Don Morin, who chaired his final meeting last Tuesday, served six years as chair of the Garrett College Board of Trustees.
Don Morin, who has served a decade in leadership roles on the Garrett College Board of Trustees, chaired his final Board meeting last Tuesday night.
Morin, who will remain on the Board of Trustees, has served the last six years as Board chair. He served the previous four years as vice chair.
“I’ve been fortunate to serve with a lot of truly outstanding Board members who’ve brought a variety of different perspectives to their duties,” said Morin. “Their commitment to collectively providing diligent oversight and thoughtful counsel to the College administration has made my job so much easier.”
Vice Chair Jason Rush, who was selected by his colleagues as the next Board chair, said the College was fortunate to have Morin in a leadership role during a critical period in its history.
“Don provided steady leadership during some very challenging times, including the pandemic,” said Rush, the chief operating officer of First United Bank & Trust, who becomes Board chair on July 1st. “His business experience and leadership background have been extremely valuable to the College and to the Board.”
Rush succeeding Morin as Board chair is fitting, given Rush negotiated the deal that initially brought Morin to the Board – built around Rush’s agreement to coach Morin’s son’s baseball team.
“I told Jason I would agree to join the Board if he would agree to coach Clark’s Little League team,” said Morin, adding Rush led the Orioles Little League squad to great success.
Dr. Richard Midcap, Garrett College’s president, said Morin’s support has been essential in his work as GC’s president.
“I had only been a college president for 18 months when Don became chair,” said Midcap. “I’m extremely grateful for his advice and his support throughout his tenure. I’ve known I could go to Don any time I had problems or concerns, or if I just needed to talk through a new idea. His support has been crucial in helping me grow into my role.”
Karen Myers, who was appointed to the Garrett College Board of Trustees in 2021, was elected to succeed Rush as vice chair. Myers, a ninth-generation Garrett Countian, is president of Mountaineer Log & Siding Company.
Morin spent over three decades as a local business owner. He founded and served as president of Accident-based Garrett Container Systems, Inc., which develops aluminum shipping and storage containers.
A Pennsylvania State University graduate, he moved from programming into sales and marketing while working for Wang Labs. He later joined C3, where he was involved in sales, marketing, and program management for the development of a ruggedized computer system used by the U.S. Marines and Air Force.
Morin was appointed to the Garrett College Board of Trustees in 2011 and reappointed to six-year terms in 2013 and 2019. An ambitious, comprehensive construction initiative has been one of the highlights of his time as Board chair.
During his tenure as chair, the College opened the Daniel E. Offutt III STEM Center, built the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College, and constructed a multipurpose turf field to serve all of the College’s outdoor sports. The College also implemented a capital renovation strategy that has replaced key infrastructure – windows, roofs, HVAC systems, etc. – in most of the major buildings on the main campus in McHenry.
“We have one of the most impressive community college campuses in the state,” said Morin. “That’s a real tribute to the Garrett County Commissioners, who have generously supported the capital renovations and expansion program.”
On Morin’s watch, the College has regularly led the state’s community colleges in key student success metrics, including graduation and transfer rates. GC has also set new records for major internal benchmarks, including posting its highest percentage of students in good academic standing in 2023.
Morin and his wife, Elizabeth, live in McHenry.
