Baltimore born (1953) and bred, Bert is a graduate of Boys’ Latin School and Loyola-Maryland University. He is also a U.S. Army veteran (709th Military Police Battalion, 1972-1974).

Before becoming a tobacconist, Bert worked for C.J. Langerfelder & Son, Inc. at its Bethlehem Steel – Sparrows Point site as a field supervisor and purchasing manager. Upon obtaining his M. Ed. From Loyola, he transitioned to a career as an English teacher, working at Boys’ Latin, Archbishop Curley, Baltimore City Community College, Catonsville Community College and Stevenson University. He also taught German whenever enrollment was sufficient.

In 1993 he was introduced to the enjoyment of fine cigars by his younger brother, Bryant, who began smoking cigars in college. By 1997, Bert left education to work at Fader’s Tobacconist as an assistant manager.

After three years at Fader’s, he left to return to teaching in the Baltimore City Public Schools. In 2009, he returned to Fader’s where he remained until the closing of their Catonsville store (June 2017), which he had managed since 2012. It’s often said that when one door closes, another will open, and Bert gladly found one at The Humidour where he began holding forth in August 2017.

He is grateful to work for “the area’s finest tobacconist, with the best selection, staff, and customer service.” He also appreciates that he works with a “family that accents hospitality, a collegial atmosphere of cigar and pipe enthusiasts,” his favorite aspects of the business.

In his spare time, he enjoys hiking with his Airedale Terrier, Waylon, reading, landscaping, following college football (especially Johns Hopkins, Maryland, Navy, and Northwestern) and Orioles baseball and all the underdogs in all sports. He is also a serious Germanophile, jazz collector, and wilderness camper and fire buff. He and his wife Lin (married in 1979) reside in Cedarcraft and have a daughter and a son whom they enjoy seeing regularly. He also is a very proud grandfather.