Following a comprehensive national search, the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York today named Nora OBrien-Suric, Ph.D., senior program officer at The John A. Hartford Foundation, as its new president.
OBrien-Suric will succeed Ann F. Monroe, who retired at the end of 2016 after 13 years as president of the Health Foundation. OBrien-Suric will officially join the Health Foundation in February and at that time will be formally introduced to the community.
“We are so very pleased to welcome Nora to the Health Foundation and to the communities that we serve in Western and Central New York. We had a well-prepared Search Committee and a process in place that allowed us to consider many wonderfully qualified candidates for the position. Nora stood out for us as a professional with the expertise, compassion and drive to help the Foundation staff and Board take the great legacy and numerous accomplishments left to us by Ann Monroe forward to meet our mission in this evolving and challenging health care environment,” Board of Trustees Chair Joseph J. Cozzo said.
As a senior program officer at The John A. Hartford Foundation, OBrien-Suric developed programs to improve care for older adults across the country. Among her accomplishments, she envisioned and developed the multi-million dollar grant that created the National Aging and Disability Business Center, a multi-site national initiative that involves the Administration for Community Living, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the American Society on Aging, the Independent Living Research Utilization and The SCAN Foundation, along with other non-profit collaboratives and philanthropic organizations, in providing training and assistance for community-based providers to partner with health care organizations.
Immediately prior to joining The Hartford Foundation, OBrien-Suric was the director of aging programs and new initiatives at the Brookdale Foundation Group, where she oversaw major initiatives that included a social model adult day program and a geriatric and gerontology research fellowship program.
Other positions throughout her career have included the director of partnerships and special projects at the International Longevity Center, coordinator for the Partnership for Eldercare at the New York City Department of Aging and elder law and entitlement specialist at the Brookdale Center on Aging Institute on Law and Rights of Older Adults.
“I am honored to be the next president of the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York and to continuing to build on the impressive legacy of Ann Monroe by working with the competent staff and the fully-engaged Board of Trustees. The Health Foundation is known for its commitment to the communities it serves and I look forward to growing the partnerships and ensuring that older people and young children receive the best care and lead the quality of life they so deserve,” OBrien-Suric said.
OBrien-Suric earned a doctoral degree in social welfare, policy and administration from Hunter College of The City University of New York and a master’s degree in behavioral science and gerontology from California State University. She received a bachelor’s degree in sociology and philosophy from St. Michael’s College and holds a certificate in geriatric mental health from the University of Southern California.
“Because of the well-known and well respected reputation of the Health Foundation locally, regionally and nationally crafted by Ann Monroe’s leadership and our staff’s work in so many influential projects, we were able to attract a highly-skilled and well-recognized pool of leaders in health care locally and nationally. Our search was focused on looking for a replacement for Ann who could step in and carry our work and voice even further on the issues affecting young children impacted by poverty and vulnerable older adults in our communities,” Cozzo said. “Nora OBrien-Suric has the passion and commitment to the populations we serve and I know the Board and staff are excited to work with Nora to have a meaningful impact on the people and issues that the Foundation cares so deeply about.”
