Atlantic General Hospital Welcomes New Executive Members and General Members to the Board of Trustees

Atlantic General Hospital’s Board of Trustees recently appointed a new board chair, Charlotte Cathell, who is the former secretary of the board, and also appointed Doug Cook as vice chair, Aaron Finney as treasurer and Will Esham, Esq., as secretary. J. Steven Green, Kevin Myers and Steven Sweigert are new general board members.

Charlotte Kerbin Cathell, chair of the AGH Board of Trustees, was first sworn into office as the Register of Wills for Worcester County on December 3, 1998, retiring in 2018. A lifelong resident of Worcester County, Cathell is married to Judge Dale R. Cathell (retired). She is a member of the AGH Foundation and the Corporate Board. Cathell was a founder and president of Worcester County G.O.L.D. (Giving Other Lives Dignity), a former long-time member and president of the Worcester County Commission for Women and is on the board of directors of Taylor Bank. Cathell has resided in Ocean Pines for more than 40 years and is the first countywide-elected official from Ocean Pines. She was named the Citizen of the Year by the Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce in 2019.

“It is my honor to accept the position of chair of the AGH Board of Trustees,” said Cathell. “While the issues facing our entire hospital system have been great over the past few years, our sense of unity and resolve have never been stronger. Along with our CEO, Don Owrey, and our entire hospital system family, I am excited for what we will accomplish in the years to come as we strive to be proactive and make quality care more accessible to each and every one of our service area residents.”

Greg Shockley, the outgoing board chair, isowner of Shenanigan’s Irish Pub in Ocean City, Md. Shockley was the 2012 recipient of the Paul Hazard Award, named after one of the original Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association (OCHMRA) members. He is a founding member of the Boardwalk Development Association, helping to implement $5 million in boardwalk improvements, and serves on the Maryland Tourism Development Board. He has also served as president of the Ocean City Development Corporation and the OCHMRA. Shockley held other roles on the Atlantic General Hospital Board of Trustees prior to beginning his term as board chair in November 2018.

Doug Cook has been named vice chairman of the AGH Board of Trustees. He is the chief lending officer and executive vice president at Calvin B. Taylor Banking Company. Over the years, Cook has been involved in Atlantic General Hospital by serving on the Finance Committee and also on the board for Atlantic ImmediCare. Cook also serves as a trustee member for the Life Crisis Center. Cook holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Salisbury University and a Bachelor of Science in finance from Regis University. He served in the United States Army as well. Cook and his wife, Lisa, have two children, Garrett and Austin.

William E. Esham, III, has been named secretary of the AGH Board of Trustees. Esham is an attorney with Ayres, Jenkins, Gordy & Almand, P.A. He graduated from Washington & Lee University in 1987. He was admitted to the bar in 1991 after obtaining his law degree from University of Baltimore. He served as law clerk to the Honorable William R. Buchanan, Sr., and in Circuit Court for Baltimore County, Md., and is a member of the Worcester County Bar Association and Maryland State Bar Association. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees at Atlantic General, Esham is a member of the Board of Trustees of Worcester Preparatory School, the Board of Directors of Ocean City Golf Club, attorney for the Ocean City Planning and Zoning Commission and past president of St. Martin's Church Foundation.

Aaron Finney has been named treasurer of the AGH Board of Trustees. He was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2020 and serves on the Finance Committee and the Information Technology Steering Committee. A native of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Aaron returned to the area in 2000 with his wife, Kellie, and child to live in Ocean Pines, Md. He is president and CEO of TRGroup, Inc., a United States SBA certified information technology and security consulting firm that is focused on helping government and commercial institutions operate more efficiently and securely in today’s marketplace. Over the years he has demonstrated his love for helping others by volunteering for a number of organizations, currently dedicating over 70 hours per month in various outreach programs and hospital initiatives. He also serves on the Wor-Wic Community College Computer Studies Program Advisory Committee and the Parkside Career and Technical Education Program Advisory Committee, as well as other technical steering committees. Finney began supporting the hospital as an AGH Foundation member, before serving on the Foundation Board of Directors for six years.

J Steven Green, chair of the AGH Foundation, has been appointed as a voting member of the AGH Board of Trustees. He joined the AGH Foundation in 2012, becoming a board member in 2014. He served as chair of the Membership Committee for seven years and Foundation vice chair for two years before becoming chair. Green’s involvement with Atlantic General started on a personal level. His youngest son, who has autism, experienced a severe acute dystonic reaction to a prescription years ago. With Atlantic General’s ER just one mile from his home, he and his wife were able to be educated immediately about the seizure he was having. The quick diagnosis of a bad reaction to a medicine and speedy treatment quelled a very traumatic experience for his family. In fact, within two hours of the reaction occurring, everyone returned home safe and sound, all thanks to the superior care of the ER team. It’s this first-hand experience and awareness of how critical a community hospital is for everyone that fuels his passion to volunteer at Atlantic General. Green has been the publisher and editor of The Dispatch newspaper for 24 years.

Kevin Myers has been appointed to the AGH Board of Trustees. A resident of the West Ocean City/Berlin area, Myers is the internal certified public accountant and tax advisor for The Oxford Companies. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting. He completed his master's degree in taxation from Georgetown University. Myers began supporting Atlantic General when he joined the AGH Foundation in 2020 and currently serves on the Foundation Board.

Steven E. Sweigert has been appointed to the AGH Board of Trustees. A financial advisor and partner with Mitchell and Hastings Financial Services, Sweigert has over a decade of experience in assisting clients find financial prosperity. Sweigert graduated from Bloomsburg University with a Bachelor of Science in economics, and has earned the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation. He is also a registered representative and investment advisor representative with Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. Sweigert joined the Board of Trustees in May, but he has been involved with the hospital for many years. He also serves on the AGH Foundation Board and plays a very active role, continuing to co-chair the annual Robert E. Warfield Memorial Fall Golf Classic.