Four Alumni Inducted into the Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Hall of Fame

Four Bowling Green State University alumni were inducted into the Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Hall of Fame on April 21, 2022. This year's inductees are Julie Brandle ’93, Bruce Fisher ’68, Mike Hart ‘94 and Eric Nowlin ’82. The Hall of Fame recognizes BGSU graduates, honorary degree holders and members of the regional community who have achieved distinction for founding, leading or building a new business enterprise for five years or more.

Julie Brandle is the president and founder of Metis Construction Services. This female-owned commercial general contracting company completes ground-up, renovation, and facilities maintenance projects throughout the Midwest and East Coast. In addition to the overall business strategy for the company, Brandle uses her decades of experience leading sales, marketing and public relations. Brandle earned her bachelor's degree with a double major in interpersonal and public communication and Soviet studies at BGSU and also obtained a travel grant scholarship to study in Kiev, Ukraine. She is a member of the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Businesses, ScaleratorNEO, Leadership Portage County, and Leadership Akron’s Class 37.

Bruce Fisher is a retired vice president of Hayward Pool Products, a manufacturer of pool products based in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. Fisher graduated from BGSU with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with specializations in economics and marketing. Fisher has dedicated much of his time to The Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP), serving as the chairman of the Manufacturer’s Council and as a member of the board of directors. After his time with APSP, Fisher served as a member of the board of directors of World & Man and Latham International. He now serves as a member of the board of directors of Advanced Pool Technologies, LLC.

Mike Hart serves as the CEO of Hart Associates, a full-service digital marketing and advertising agency based in Toledo, Ohio. Hart has built an agency that rests on a foundation of Midwestern values while delivering high-end solutions and creativity. His team has made it their mission to develop lasting relationships with their clients while producing work for brands such as ProMedica, Paramount Health Care, Therma-Tru, La-Z-Boy, Johnson and Johnson, HCR ManorCare, the Ohio Lottery, and Lima Memorial Health System. Hart graduated from BGSU with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a specialization in sales management. Hart has been recognized as EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2005, The Ad Club of Toledo’s Man of the Year, and The Press Club of Toledo’s Man of the Year.

Eric Nowlin is the president and principal founder of Private Equity Advisors, a consulting firm based in Corona Del Mar, California. Private Equity Advisors provides advisory services for private equity clients making investments into distribution businesses. Prior to starting Private Equity Advisors, Nowlin was a senior executive for Maytag Corporations as divisional vice president of sales and vice president overseeing large corporate accounts. He then served as president for WW Grainger Canada where he led more than 10,000 team members in global industrial distributors. Nowlin graduated from BGSU with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.