jon laplante, Md

Founder/ Board President

Jon is a recently retired radiologist with Radiological Physician Associates (RPA). He joined the group in 1994. Jon was born and raised in Morgantown, WV, attending high school at Saint Francis. He attended West Virginia University from 1981-1985, enrolling and graduating in Mechanical Engineering. Jon worked briefly at Exxon USA as a Project Engineer in the Texas refinery before entering medical school. Upon completion, he trained at Allegheny General Hospital in Diagnostic Radiology before joining RPA, at which he served on the Executive Board from 2001-2018.

Garrett HOge

Board Vice President

After graduating from West Liberty University, Garrett Hoge entered the financial services industry with high expectations and a sense of calling to a profession devoted to helping people succeed financially. For Garrett, building relationships based on trust and leading H Financial Management for over 30 years was only natural since his family’s values in Southwestern Pennsylvania run deep. John and William Hoge founded and laid out the plans for Washington, PA in 1781 and later generously donated the property where the Washington County Courthouse now stands, and the Immaculate Conception Church and John F. Kennedy Catholic School building is located (the Hoge Memorial is located on Walnut Street in Washington, PA just behind the John F. Kennedy School building). Continuing the family tradition, Garrett Hoge emphasizes traditional values in his business, and in his everyday life, through diligent work ethics and maintaining a fiduciary standard.
Garrett is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®). In addition, he has a Masters Degree in Financial Services (MS) focused on Estate Tax Planning. He is a Life and Qualifying Member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT*) the Premier Association of Financial Professionals® and the prestigious Top of the Table (TOT). These qualifications rank him among the top financial services professionals in the country.

Garrett and his wife Anita have been married for over 40 years and have 3 children (Garrett II, Jessica, and Allison) and 4 grandchildren (Westin, Cora, Mae, and Sasha). In his spare time, Garrett enjoys playing with the grandkids, skiing, golfing, cycling, weightlifting, and swimming. He is a PSIA-certified ski instructor, a member of Southpointe Golf Club, and a Member/Elder at the Westminster Presbyterian Church.

sam Merandi

Board Secretary / Treasurer

Sam was born and raised in Clarksburg, West Virginia. He graduated from West Virginia University, College of Business and Economics, with a degree in Accounting. Following graduation, he worked in pub-lic accounting with Toothman, Rice & Company. He then began his migration toward healthcare and was employed as the Chief Financial Officer and MIS Director of Summit Center, a regional community mental health center for nine years. He then spent five years, employed by University Health Associates, as the Department Administrator for West Virginia University, School of Medicine, Departments of Neuro-surgery and Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry. Sam joined Radiological Physician Associates in November 1994 and continues to serve as Administrative Vice President where Sam and Jon LaPlante have worked together and have formed a friendship based on trust and caring.

AMY MARSALIS

Operations Manager

Amy Marsalis graduated from Penn State University in 3 ½ years with a BA in Speech Communications and minors in Business and Acting. She spent the first fifteen years of her professional career working for NCR Corporation and Parametric Technology, where she began her corporate career in Outside Sales, selling Engineering Software, and eventually transitioned into the role of Director of Corporate Sales & Leadership Training. Additionally, passionate about acting, Amy became a professional actor while living in Chicago, where she trained with professional acting teachers, gained agent representation, and completed a 4-year program at the School of Second City Improv. As a creative entrepreneur, Amy worked successfully as both an Actor and a Production Manager, with Acting credits including Gatorade, Home Depot, Volkswagen, Seth Rogan’s “American Pickle,” Cinemax’s “Banshee,” and WGN’s “Outsiders.” Amy’s Production Management credits include clients such as: The University of Pittsburgh-Center for Creativity,” “Basic Psych,” “LaRoche University,” and more. Amy is very glad to be assisting this social venture – the Elizabeth & Claire LaPlante Foundation, Inc. – to start up and grow. She brings her business and communications experience and expertise to the position of Operations Manager and believes the foundation will effectively save lives through suicide prevention and treatment.