MEET THE EDUCATORS

Kevin Starliper

Moises Mendoza

Michelle Cuthrell Sadat

Brad Close

Kenneth Barton

Tiffany Hines

Kelsey Swaim Miller

Justin Ruble

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Kevin Starliper has over 30 years of banking experience with the last 22 of those years spent with CNB Bank. Kevin is currently the Senior Vice President / Chief Lending Officer with his primary focus being on commercial lending. Kevin has a degree from Shepherd University in Business Administration and Economics where he was awarded the McMurran Scholar, and MBA from Frostburg University and graduated from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking. Throughout his career, Kevin has volunteered on numerous Boards and Organizations, including Past Chairman of the Berkeley County Development Authority, Executive Committee of the Martinsburg / Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce and Noon Rotary Club. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys spending time in the outdoors and playing tennis.

Moises Cardenas is just your everyday digital marketing expert with a knack for storytelling. He's spent more than ten years in the industry, using his skills to help businesses grow and reach their audiences in meaningful ways. He's not just about the data and algorithms though - his real talent lies in understanding people and what makes them click. As the proud owner of SC Studios, Moises oversees a diverse range of digital marketing services. From videography to social media marketing, and search engine optimization to a comprehensive understanding of the digital landscape, his hands-on approach ensures every project gets the personal touch it deserves. But that's only one side of Moises. At home, he's a devoted family man with a wife named Ashley and a son, Javi. Their family wouldn't be complete without their two dogs, who provide endless entertainment and companionship. They share his love for adventure, often accompanying him on his various outdoor escapades. Beyond his work and family life, Moises is a fan of a good game, whether that's delving into the intricate world of Dungeons and Dragons, getting lost in a new video game, or shooting hoops on the basketball court. Each of these hobbies, in its own way, fuels his creativity and keeps his problem-solving skills sharp. Moises Cardenas is more than his resume suggests. He's a dedicated professional, a loving husband and father, and an individual who knows the value of hard work and fun. His life is a testament to the notion that with passion and perseverance, one can indeed live a life that's fulfilling in all dimensions.

Michelle Cuthrell Sadat started her career in the insurance industry in 2005 and founded Advocate Insurance Group in 2008. She is passionate about the work she does as an insurance professional, and enjoys assisting individuals, families, non-profits, and businesses in securing their futures through insurance. Michelle is very involved in the community and serves on several boards including current president of Martinsburg Rotary, current board member and former president of Main Street Martinsburg and board member for Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle. She has served two terms on the Task Force/ Agent advisory board for Erie Insurance Group. Is an active member and former board member for the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce. Her company Advocate Insurance Group was named Small Business of the Year in 2022 by The Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce, was named Giving Agency of the Year by Erie Insurance and was recognized as Business of the year by Main Street Martinsburg. She currently lives in Shepherdstown with her husband, 8-year-old son and 6-year-old twin daughters and can typically be found on the sidelines of a soccer field on the weekends.

Brad Close, CPA MBA, is a lifelong resident of the eastern panhandle, migrating east to Martinsburg in 2017, from Berkeley Springs. Brad, and his wife of 17 years, Jessica now reside in Martinsburg with their three children. Brad graduated from Berkeley Springs High School in 1999, West Liberty University (West Liberty, WV) in 2003, where he played 4 years of collegiate baseball and earned his Masters in Business Administration degree with a concentration in Finance from Mt. St. Mary's University in 2005. Upon passing the Certified Public Accountant exam in 2007, Brad, together with his father and brother, Matthew Close, CPA, formed the accounting firm of Bradley, Thomas & Matthew Close, CPAs PLLC. The Firm now has locations in Berkeley Springs, WV, Martinsburg, WV and Hagerstown, MD. BTM maintains that community service is a cornerstone of its existence. This extends to Brad personally as evidenced by his service on a multitude of community boards, serving as Treasurer on most, during his 20 years of service to the Community. In addition to serving on over 15 different boards throughout this time, his public service is highlighted by being elected to the Morgan County Commission in 2010. More recently, he is serving on the Blue Ridge Community & Technical College Board of Governors, Berkeley County Development Authority, the Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport Authority & the Hope Community Church Board of Trustees. In 2018, Close was recognized for his efforts in the Community as well as professionally by being name one on the State's top Young Guns by the West Virginia Executive magazine.

Ken Barton is the Managing Member of the Steptoe & Johnson PLLC Martinsburg office. Ken concentrates his practice in the areas of banking and commercial transactions, real estate, real estate development, mergers and acquisitions and corporate workouts and collections. Ken earned his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School and his B.S. from Philadelphia College of Pharmacy & Science. Ken also devotes his time to numerous community organizations including the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce Board, currently serving as Treasurer; Blue Ridge Community and Technical College Foundation, currently the Chair; Board Member of Healthy Smiles of the Eastern Panhandle, Eastern Panhandle Advisory Board Member for Truist Bank; the Knights of Columbus; and the Dean’s Circle at University of Notre Dame Law School.

Tiffany Hine is the Director of Small Business Education and Training at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College and has been training for more than twenty years. She received her Master of Public Administration from WVU and her Master of Business Administration from Shepherd University. She is married with a daughter, grandson, and lots of fur babies!

Kelsey Swaim Miller is a transactional attorney with Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. Kelsey focuses primarily in the areas of commercial lending and commercial real estate transactions, including the protection of creditors’ rights through foreclosure, bankruptcy, and collections. Kelsey earned her J.D. from Pennsylvania State University Dickinson Law and her B.S. in Accounting from West Virginia University. Kelsey is a member of the 2023 Fellows Program, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, and is also on the Board of Directors for the Eastern Panhandle Bar Charitable Foundation, Inc. and the Boys and Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle, Inc

Justin Ruble joined WVU Medicine in April 2018 as the director of human resources, bringing more than 13 years of progressive human resources experience in manufacturing and higher education to the eastern region for the health system. He was promoted to Vice President in April 2019. Ruble has led Berkeley and Jefferson Medical Centers through numerous human resource initiatives including a restructuring of the regional human resources department and a system-wide harmonization of HR policies, compensation, and benefits. Ruble is Chair of the WVU Medicine HR Policy & Procedure Committee and was responsible for the development of the HRBP Committee system wide. Ruble recently served as Organizational Readiness Lead for the WVUnify project, WVU Medicine’s Workday journey towards a cloud-based ERP solution for HR, Finance and Supply Chain. He was responsible for the project’s change management, communications, and training workstreams. Ruble also oversees the Employee Health function. Ruble received his Master of Arts in Corporate Communications from West Virginia University and his Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from Marshall University. He holds several professional certifications including the Society for Human Resources Management – Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and Senior Professional (SPHR) in Human Resources from the Human Resource Certification Institute. Ruble is past president of the Eastern Panhandle Society for Human Resource Management and was recently a member of the Board of Directors for the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce. He is a lifelong Eastern Panhandle resident and resides in Kearneysville with his wife, Danielle, son, Ashton, and daughter, Cali, a cockapoo.