Hagerstown

Meet Hagerstown

Gatekeepers is an organization that focuses on re-entry. Our mission is to motivate, empower, and encourage both current and ex-offenders through mentoring services by challenging them to make positive decisions and ultimately help facilitate the process of a successful transition back to their communities. These individuals often do not have positive role models in their life to aid them in their efforts. At Gatekeepers, our team is dedicated to helping people overcome obstacles standing in their way to achieving success and reaching their life goals.

Bill Gaertner

Founder

Bill Gaertner is the founder of Gatekeepers in Washington County, a program that helps ex-offenders transition back into their communities after serving time in prison. Gaertner served eight-and-a-half years in prison. While in prison, a Catholic deacon gave Bill a copy of Henri Nouwen’s Book, The Return of the Prodigal Son, which is based on Rembrandt’s painting. Bill says, "It became my Bible and I still carry it around with me wherever I go. It was the foundation for my re-entry program.

He got out Sept. 23, 2013, and six days later went to St. Mary’s in Hagerstown. He says he walked into the 9:30 Mass and there was a life-sized painting of the Prodigal Son. He cried and knew then that this was where I belonged. That is how Gatekeepers started (in 2014).

Bill was the point guard on a junior college team from Independence, Kansas, that won a national championship. He coached at the college level, including a stint at Towson University, Johns Hopkins, the University of Connecticut and assisted the legendary Jim Valvano coaching at Iona college. He was the head coach at Norwich University in Vermont. Bill was also inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 in the Pathfinders Category for people with New England roots who left the region and earned great distinction in basketball and/or society. Those coaching skills and basketball connections still pay dividends. Basketball is “the common language” inside prisons.

Bill's faith continues to serve as a foundation for life. He attends Mass regularly and is now an oblate at the Benedictine community of St. Anselm’s Abbey in Washington, D.C. “The only way I can say I am sorry to my victim and others I harmed is to wake up every day and do the best I can and be the best person I can be that day.”

Len Wrona

Executive Director
lenwrona@gatekeepersmd.org

Len is the Executive Director of Gatekeepers. He and his wife Lisa first met Bill in 2014 as Bill was starting Gatekeepers. Len and Lisa were teaching Financial Literacy in prisons through their church, Hub City Vineyard and the combination of teaching practical life skills inside the prison and helping with re-entry led to a natural partnership. Len has been a volunteer with Gatekeepers for more than ten years. Len received his BS in Industrial Engineering and his Masters in Engineering Management from SUNY Buffalo.

Prior to joining Gatekeepers, Len had 45 years of experience leading engineering organizations, culminating with 21 years as the Facilities Engineering Manager for the NCI Frederick. In that role he led a team of engineers and contractors revitalizing the NCI research facility in Frederick, MD. Len continues to lead his church’s Prison Ministry in helping inmates prepare for re- entry. He and Lisa have six children and six grandchildren.

Julia Smoot

Director of Operations
julia@gatekeepersmd.org

Julia Smoot serves as the Director of Operations at Gatekeepers, where she oversees daily programming, builds community partnerships, and leads initiatives that provide critical resources for justice-involved individuals. Having experienced incarceration herself at the Washington County Detention Center, Julia brings both professional skill and personal insight to her role.

She is committed to ensuring that every returning citizen has access to the tools, support, and community they need to succeed. Known for her passion and hands-on leadership, Julia works to bridge the gap between incarceration and reintegration, helping individuals not only reenter society but thrive within it. Her dedication reflects the heart of Gatekeepers’ mission: transforming lives through hope, opportunity, and accountability.

Drew Green

Office Manager
drew@gatekeepersmd.org

Drew Green serves as Gatekeeper’s Office Manager, bringing a unique combination of lived experience, professional training, and heart-centered leadership to her work in reentry. Having personally experienced incarceration at MCIW and the Washington County Detention Center, Drew understands firsthand the challenges individuals and families face when rebuilding their lives after incarceration. She has also personally gone through Gatekeeper’s The Business of Living program, allowing her to connect with those we serve from a place of genuine understanding and compassion.

As a Peer Recovery Specialist, passionate advocate for women, and an official Notary Public for the State of Maryland, Drew brings a diverse range of skills and experience to her role. She is committed to walking alongside others through transformation and helping individuals recognize their strength and potential. Her leadership reflects Gatekeeper’s mission every day as she supports people navigating reentry with compassion, honesty, and strength.

Patience Dorsey

Job Coordinator
patience@gatekeepersmd.org

Patience Dorsey serves as a Job Coordinator, where she is dedicated to helping individuals who have recently been released from incarceration find meaningful employment and build a path toward a successful future. With lived experience of her own, including time incarcerated at MCIW, Patience understands firsthand the challenges and barriers that individuals with criminal records can face when seeking employment. She also brings valuable experience working with individuals in recovery and those transitioning back into the community after incarceration.

Patience is passionate, determined, and committed to meeting clients where they are, advocating for their potential, and helping them overcome obstacles. Her personal experiences and professional background allow her to connect with clients on a deeper level, providing encouragement, guidance, and hope as they work toward stability, independence, and new opportunities.

Clarence Horst

Gatekeepers Board Chairman

Clarence Horst has a passion to see Hagerstown, Maryland and the surrounding area transformed and thrive. Clarence strongly believes that actively engaging with the community is not just a duty but a core value he ardently upholds. His unwavering dedication extends to enriching the lives of those in need, focusing on crafting impactful opportunities that support their holistic growth and empower them to reach their full potential.

He is an ordained minister of the Gospel, owner of several business’s, Hagerstown Builders, Real Estate Innovations and ProTek Fiber. He serves on or has served on the boards as president or board member of many non-profits and business associations including, Celebration Ministries, Celebrate Recovery, Celebration Farm, Gatekeepers, Washington County Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Washington County, REACH of Washington County, The Hope Center, Pen-Mar Assocation of REALTORS, Maryland Assocation of REALTORS to name a few. Clarence and his wife Kathy live on a working farm in the Hagerstown Maryland Area; they have seven children and ten grandchildren.