The Health Foundation for Western and Central New York has named its 2014 class of Health Leadership Fellows, recognizing 42 diverse, highly skilled, leaders from health-related and safety net organizations across western and central New York.
“Working collaboratively through the Health Leadership Fellows Program, these promising leaders can share best practices and develop new and innovative ways to improve the health of the people in our communities, particularly the frail elderly and children living in communities of poverty”, Foundation President Ann F. Monroe said.
Designed to improve critical skills of leaders in health and human service organizations, the 18-month program offers individual leadership development, academic and team support, executive coaching, opportunities to increase a network of leaders and an opportunity for collective leadership and change. In addition to four to five retreats spanning two to three days each, fellows will meet monthly and develop a collaborative inter-organizational project in small teams.
The 2014-2015 western New York fellows are:
- James Bender, executive director, Health & Hands Faith in Action
- Jorien Brock, senior director, Pride Center WNY
- Monica Brown, program officer, Health Foundation for Western and Central New York
- Ruth Camann, director of patient services, People, Inc. Home Health
- Marie Cannon, deputy commissioner, Erie County Department of Social Services
- Mindy Cervoni, vice president, administrative services, Community Services for the Developmentally Disabled
- Lesley Gooch-Christman, deputy executive director, ACCORD Corporation
- Margaret Cosentino, director, WNY HealtheLink
- Annie Deaver-Dabney, community health worker supervisor, UB Emergency Medical Services, Inc.
- LaTonya Diggs, community health worker supervisor, UB Emergency Medical Services, Inc.
- Tara Ellis, executive director, Meals on Wheels
- Helen Evans, associate executive director, Allegany/Western Steuben Rural Health Network Inc.
- Ann Feightner, program officer, Total Senior Care Inc.
- Susan Green, clinical associate professor, UB Graduate School Social Work
- Crystal Jackson-Cheek, director of mental health programs, WNY Independent Living Center
- Elizabeth Woike-Ganga, vice president of clinical operations, Lake Shore Behavioral Health, Inc.
- Randall Hoak, commissioner, Erie County Senior Services
- Donna Kahm, executive director, Southern Tier Health Care System
- Kimberly Lee, director of operations, Neighborhood Health Care Centers
- David Mann, lieutenant, S.O.S. Unit, Buffalo Police Department
- Isiah Marshall, director, MSW Program, Daemen College
- Carol Murphy, executive director, New Hope Education Center (Harvest House)
- Tracey Olson, chief nursing officer, WNY Children’s Psychiatric Center
- Jessica Pirro, associate executive director, Crisis Services
- Lynn Pullano, program director, education, United Way of Buffalo & Erie County
- Nick Randell, program officer, The Peter & Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation
- Laurie Reger, executive director, Hemophilia Center WNY
- Rebecca Schaeffer, child psychiatrist, clinical associate professor of psychiatry, Buffalo Psychiatric Center, UB School of Medicine
- Christine Schaller, administrator, Genesee County Nursing Home
- Lynn Siradas, director of therapeutic foster care, New Directions Family Services
- Stephanie Smith, senior director, Jericho Road Community Health Center
- Kelly Swan, director of Women, Infants, Children (WIC) nutrition program, Catholic Charities
The 2014-2015 central New York fellows are:
- Rebecca Bostwick, program director, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion at Syracuse University
- Cornelia Brown, executive director and founder, Multi-Cultural Association of Medical Interpreters
- Julie Dale, executive director, Community Action Partnership of Madison County
- Kathleen Dermady, nurse practitioner, Regional Perinatal Center at SUNY Upstate Medical Center
- Susan Furtney, executive director of the department of community engagement, St. Joseph Hospital
- Liddy Hintz, director, Salvation Army Emergency & Child Welfare Services
- Jeffrey Jackson, director of health services, Syracuse Model Neighborhood Facility
- Heather Kemmis, vice president of home care, The Centers at St. Camillus
- Nancy Seller, director of children services, Upstate Cerebral Palsy
- Kelly Walters, executive director, Parkway Senior Center
Members of the 2014 class join 136 other Health Leadership Fellows who have participated in the program since it began in 2005.
The Fellows were selected through an application process by a selection committee comprised of Health Foundation board members and other local professionals in leadership and health care. Selection criteria include leadership ability, the support of the nominee’s organization and the potential benefit of the program to the applicant’s organization and community.
As graduates of the Health Leadership Fellows program, they continue their collaborative work as members of the Fellows Action Network.
