SVHC Announces Two New Members to its Board of Trustees

BENNINGTON, VT—December 17, 2018—Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) has announced the appointments of Dimitri Garder and Carol Conroy, DNP, RN, CENP, to its Board of Trustees.

“We are fortunate to have a wealth of experience among our board members. These two individuals are wonderful thinkers, communicators, and leaders,” said Tommy Harmon, the board chair. “On behalf of all of the trustees, I am delighted to welcome them.”

Dimitri Garder 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. 

Garder 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. Garder holds a bachelor of arts in Music Theory from the University of Vermont, and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

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 board of Southern Vermont College and 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.

“We are grateful for the ingenuity that Carol has brought to our organization as a past member of our executive management team and the exceptional leadership Dimitri exhibits in his work in both business and in our community,” said Thomas A. Dee, FACHE, SVHC’s president and CEO. “We are certain they will make a positive impact on our board.”

Board members are nominated by the board’s Governance Committee and voted on by the entire board. In selecting new SVHC board members, the nominating committee looks for candidates who exemplify SVHC's values, can be counted on to actively participate in board work, and have leadership capabilities. SVHC looks for candidates who represent the communities the health system serves and have special expertise in fulfilling board duties. 

About:
Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) is a comprehensive, preeminent, health care system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVHC includes Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, and the SVHC Foundation. SVMC includes 25 primary and specialty care practices. For more information, visit svhealthcare.org.

Southwestern Vermont Health Care complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available at 1-800-367-9559.