Two members join Board of Governors
Two new members have joined the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) Board of Governors, the body that oversees the financial, business and educational policies under which the school operates.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey appointed David Rader to the board, replacing the departing Randall Belt, D.O., and Bryn Hawbaker was elected student representative, replacing Jacob Bartlett.
David Rader is the retired president and CEO of the Mining Mutual Insurance Company. He also served as president and CEO of the West Virginia Mutual Insurance Company, a carrier specializing in medical professional liability insurance, and was a member of the Board of Directors of Encova Insurance Company, where he was vice chair of the Investment Committee.
Additionally, Rader has served as CEO of a number of start-up professional liability carriers. He has been president or a board member of professional liability insurance companies in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Florida and Puerto Rico and was a founding member of the Physicians Insurers Association of America.
Rader was born in Columbus, Ohio, and is a graduate of The Ohio State University. He is a past chair of the WVSOM Board of Governors.
His term will end in June 2029. He is eligible to be appointed for one additional four-year term.
Bryn Hawbaker, of WVSOM’s Class of 2028, was elected to the board as a student representative. She was president of WVSOM’s Student Government Association for the 2025-26 academic year. Hawbaker earned a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science from High Point University in High Point, N.C.
Student representatives serve a one-year term on the board.
The WVSOM Board of Governors consists of up to nine lay members appointed by West Virginia’s governor and three elected, nonvoting advisory representatives — one each from the school’s faculty, staff and student body.
James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., WVSOM’s president, welcomed Rader and Hawbaker to the board and expressed his appreciation to Belt and Bartlett for their service.
“We are pleased to welcome David Rader and Bryn Hawbaker to the WVSOM Board of Governors, and we look forward to the perspectives and experience they will bring to our work,” Nemitz said. “We also extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. Randy Belt, who served with distinction as board chair, and Jacob Bartlett for their dedicated service and thoughtful contributions to WVSOM. Their commitment has helped advance the school’s mission and strengthen our institution.”