Button FOUNDATION BOARD The success of the SVHC Foundation is made possible only through the efforts and guidance of many dedicated volunteer leaders. They provide ideas to improve our health system, serve as ambassadors in the communities we serve, provide opportunities for others to learn of our health system's exciting work, organize and host events, and drive the success of our fundraising efforts. ROBERT VAN DEGNA, CHAIR CAREN McVICKER, VICE CHAIR MICHAEL MCKENNA, SECRETARY BOARD OF DIRECTORS Thomas A. Dee, FACHE, joined Southwestern Vermont Health Care as its chief executive officer in 2009. Since then, he has led SVHC to several national and regional recognitions, including as a four-time Magnet for Nursing Excellence designee, a Joint Commission Top Performer on Key Quality Measures, one of Vermont Magazine’s Best Places to Work, and one of the “Top 150 Places to Work in Health Care” as noted by Becker’s Hospital Review. Among the notable projects of the past three years, Tom has worked with his team to expand the health system’s partnership with Dartmouth-Hitchcock, increase access to primary care, improve patient safety and experience, enhance employee engagement, and maintain a strong financial operation. Before SVHC, Tom worked for Health Alliance in Kingston, NY, an integrated health system of three hospitals. Tom was president and chief executive officer of the 222-bed Benedictine Hospital for more than 17 years. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a master's in Healthcare Administration, both from Xavier University in Ohio. Crista Gannon, a marketing executive with more than 25 years of experience in solutions marketing at Unisys and IBM. Most recently she was responsible for strategy, messaging, and marketing plans in support of the IBM’s Global Government division. Gannon is currently Co-Owner of Happy Dog Farm LLC, in Wilmington, Vermont. She is vice chair of the Wilmington Trails Committee and a member of Deerfield Valley Rotary Club. Gannon also served for six years as Commissioner of Youth Lacrosse in Falls Church, Va. and has volunteered with numerous community organizations. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where she was a Morehead Scholar. Tommy A. Harmon served on the SVHC Board of Trustees for 13 years, including 5 years as chair. He retired as president and CEO of Sonnax Industries in Bellows Falls, a firm that provides components for rebuilding automatic transmissions to the worldwide market. He acquired the company in 2005 and sold it to its employees in 2011. With more than 40 years’ experience in the financial management of manufacturing firms and their operations, Harmon served as chief financial officer and controller for international manufacturers, including CFO for North America AGIE AG, a Swiss-based machine tool manufacturer. He is an active volunteer in the community and has served on the Vermont Business Roundtable Board of Trustees, the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center Advisory Board, and the Manchester Vermont School Board. Harmon holds a bachelor’s degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Roby Harrington, III, earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 1951 and served as a Marine officer during the Korean War. He began his business career in brand management at Procter & Gamble and joined Young & Rubicam, the international advertising agency, in 1961. After 31 years, he retired as chairman of the United States company and sat on its Board of Directors. He has been married for 64 years to Carol Whitney Harrington and has four children and ten grandchildren. Roby serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Southwestern Vermont Health Care Foundation Board of Directors, and supports quality health care, education, and arts organizations region wide. Roby is an avid golfer, voracious reader, a happy traveler, and a proud grandfather. He and his wife live in Manchester Village, VT, and Boca Grande, FL. Andrew King was born and raised in Manhattan and spent winter weekends at Stratton Mountain. He attended the Buckley School and the Taft School before attending the University of Vermont for resort management. He worked for Vail Associates in Colorado and for The Equinox Hotel in Manchester, VT. In 1999, he started in real estate sales for Stratton Real Estate, where he quickly became the director of sales and marketing. He currently works as the company’s general manager and principal broker. Charles La Fiura grew up in Ridgewood, NJ, a suburb of New York City, where he met his wife, Judy, while they attended the public high school. Judy and Charles have two sons and three grandchildren and in July of 2016 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Charles graduated in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College and in 1968 with a juris doctor degree from New York University Law School. Following active duty service with the U.S. Army reserves, he began a 40 year practice of law as a partner with law firms in northern New Jersey. He advised businesses and financial institutions on a broad range of commercial and business law matters involving mergers and acquisitions, day to day business operations, raising capital, securities law compliance, corporate governance, real estate acquisitions, tax exempt bond financing, and commercial lending. In 2005, Charles and Judy retired to East Dover, Vermont where for a few years Charles continued to practice law on a limited basis for his New Jersey law firm. In Vermont, Charles has been active in community affairs, serving on the Board of the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity as the chairman of its real estate acquisition committee, on the Dover and Wilmington Bi-Town Economic Development Committee, and as the President of the Rotary Club of the Deerfield Valley. John Larkin is an attorney with over 40 years' experience. He was admitted to practice in New York in 1966. Upon completion of active duty in the U.S. Army, he joined an established law firm in New York City, where he specialized in professional liability