BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Thomas H. Green, III, chair served for 22 years as Managing Director and Head of Infrastructure Finance for Public Finance at Citigroup, prior to his retirement.  At Citi, Mr. Green was a lead banker on several notable transactions, including financings for hospital obligated groups, community hospitals, cancer research facilities, higher education institutions and K-12 schools, as well as state and local governments and their authorities. Before joining Citi, Green was the First Assistant Attorney General of Massachusetts from 1992-1998 when he served as the lead government attorney in the Commonwealth’s successful lawsuit against, and national settlement with, the U.S. tobacco industry. A resident of Williamstown, MA, Green is Treasurer of Images Cinema and a board member and chair of grant allocations for Williamstown Community Chest. Green is also a research associate at Williams College on a student-led project seeking to restore inter-city passenger rail service from Boston’s North Station to North Adams, MA. Green holds undergraduate, business and law degrees from Harvard University.

Stephen Kelly, vice chair, works as the Chief Financial Officer for The Boma Project, a 106-employee international non-profit headquartered in Manchester, VT working to relieve poverty in East Africa. In the past, he served as Chief Financial Officer for Meals on Wheels of Rockland and as president of Heron’s Ghyll Builders, a custom home builder, both in New York State. He lives in Andover, VT. 

Dimitri Garder, secretary, is co-founder and CEO of Global-Z International, a data management company serving global brands for the past 30 years.  In his work, he has developed and implemented complex global data quality assessment and improvement solutions for many Global-Z clients, ranging from small companies to Fortune 100s.  His 30 years of experience with complex global data makes him one of the leading experts in the data management industry.  His approach to data quality is pragmatic, statistically focused, and metrics driven.  He believes in solving complex problems through simple, clear, analytical thinking. 
Dimitri is active in community development in Southwestern Vermont.  He is co-founder and a director of The Lightning Jar, a co-working space and business incubator located in Bennington.  He founded The Bennington Idea Fund, a micro-grant fund focused on economic advancement and poverty alleviation projects.  His board positions include Bennington County Industrial Corporation, Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce, Bennington County School and Workforce Council, and the Vermont Business Roundtable. He is also an investor in the Bennington Redevelopment Group, a team of local investors who are revitalizing the downtown Bennington economy. Dimitri holds a bachelor of arts in Music Theory from the University of Vermont, and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Brian Barefoot’s background includes education management, financial management, investment banking, and investment management. He currently serves on the Investment Committee of Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Massachusetts; as vice chair of the Cleveland Clinic Indian River Foundation in Vero Beach, FL; and as a trustee of Burr and Burton Academy. He is a former president of the Board of Governors of Ekwanok Country Club. Brian and his wife Pam divide time between Dorset, VT; Vero Beach, FL; and Boston, MA. Brian's full list of experience can be reviewed on his LinkedIn profile.

Carol Conroy, DNP, RN, CENP, is a consultant at Healthcare Excellence Unlimited in Arlington, VT, a company she founded in 2017. She worked at SVHC as vice president for operations and chief nursing officer for 8 years. During her tenure, she led the nursing team to the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition^® twice and their acknowledgement as an ANCC Magnet Prize^™ recipient in 2017.

Previously, Conroy served in nursing leadership roles at Caritas Christie Healthcare, Nashoba Valley Medical Center, and Boston Medical Center, all in Massachusetts. She received her bachelor of science in Nursing from Cornell University School of Nursing in New York, her master of science in Nursing Administration and master of business administration (MBA) from Anna Maria College in Massachusetts, and her doctor of nursing practice from Regis College in Massachusetts. In addition to SVHC, she serves on the regional board of the Organization of Nurse Leaders. She serves as a Magnet^® appraiser for the ANCC, surveying applicant organizations around the country for Magnet^® designation.

Thomas A. Dee 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 five-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 Health, 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.

Wayne Granquist is graduate of Tufts University and Harvard Law School. His career in government included posts as Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Abraham Ribicoff (1964 – 1969) and as Associate Director of the US Office of Management and Budget in the Carter White House (1977 – 1981). His business experience includes positions as a Vice President of the Connecticut Bank and Trust Company, President of the Fairfield County National Bank of Connecticut, co-owner and President of the Stratton Mountain Resort in Vermont, and partner and managing director at Manchester Capital Management, from which he retired in 1996. He is currently a consultant to non-profit organizations on strategic planning, governance, and management-board relations, and was named by the Governor to chair the Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone Committee in 2015. Granquist serves on the Board of Directors of Vermont Public Radio and is a Trustee and Chair Emeritus of the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, where he leads the company’s current $13.5 million capital campaign. He was a Trustee of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center from 2000 – 2012, and chaired that Board from 2007 – 2012. He and his wife Deborah live in Weston, VT, where he is Town Moderator.

Edward J. Merrens, MD, MHCDS , is the Chief Clinical Officer for Dartmouth Health. In this capacity, he works closely with the chief executive officer and chief officers, chairs, center directors and chief medical officers to develop, coordinate, and enhance clinical operations and care across the Dartmouth Health system, from our academic medical center, to the Community Group Practice and member hospitals as they work to deliver efficient, high-quality patient-centered care across the region. He also continues to practice clinically as a hospitalist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Merrens has been at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Clinics since 1998 where he started in General Internal Medicine as a General Internist and Director of Inpatient Medical Services. He developed the Hospitalist Service at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Clinics in 2004 and later, in 2005, established the Section of Hospital Medicine, where he served as its inaugural Section Chief from 2005 to 2012. He served on the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Clinics Boards of Trustees from 2006 to 2012. Merrens served as Chief Medical Officer from 2012 to 2016. .

