Athletic prowess made John Goedeke, economics '79, the target of countless college recruiters. From Ohio State to College Park, coaches wanted him to help their winning basketball teams continue to thrive. Goedeke, however, had another plan in mind. "UMBC had no history as far as basketball was concerned. I looked at playing for UMBC as an opportunity to help put them on the map," he says. In Goedeke's freshman year, the team won only five games of the season. By his senior year, he was an academic All American and helped the team advance to the Final 8.
Drawing from his experience at UMBC, Goedeke joined Provident Bank when it was small, yet up-and-coming in the industry. Along the way, he didn't have
to compromise his career goals or dream of playing professional basketball.
As a student at UMBC, Adams was drawn to projects that helped affect change. That's why
she joined Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. "They were involved in all sorts of political causes.
I really wanted to be a part of that," states Adams. She still keeps in touch with her "sisters"
via email.
After graduating from UMBC, Goedeke was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks. Although he didn't make the team's final cut, he did enjoy an opportunity to play professional basketball for Team Talbot, a Division I team in England. When he received the offer, he was engaged to be
married, had just bought a house in Baltimore and had recently accepted his first job offer as a management trainee with Provident Bank. The timing was less than
perfect, but Goedeke made it work. After convincing his fiancée that it would be a great experience for the two of them to live in another country, persuading Provident Bank to hold his position and locking up their empty house, Goedeke and his new wife boarded a plane to England.
Despite the excitement of playing basketball in England and experiencing a different culture, Goedeke never lost sight of his long-term vision, which guaranteed his imminent return to Baltimore. Goedeke is proud to say that he's worked for the same organization for 20 years. "I've seen a lot of changes since I've been here, and they've all been good," he says. Though he's been with Provident for two decades, his time with them has been anything but stagnant. He's grown with Provident, from management trainee to marketing specialist to product manager to senior vice president of commercial services.
Commitment is a common thread in all of Goedeke's pursuits. Not only does his long-term career with Provident Bank continue to thrive; so does his marriage of 20 years and family, which includes wife Jan and sons Johnny and Kevin. He also remains active in the university, serving on the UMBC Campaign Cabinet in addition to his involvement with the Retriever Club Board of Directors.
Elizabeth Heubeck received a master's degree in publication design from the University of Baltimore. She is publications editor at Kennedy Krieger Institute.
