HAGERSTOWN – Washington County Museum of Fine Arts has added three new members to the Board of Trustees, Cathy Ashley-Cotleur, Jim Fahey and Kathy Oliver.
“I am so looking forward to growing and strengthening the museum with this group,” said Sarah Hall, museum executive director. She noted the other trustees, museum staff and executive committee — led by President Jim Holzapfel — have great plans.
“As we work through fiscal year 2025 and continue planning and raising funds for our new education center and museum expansion, it is important that we develop a board of directors with diverse talents and deep commitment to the community. And our new trustees have demonstrated this through prior service,” Hall added.
Ashley-Cotleur is a familiar face to museum visitors; she volunteers at the greeter desk and participates in other museum activities. Now that she is president of the Singer Society, the museum’s volunteer organization, Ashley-Cotleur steps into a seat on the board.
Ashley-Cotleur has lived in Hagerstown for 42 years. She migrated from Ohio in 1981. Her work experience includes serving as administrative assistant to the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives in Columbus, deputy director of the Ohio Office of Consumers’ Counsel and as executive secretary of the Ohio House. After moving to Hagerstown, Ashley-Cotleur served as a professor of marketing at Frostburg State University for 33 years before retiring in 2016.
Ashley-Cotleur received an undergraduate degree in political science from Kent State University, holds a master’s degree in political science from Ohio State University, a master’s degree in management from Frostburg State University and a doctorate in business from George Washington University.
Ashley-Cotleur has been active in political campaigns in Ohio, Maryland and Pennsylvania over the last 50 years. She has served as a delegate to two national political conventions and was chosen by the American Council of Young Political Leaders to travel to Japan to meet with government leaders there. She has served on numerous boards, including the International Council for Small Business, Maryland Health and Higher Education Facilities Authority, Columbus Area Women’s Political Caucus, Prime Time for Women, Together With Families and St. Maria Goretti High School.
Ashley-Cotleur enjoys traveling and has been to more than 40 countries for both professional and personal trips. She has a son who is married and lives in Madrid, Spain.
Fahey joined the Middletown Valley Bank team in October 2017 as a commercial relationship manager. Prior to coming to MVB, he served as the director of athletics at St. James School for five years, where he managed the athletic department in its entirety and provided coach mentoring and student-athlete leadership programs.
Fahey also owned and was the general manager of Hub City Builders in Hagerstown for more than 20 years. The business specialized in custom homes, remodeling and commercial construction in the Tri-State area.
Fahey graduated from Shippensburg University and served in the United States Army Reserves for eight years.
He is an active member of the community and has been a lifelong resident of Hagerstown. He has been a past board member of several local organizations, such as the Hagerstown Community College Booster Club, Washington County Home Builders Association, Washington County Chamber of Commerce and local Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
He has been married to his wife, Sue, for 34 years and has three grown children.
Oliver also is a familiar face to those visiting the museum. She is a member of the Singer Society, where she serves as secretary, and often volunteers as a greeter.
Her background is in education. She was the former assistant state superintendent for Career and College Readiness for the Maryland State Department of Education, where she spent 25 years.
During her tenure, Maryland revamped vocational-technical education into a 21st century system of career and technology education, the new CTE, where students prepare for careers and postsecondary studies earning early college credit and industry certifications along with their high school diplomas.
Since retirement in 2015, and through December 2019, Kathy served as a part-time consultant to the Council of Chief State School Officers where she coached state teams to improve state policies and practices for career readiness of high school graduates. She continues her professional work as a member of the PDK International Board of Directors, of which she is presently board chair.
The Rochester, N.Y., native came to Maryland to attend college at what is now Notre Dame University of Maryland. She did her post-baccalaureate work at Hood College, where she earned a master of science in Business Management.
She serves as secretary of the Singer Society, is on the Board of Trustees of the Washington County Public Library, is a past president of the Board of Directors of the Washington County Historical Society, chairs the Scholarship Committee of the Town and Country Garden Club and is a board member of the Hagerstown Women’s Club. She and her husband, Kent, live in Hagerstown.
ABOUT THE WASHINGTON COUNTY MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
Located in beautiful City Park, Hagerstown, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts was founded in 1931, the legacy of Hagerstown native Anna Brugh Singer and her husband, Pittsburgh-born artist William Henry Singer, Jr. Featuring a collection of more than 7,000 objects, the museum has important holdings of American painting, Old Masters, decorative arts and sculpture. The museum schedules an ambitious program of exhibitions, lectures, concerts, tours and talks featuring national and international artists, as well as a yearly showcase of the art of students in Washington County Public Schools. Its free youth art education programs have served seven generations of local families.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts is located at 401 Museum Dr. Free parking is available adjacent to the museum. Hours are 10a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday – Friday; 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday; 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday; the museum is closed Mondays and major holidays: Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’ Day.
