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Thursday, July 02, 2015

Greater Salisbury Committee’s Wiseman Dies

T. Jan Wiseman, 74, president and CEO of the Greater Salisbury Committee for more than 13 years, went home to be with the Lord on June 30, 2015 after a brief illness.

During his time with GSC, the organization grew by more than 45 percent in membership and played a key role in the creation of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, which became a dominant economic player in the Maryland-Delaware-Virginia area.

He was honored by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore by receiving the Presidential Citation in 2011 for economic development on the six counties of the Eastern Shore, as well as for helping initiate the UMES pharmacy program and expanding the school’s engineering program.

Wiseman served as chair or member of church boards and was security director of the Steve Wingfield Crusade, a member of the PRMC Health Council and an ex-officio board member of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife Ann worked with junior high schoolers to improve their self-image and respect for themselves and others through their firm, the Maryland Eastern Shore Chapter of the National League of Junior Cotillions.

As an association management professional for more than 36 years, his association and business-related leadership included executive vice president positions at the Apartment Association of Metro Denver, the Professional Insurance Agents of Colorado, the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, and the president of the Farm and Land Institute of the National Association of Realtors in Chicago. He was also a senior executive with the American Soybean Association in St. Louis.

As a college dean for 12 years in Illinois, Wiseman created and developed distance learning centers and community-based education and its accompanying 25 off-campus sites in the Midwest that accounted for more than 50 percent of the college’s enrollment and which received several national and state awards for innovation.


While a professional journalist, Wiseman was an editor for newspapers in Green Bay, WI, and Rockford, IL. He was the vice president of the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern Illinois Professional Chapter. Following teaching journalism at three high schools, he wrote a college textbook widely used in media education.

He served as board chair of the Goodwill Industries, a multi-million-dollar training and employment facility in Metro Denver. Mr. Wiseman was also a licensed Wisconsin cheese maker and a private pilot.

In the 1990s, Wiseman researched the inside stories of America’s early race for the moon and provided summaries directly to Tom Hanks in preparation for the movie Apollo 13. He also worked with Lola Morrow, the astronaut’s residence manager (also known as their den mother), on her memoirs of her years with the original seven.

Wiseman is a graduate of 2004 Leadership Maryland and 2003 Shore Leadership programs. In addition, he holds a BS degree in journalism and science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a MS Ed in secondary education and a Certificate of Advanced Studies degree in adult education administration from Northern Illinois University. He taught at the University of Kentucky and the University of Iowa.

Wiseman was an educator and a specialist in leadership, management, and economic and community development. He was always known as a man of professionalism and integrity. In his personal life, he was also known as a man of strong Christian faith, who loved his family, his church, and his God. His was a life well lived, using his many abilities for the betterment of others.

Wiseman is survived by his spouse, Ann (McGrew) Wiseman originally from Dover, DE; a step-grandson Joshua Moore of Salisbury whom he helped raise; a step-son, Christopher Linnen of Erie, CO; a step-daughter and her husband, Heidi & Pete DeLaTorre of Phoenix, AZ; two step-grandchildren, Amanda and Daniel Matthews; a sister and her husband, Steve & Sherri Goudy of Ft. Mill, SC; and a brother and his wife, Ron and Delores, of Appleton, WI. He was preceded in death by his parents, C. Edward and Gertrude Wiseman.

Funeral services are set for Tuesday, July 7, 11 AM at the Emmanuel Wesleyan Church, Salisbury. Visitation will be Monday, July 6, 6 pm to 8 at Holloway Funeral Home and one hour prior to the funeral at the church. A graveside service and burial will be at Nagle Cemetery in Patch Grove, WI. Arrangements are in the care of Holloway Funeral Home.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Our prayers with the family

Anonymous said...

Did a lot of positive things with his life

Anonymous said...

Will be missed and was an asset to the community.