Two members of the Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent have been honored as they exemplify Rotary’s ideal of vocational service promoting high ethical standards at work and using job skills to help others.
Charlie McCabe, president and CEO of McCabe Insurance Associates, Inc., was named 2026 Business Person of the Year by the Howard County Chamber of Commerce. Meghan Belcher, a business banker and Senior Vice President for M&T Bank, was named a 2025 Chairman’s Club Award winner. Charlie is a past club president and longtime Rotarian, while Meghan joined Columbia-Patuxent in 2025 after serving as president for the Elkridge club.
The Chamber award recognizes members in good standing who have developed successful business strategies, served the community, and demonstrated a continuing commitment to the organization’s overall mission. Charlie became a Chamber member 40 years ago and has served on the board as well as attending and sponsoring many events. He, along with fellow Rotarian Linda Ostovitz, emphasized the importance of small businesses as the majority of Chamber membership.
Charlie founded his insurance agency in1985. “Rotary’s principles have been very important to me, because I'm in an industry that’s service oriented,” he said. “Part of the reason I went into the insurance business is to provide service. I have two degrees, one in business and one in sociology, and I was very interested in serving people and studying people and things of that nature.”
Charlie went on to say: “I found that insurance gave me the ability to deal with people, and help people, and also provide a good, strong, profitable business. The thing that gives me the greatest joy is we regularly receive reviews from people, five-star Google reviews. If there's ever something that's less than the top, we contact them and say, ‘What can we do better? How can we provide better service?’”
Meghan is a 2024 graduate of Leadership Howard County who joined M&T Bank after a stint at BB&T. During her 12 years at M&T, she describes using Rotary ideals this way: “I take an approach that you meet the client where they want to be met, to try to make it as easy as possible to work with me. I think service above self really comes into play because I get a lot of reward from feeling like customers can count on me.”
Meghan also believes the Four-Way Test question – “Is it fair to all concerned?” – applies when she proactively reviews accounts to ensure clients get the best combination of products and service, not overpaying or missing better options. “It's constantly working through the economic changes to see if there’s something we can do to help them, something that benefits and streamlines their banking,” Meghan explained. She also employs Rotary connection skills to match clients with other firms that may help generate business and revenue for them.
Her M&T regional manager applauded Meghan’s award by saying: “She continues to deliver exceptional performance year after year, but what truly sets her apart is the way she does it—with professionalism, humility, and a deep commitment to the communities she serves. Meghan is the person everyone turns to—always willing to share her expertise, jump into a deal review, or offer support. Her strong relationships, collaborative mindset, and dedication to doing what’s right have built an outstanding reputation across the market.”
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with integrity and grace.