BGSU honors two outgoing trustees, welcomes new chair and national trustee

Drew C. Forhan ’81 to replace Marilyn Eisele ’79 as board chair

The Bowling Green State University Board of Trustees positioned itself for future success by selecting two prominent BGSU alumni for openings as board chair and national trustee.

The board elected Drew Forhan ’81, of Hudson, Ohio, as its new chair to replace outgoing board chair Marilyn Eisele ’79, whose term on the board expires May 17. 

Forhan, whose term on the board runs through 2026, previously served as vice chair. 

Eisele, a Cleveland resident who is currently the chief financial officer of Miller Tanner Associates, a corporate event planning company, is a widely recognized expert in finance and operations.

We are incredibly appreciative of former Chair Eisele’s leadership of her alma mater through her service on the Board of Trustees,” said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers. “She has been an enthusiastic supporter of Bowling Green State University and the impact of her work will be felt for decades to come.

“We look forward to Chair Forhan’s tenure as the incoming Chair of the Board of Trustees as we continue to build on the momentum that’s moving BGSU forward.”

Previously the president of BIOHM Health LLC and NDI Medical, Eisele has extensive experience on both public and private boards and founded NEO CFO, a group of executive women in northeast Ohio focused on improving company performance and professional development. 

She graduated from BGSU with a degree in business administration and married her Falcon Flame, husband Mark Eisele '78.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve on the Board of Trustees of my alma mater, Bowling Green State University," Eisele said. "Serving as a BGSU trustee has been one of the most rewarding endeavors of my life and career. I am grateful for my BGSU education and experiences that ultimately led to this opportunity to serve on the Board."

Forhan is the founder and chief executive officer of ForTec Medical, which mobilizes surgical technologies, particularly laser technology, to medical centers. The business’ revolutionary pay-as-you-go service model makes the technology more widely accessible to hospitals, medical offices and surgical centers, which can use the technology as needed instead of paying significant costs to obtain and maintain technology with short life cycles.

Forhan earned a business degree from BGSU in 1981 and founded ForTec Medical in 1988.

"I am honored to begin my role as chairman and look forward to serving the next two years," Forhan said. "I follow in the footsteps of a dedicated board member and chairwoman, Marilyn Eisele. She has been an invaluable member of the Board of Trustees for the past nine years. Her contributions have been numerous and her love for BGSU is endless. She will be missed."

Trustees also named Dr. Thomas Shehab ’90, of Dexter, Michigan, as a new national trustee. Shehab will begin a three-year term on the board, effective May 6. 

Shehab is a medical doctor who earned a biology degree from BGSU in 1990 and now works in healthcare investing. He has served on numerous boards in the past and was most recently the chief of staff for more than 1,000 physicians at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor and the chair of medicine for Integrated Health Associates.

Previously, Shehab earned honors from the University, including the BGSU Athletic Department Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005 and an induction into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 2017.

The board also recognized Joshua Auten ’23, whose term as undergraduate student trustee also expires May 17. Auten, who recently graduated with a degree in business administration specializing in finance, gave a financial literacy presentation aimed at breaking cycles of poverty at TEDxBGSU this year.

Auten has accepted a job with Toledo-based Welltower. 

The office of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will announce the replacement for Auten's vacant undergraduate trustee position at a later date.

Though her nine years on the board has concluded, Eisele said the University remains in good hands.

"I applaud the leadership at Bowling Green, including members of the Board of Trustees, President Rodney K. Rogers, Provost Joe B. Whitehead Jr., the cabinet, deans, faculty and staff," Eisele said. "It has been an extraordinary experience to partner with this team as we focused on holistic student success and the public good. The momentum and energy at BGSU is more than amazing and I look forward to witnessing all that BGSU accomplishes."