find homes for unwanted animals. Michael Lausen, who has served as operations manager at the Humane Society of El Paso in Texas, said he intends to draft volunteers to foster stray cats and dogs until they can find a permanent place to live. “I'm a big proponent of foster families,” he said. “We have limited bed space, and that's where foster families come in.” The 43-year-old Lausen replaces Paul Miller, who left the job on Nov. 13, 2012.

Robert E. Bruchey II, the former mayor of Hagerstown, has been hired by the Hagerstown Suns as Director of Sales, Marketing and Community Affairs, a team official confirmed Monday. “(Bruchey) comes from an extensive sales background and brings a vast knowledge of the local business community,” Suns general manager Bill Farley said in an email. “We expect him to help increase revenues in both sponsorships and company/group outings. We are looking forward to a great 2013 season.” Bruchey, a vocal supporter of the club and champion of a proposal to build a multiuse stadium to house the team in downtown Hagerstown during his final year in office, served as mayor from 2006 until he was ousted in the 2012 election by current Mayor David S. Gysberts.

The West Virginia University Hospitals-East board of directors recently recognized two outgoing board directors for their years of service to the health system. Rick Pill, immediate past board chairman, and Walter Washington, vice chairman and a charter member of the WVUH-East board since 2005, were presented plaques at a dinner held in their honor.