Kristyn D. Harrington, LICSW, LADC, is the owner of KDH Counseling PLLC, which provides mental health and substance abuse evaluations and treatment. For nearly 20 years, she worked in various positions within the Mount Anthony Union School District in Bennington, including as a school-based clinician, a clinical coordinator, and the assistant principal. In addition, she was a school board member for 5 years, serving both Union District #23 and the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union. She received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Ithaca College in New York, her master’s in social work from the University of Maryland at Baltimore, and a master’s in education leadership from Castleton State College in Vermont.

Connie A. Jastremski, RN, MS, MBA, ANP-C, FCCM, has nearly five decades of nursing experience. She received her diploma from Presbyterian-University Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh in 1969, her bachelor's in Nursing from University of Maryland School of Nursing in 1980, her master's in Nursing from University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies in 1982, and a post-master’s certificate for Adult Nurse Practitioner from the College of Nursing, SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse, NY, in 1998. Her special certifications include those in neurosurgical nursing, nursing administration, and hospice and palliative care. In addition, she holds a master's in Business Administration from Syracuse University. From 2003 until 2014, Jastremski worked in various nursing administration positions, including as the chief nursing officer and vice president for Patient Care Services, for Bassett Healthcare Network, Cooperstown, NY. During her last year at Bassett she also worked as a Nurse Practitioner on the Pain and Palliative Care Service until her retirement in 2015. In addition to consulting work, she has also held academic teaching positions within the State University of New York system, including SUNY IT, College of Nursing in Utica and the SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse, College of Nursing. She has published nearly 100 research papers in peer-reviewed journals and has served on the editorial boards of journals including Critical Care Medicine, the Journal of Trauma Nursing, Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, and others.

George C. Keady, (retired) Managing Director at UBS Wealth Management, holds a BA in Business Administration from Saint Michael's College. He currently serves on St. Michael's College's Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees; is a member and former chair of the Board of Trustees at Bay Path University; and former trustee of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. George and his wife maintain residences in Massachusetts and Dorset, Vermont.

Angeline M. Marano has more than thirty years of healthcare executive management experience. She began her career as a hospital executive with Humana in South Florida, Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, and Methodist Hospital in San Antonio. She also worked for the University Hospitals of Cleveland, a major academic institution and primary teaching affiliate for Case Western Reserve University. She later served as the chief operating officer (COO) of University of Vermont Medical Center and returned to South Florida as the COO for the Memorial Healthcare System. Additionally, she worked for Williams College as the director of Health Services. Marano joined Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) as its vice president of Ambulatory and Continuing Care Services in 2017 and retired in 2019.

Keith Michl, MD, 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.

Christine Miles has lived in Manchester, Vermont for almost 30 years. She completed undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of New Hampshire and after graduation taught French in the Williamstown school district. After the birth of her first son, Ms. Miles stopped teaching and focused on her family business and participating in local non-profits. She created and fundraised for the Manchester Elementary School’s language program. Has sat on the Board of Burr & Burton Academy and The Mark Skinner Library. And, Ms. Miles ran the capital campaign to build the Manchester Community Library. She and her husband Joe have three children.

Brian O’Grady has more than 20 years of health insurance leadership experience and serves as executive vice president of commercial and Medicare business and chief marketing officer for Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, Inc. (CDPHP®). He is responsible for initiating, developing and successfully executing CDPHP’s overall marketing and sales objectives and is accountable for the business performance of the commercial and Medicare business segments. He joined CDPHP in March 2014. Prior to joining CDPHP, O’Grady held various leadership positions at HealthNow New York, Inc., known as BlueShield of Northeastern New York, where he worked for 15 years from 1995 to 2006 and again from 2010 to 2014. Most recently he served as vice president of commercial group accounts. From 2006 to 2010, he was regional vice president of sales for Anthem BlueCross and BlueShield of New Hampshire. O’Grady earned an MBA in health care administration from Southern New Hampshire University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the State University of New York at Albany. He serves on the board of directors of the United Way of the Greater Capital Region.

Reija Rawle, MD, MS Dr.Rawle is a family medicine physician at SVMC's Pownal Campus and is Chair of the Department of Primary Care. She completed her residency in family medicine at the Stanford-O’Connor Hospital Residency Program in California. She attended medical school at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York. In addition, she holds a Master’s in microbiology and immunology from Stanford School of Medicine in California and a Bachelor’s in microbiology from Brigham Young University in Utah. She taught science to high school students before attending medical school. Rawle has worked as a clinical instructor and primary care physician at Stanford University’s Stanford Primary Care in Santa Clara, California. She has a special interest in pediatric and adolescent medicine, and she is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Robert Van Degna grew up in Niskayuna, NY; attended Cornell University; served in the U.S. Army; graduated from Harvard Business School; and worked for Fleet Bank, where he spent 15 years as the managing director of the company’s private equity group. Bob is an aspiring artist, working primarily as a photographer and documentarian of Turning Pages. In addition, he is a board member of the Southern Vermont Arts Center. He and his wife Mary-Anne have four children and six grandchildren.

Matthew Stanishewski, DO is Medical Staff President. He earned his medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2010.  After finishing residency at Lankenau Medical Center in southeastern Pennsylvania, he completed his fellowship in Rheumatology at Roger Williams Medical Center, Rhode Island Hospital, and the VA Medical Center in Providence.  Dr. Stanishewski is a fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and a member of the New England Rheumatism Society.