UNG Foundation Board adds four trustees

The University of North Georgia (UNG) Foundation Board of Trustees added four members July 1: Beth Baldwin; Philipp Biechteler, '07; retired Lt. Gen. Stephen G. Fogarty, '83; and Dr. Katie (Williamson) Metrock, '06. The UNG Foundation Inc. receives and manages all charitable gifts and grants on behalf of and for the benefit of UNG.

Beth Baldwin

Baldwin is as a financial advisor for Edward Jones, where she has worked since 1990. She collaborates with certified public accountants, attorneys and other professionals to help her clients form a financial strategy, and she also assists them with retirement savings strategies.

A native of Gainesville, Georgia, Baldwin has qualified every year to attend the Edward Jones Women's Conference, which began in 2016, an honor reserved for the firm's top women.

She has served as a member of the Edward Jones Grassroots Task Force, which is dedicated to making the voice of the individual investor heard on Capitol Hill. Established in 1985, the Grassroots Task Force is the securities industry's only volunteer advocacy organization.

Baldwin graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in banking and finance. In 1996, she earned a Master of Business Administration from Brenau University.

She is an active member of the community and has served on the boards of UNG, Gainesville Junior League, Boys & Girls Club of Lanier, We Care, and Challenged Child and Friends. She is active in the Gainesville Rotary Club.

Philipp Biechteler, '07

Biechteler is a vice president in the Atlanta office of J.P. Morgan Private Bank. In this role, he is responsible for delivering advice, strategies and services across investments, wealth planning, credit and banking to help clients build, preserve and manage their wealth over time.

A native of Germany, he received his bachelor's degree in business administration and management from UNG and a degree from the Graduate School of Banking at The Wharton School of Business. He attended financial planning school at the University of Georgia.

Involved in both the professional and local community, Biechteler is a member of the Board of Trustees of Fernbank Museum, the Board of Advisors for A.G. Rhodes Health and Rehab, and the Board of Visitors at Emory University.

Before joining J.P. Morgan, Biechteler was a client advisor with SunTrust Private Wealth Management and GenSpring Family Offices.

Retired Lt. Gen. Stephen Fogarty, '83

A native of Savannah, Georgia, Fogarty was commissioned as a second lieutenant in Military Intelligence after earning his bachelor's degree in history at UNG. Prior to his retirement in 2022, he served as commander of U.S. Army Cyber Command.

In addition to U.S. Army Cyber Command, Fogarty's command tours include the Long Range Surveillance Detachment, 125th Military Intelligence Battalion, 25th Infantry Division (Light); the 732nd Military Intelligence Battalion; the 116th Military Intelligence Brigade and National Security Agency-Georgia; and the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command.

Fogarty also holds master's degrees in administration from Central Michigan University and in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. His military education includes Airborne School, the Military Intelligence Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Ranger School, Jumpmaster Course, Combined Arms & Services Staff School, Long Range Surveillance Leaders Course, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College.

His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal (one bronze oak leaf cluster); Defense Superior Service Medal (two bronze oak leaf clusters); Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal (one bronze oak leaf cluster); Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal (four bronze oak leaf clusters); Joint Service Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal (one bronze oak leaf cluster); Army Achievement Medal (three bronze oak leaf clusters); Master Parachutist Badge (with bronze star); Air Assault Badge; and the Ranger Tab.

Dr. Katie (Williamson) Metrock, '06

Metrock is the director of the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders Pediatric Neurofibromatosis Brain Tumor Clinic, as well as the director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Fellowship Program. She serves as the principal investigator and protocol committee member of several national and international clinical trials for children with brain, spine and nerve tumors.

Metrock earned a bachelor's degree in biology with a minor in Spanish from UNG in 2006. She was awarded the University System of Georgia Outstanding Scholar Award in 2005, selected as a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society from 2004-2006, and selected as a member of Omicron Kappa Delta Honor Society from 2004-2006.

After graduating from UNG, Metrock completed medical school at the Medical College of Georgia. She then completed a residency in pediatrics at Emory University, followed by fellowships in pediatric hematology-oncology (2016) and pediatric neuro-oncology (2017) at Emory. During her fellowship she conducted research on the molecular drivers of medulloblastoma, aiming to target the most critical molecular changes within the tumor without negatively affecting normal brain tissue.

Metrock also obtained a certificate in clinical and translational research while at Emory University. She continued as faculty at Emory and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta until accepting a position at UAB.

She was a four-year starter for the UNG women's basketball team, winning conference championships during all four seasons. Metrock was inducted into the UNG Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.