First United recently announced the appointment of three new members to the Corporation’s Board of Directors. The new members include John F. Barr of Hagerstown, Maryland; Brian R. Boal of Oakland, Maryland; and Marisa A. Shockley of Frederick, Maryland.
William B. Grant, chairman of the board and chief executive officer for First United Bank & Trust recently commented on the local appointments by stating, “We are pleased that John, Brian and Marisa have accepted our invitation to serve First United Corporation. Our Bank’s primary focus is on community oriented business owners and these individuals are prime examples of what makes a community business leader, having served Washington, Garrett and Frederick counties well. Their financial expertise, industry and market knowledge will benefit the Board as well as the corporation for many years to come.”
John F. Barr is the sole owner and president of Ellsworth Electric Incorporated headquartered in Hagerstown, Maryland where he began his career as a part-time electrical apprentice in 1968. After completing his apprenticeship, Barr became a master electrician in 1975, and by 1979 was promoted to service manager. He quickly rose in the ranks to become the vice president and general manager. In 1991, Barr became sole owner and president of Ellsworth Electric, Inc. He now manages over 150 employees and Ellsworth Electric is licensed and conducts business in Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Barr also works to improve the construction trades by offering educational programs thru the Barr Construction Institute; the educational arm of Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC), the local chapter of which was founded by Barr’s father, Jack E. Barr. The Barr Construction Institute is committed to developing a safe workplace and a high-performance workforce through quality education and training in the carpentry, electrical, HVAC and plumbing fields. In addition, they offer continuing education, management education, professional development and safety training.
Barr is passionate about the community, and over the years has served on a number of organizations, board and committees, including: the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, the Washington County Board of Electrical Examiners & Supervisors, Goodwill-Horizon Industries Board of Directors, Grace Academy, the Salvation Army, as well as Chairman of the Associate Builders & Contractors, the Red Cross of Washington County Board of Directors, Cedar Ridge Children’s Home Board of Directors, City of Hagerstown Board of Technical Appeals and the Economic Development Council. He also served on the Citizens’ Advisory Council for Career Technology, Maryland Citizens for Responsive Government, the Greater Hagerstown Committee and Antietam Exchange Clubs.
Currently, Barr is the Vice President of the County Commissioners, serving on numerous boards and committees; including the University of Maryland Hagerstown Campus Board as well as being the 2nd Vice President of the Maryland Association of Counties (MACO). Barr and his wife Teresa Lynn reside in Clear Spring, Maryland where they enjoy spending time with their four children, their spouses and eight grandchildren.
Brian R. Boal is currently a principal at Boal & Associates, PC — Certified Public Accountants in Oakland, Maryland. After graduating Magma Cum Laude in 1995 from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, he later passed the CPA exam in the state of Pennsylvania. In 1995, he joined PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP working in the audit and tax departments at office locations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cincinnati, Ohio, and most recently served as a Tax Manager in Charlotte, North Carolina. While in Charlotte, he also served as a Leadership Committee Member for the United Way as well as a Wake Forest University Recruiting Staff Leader. He returned from North Carolina to Garrett County in 2001 and founded Boal & Associates, PC and is a current member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants.
As a dedicated member in the community, Boal has served as the treasurer of the Oakland/Mt. Lake Park Lion’s Club since 2002. Additionally, he currently serves as treasurer for a number of non-profit organizations, including: Our Town Theatre of Oakland, Friends of Ruth Enlow Public Library, Garrett County Memorial Hospital Foundation and Broken Roads Associates. He is also a co-trustee and co-founder of the Landon’s Library, an organization dedicated to promoting childhood literacy to the children of Garrett County, as well as a member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors where he was named the 2012 Affiliate of the Year, and is an honorary member of Lodge #99, Fraternal Order of Police in Oakland. He is a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Oakland. Boal, his wife Crystal and their son Nicholas reside in Mt. Lake Park, Maryland.
Marisa A. Shockley is a lifelong resident of Frederick, Maryland and is very active in giving back to the community. Shockley is co-owner with her brother, Michael K. Shockley, of Shockley Honda in Frederick; together, they handle the day-to-day operations of Shockley Honda.
Shockley was recently named as one of four regional finalists for the 2014 TIME Dealer of the Year award at the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention in January. Out of a total of 17,000 automobile dealers, Shockley won the designation of Finalist for the Northeast Region. The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. In January 2011, she was elected to serve as the first woman Chairman of the Maryland Auto Dealers Association, which is one of the largest trade associations in the state. The association represents 358 new car franchised dealers in the state of Maryland.
Shockley graduated from Hood College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. Later, she also graduated from the National Automobile Dealer Academy (NADA). She was appointed by Governor O’Malley of Maryland to serve on the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Commission. She currently serves on the Hood College Board of Associates and she is also immediate past president of the Maryland School for the Deaf Foundation where she currently serves as treasurer. Shockley was also the past president of Frederick County Automobile Dealers Association and currently serves as the association’s secretary and treasurer. Shockley, her husband Paul Allen and her three step-children reside in Frederick, Maryland.
First United Bank & Trust, a subsidiary of First United Corporation operates as a full-service commercial bank. The Bank has a network of community offices in Garrett, Allegany, Washington and Frederick Counties in Maryland, as well as Mineral, Berkeley and Monongalia Counties in West Virginia. First United’s website can be located at mybank4.com. As of 06/30/2014, the Corporation posted assets of $1.3 billion.