defense of law and accounting firms. He retired from equity partnership in the firm at the end in 2013. He and his wife Deborah maintain a home in North Pownal. He holds a bachelor's degree from Hamilton College; JD from Albany Law School, Union University; and an MA in English Literature from Hunter College. He was previously a member of the Union League Club in New York and served on the Board of Directors a subsidiary of what today is ING, B.V. Stephen D. Majetich joined Southwestern Vermont Healthcare in 2010 as its Chief Financial Officer. He has a Bachelor's degree from St. John’s University in Jamaica, NY. He is a Certified Public Accountant. Stephen has nearly 35 years’ experience in the Healthcare industry both in public accounting for nearly 10 years and the remaining in senior financial officer positions in small stand-alone hospitals in and in regional and multi-state health care systems. Dr. Keith Michl is an internal medicine physician in private practice in Manchester, VT, and a member of the Department of Medicine at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. He is an affiliate of MDVIP, a network of physicians providing personalized primary care medical and wellness services. He attended Middlebury College in Vermont and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio. He completed his residency at George Washington University in Washington, DC, and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Michl is particularly interested in geriatric medicine and aging management, preventive cardiology, nutrition and weight management issues, and integrative health. Scott Seidel divides time between Arlington, VT and Springfield, NJ. He has been a commercial real estate broker and developer with Cardinal Land Properties, his family company, since 1979. He also has been a licensed real estate broker in Vermont since 1993. In addition, he is the emergency management coordinator for the Town of Springfield. In that role, he oversees the town’s emergency operations plan; heads the auxiliary police unit and other volunteers; and coordinates police, fire, department of public works, and administration resources and chairs the Fourth of July committee. He is a founding member of Springfield H.O.P.E., a non-profit that aims to provide financial aid to those in need, and the chairman of the Springfield Mayor’s Day at Baltusrol committee, which provides scholarships to high school seniors in Springfield. He is a trustee of the Arlington Rescue Squad Board and serves on the board of the Battenkill Valley Health Center. Themarge Small, MD, FACOG is an obstetrician and gynecologist at SVMC OB/GYN. She received her medical degree at the University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine. In addition, she earned a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Vermont and a post-baccalaureate certificate in premedical studies from Mills College in California. She completed her residency in OB/GYN at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire. Dr. Small served as the chair of the department of OB/GYN in 2014 and 2015, as the vice president of the medical staff from 2016 to 2018, and the president of the medical staff from 2018 to 2020. In addition to her role at SVMC, she is a clinical assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine. Dr. Small is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (FACOG). William S. Sterns, III, is a retired partner of Alston & Bird, LLP, in New York. He was a member of the firm's Capital Markets group. He received his JD at New York Law School and his bachelor's degree at Colgate University. He lives in Delray Beach, FL, and Dorset, VT, and supports the Dorset Theater Festival, Southern Vermont Art Center, Helgate Hill Homeowners Association, the Manhattan Theater Club, and The River Club in New York. He is a member of the Knickerbocker Club, Gulf Stream Golf Club, Gulf Stream Bath & Tennis Club, Ekwanok Country Club, and the Dorset Field Club. Peter M. Thompson retired in 2004 after a 35-year career building food and beverage brands around the world. At his retirement, Peter was president and CEO of PepsiCo's international beverage business, responsible for brands such as Pepsi, 7-Up, Tropicana, and Gatorade in 170 countries around the world. He led the successful restructuring and turnaround of this business to make it a major source of revenue and profit growth for PepsiCo. He has extensive experience on corporate and non-profit boards and serves on the boards of the Southern Vermont Arts Center and as a lifetime trustee of the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Now a United States citizen, Peter was born in Australia, grew up in England, and has lived in Switzerland, Brazil, and Paris. He graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Modern Languages and earned and MBA at Columbia University. He and his wife live in Vero Beach, FL, and Dorset, VT. LESLIE KEEFE, VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT SVHC FOUNDATION MISSION The sole purpose of the SVHC Foundation shall be to engage in development and fundraising activities exclusively for the support of the Southwestern Vermont Health Care Corporation. Give Now Planned Giving Employee Giving The Grateful Bennington Fund Contact the Foundation Events Annual Giving Ways To Give Foundation Leadership Regional Advisory Boards NEWS CLASSES EVENTS WELLNESS MEDICAL MATTERS 24 Nov 2021 Website Launched for ED Renovation and Expansion 23 Nov 2021 SVMC Launches Patient and Family Advisory Council 18 Nov 2021 SVMC Lab Receives National Accreditation MORE NEWS Your gift matters. Southwestern Vermont Health Care is a comprehensive health system servicing Bennington and Windham Counties in Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties in New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. Making a gift helps improve health care for our community. Give Now SVHC complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you at 800‑367‑9559 (use client code 225020 and access code 05201). 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