Rosemary Dale, Ed.D., APRN
Clinical Professor and Chair, College of Nursing and Health Sciences Department of Nursing
Rosemary Dale is a native of the City of New York and has been associated with the University of Vermont since 1976. She holds a bachelor's degree from the College of Mount St. Vincent in New York City and an M.S. in Nursing and an Ed.D in Administration with cognates in Nursing and Higher Education from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She also holds a certificate as an Adult Nurse Practitioner and is licensed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. Dale's career has spanned teaching, education and practice. She spent 25 years as the Chief Nursing Officer at Fletcher Allen Health Care, 10 years as Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Vermont, and 12 years in the private practice at Vermont Internal Medicine. She returned to the University of Vermont in September 2010 to chair the Department of Nursing. She maintains a clinical practice as an Adult Nurse Practitioner at Vermont Internal Medicine. She has served on numerous boards including Champlain College, United Way of Chittenden County, Mater Christi School, Vermont Catholic Charities of Vermont, Voluntary Hospitals of America Nursing Advisory Board, Visiting Nurses of Chittenden and Grand Isle Board, Vermont Health Foundation Board. She holds a bachelor's degree from the College of Mount St. Vincent in New York City and an M.S. in Nursing and an Ed.D in Administration with cognates in Nursing and Higher Education from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She also holds a certificate as an Adult Nurse Practitioner and is licensed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.
Jacqueline Dowling, Ph.D.
Professor Emerita, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Jacqueline Dowling began her career as a pediatric clinical nurse at the University of Rochester Strong Hospital in New York and UMass Medical Center in Worcester. She has held positions as an assistant, associate, and full professor as well as nursing laboratory director at UMass Lowell and director of the learning resources center at Boston University. She is the recipient of regional and national grants, has authored and co-authored articles for nursing journals and textbooks; and presented at international, national, and regional conferences. Her most recent co-authored manuscripts accepted for publication are titled: Validating the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale for Pediatric Nurses and Secondary Traumatic Stress in Pediatric Nurses. She will be recognized as one of 50 UMass Lowell nurse leaders at their 50th Anniversary Celebration in October 2018, received the Mary A. Manning Mentoring Award from ANA Massachusetts in 2016, is a certified nurse educator, fellow of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Leadership for Academic Nursing Program, and past president of the Eta Omega Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing. Jacqueline received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont, a master’s degree from Boston University and a Ph.D. from UMass Amherst.
Peg Gagne, M.S.N., RN
Chief Nursing Officer, University of Vermont Medical Center
Peg Gagne, M.S.N., RN, was selected as Chief Nursing Officer for the University of Vermont Medical Center, starting January 11, 2021. She had been serving as Interim CNO since September 2019. Gagne has been at the UVM Medical Center for more than 19 years, serving at different times as a staff nurse, nurse educator, and director. Over the past 14 months, Gagne has worked in partnership with the executive and operational teams at the UVM Medical Center to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as several crises, including an unprecedented cyberattack and challenges at the Fanny Allen campus. Earlier in 2019, she served as the Clinical Lead for the successful transition into the Miller Building, including the design, build, transition planning, move day, post-move support and optimization. Gagne has also worked in partnership with the Chief Medical Officer, Vice President of Quality, and Chief People Experience Officer to champion a new Collaborative Leadership model through all levels of the hospital. Key ongoing initiatives that support her commitment to frontline staff engagement and leadership include the Unit Staffing Collaborative project and the reintroduction of unit/department practice councils as part of the Nursing Professional Governance structure. Gagne received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from McGill University, Montreal, Quebec and Master’s in Nursing from University of Arizona, Tucson. She and her husband Paul enjoy family time the most, with their three children, their three grandchildren, as much as a large extended family. Her downtime favorites are gardening, hiking, baking and knitting.
Mel Grant, Au.D.
President and Clinical Director, Audiology and Speech Pathology, Inc., West Palm Beach, FL
Mel Grant is a board certified audiologist and currently serves as president and clinical director of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Inc. He is past chairman of the Audiology Standards Committee for the Florida Speech Language and Hearing Association and the Private Practice Committee for the Florida Speech Language and Hearing Association; and a member of the Florida Speech Language and Hearing Association, the Florida Academy of Audiology and the American Audiology Association. Grant developed and operated the Burlington Community Health Center Hearing Clinic, providing equipment, support and guidance to clinical providers and consultation in the provision of audiological services ot health centers and clients. He earned his master's and doctoral degrees in Audiology from the University of Florida, and a bachelor's degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Ithaca College. Grant serves as a pro bono consultant for a hearing technology company, providing product development feedback and advice and beta testing new products; and also volunteers with Bike Recycle North.
Sherry Greifzu, M.S., RN, AOCN
Patient Services Manager, Radiation Oncology Service Line, Yale New Haven Health System
Sherry Greifzu is currently the Patient Services Manager of the Radiation Oncology Service Line within the Yale New Haven Health System. She previously served as nursing director of ambulatory services at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, CT. She is interested in clinical practice, education and leadership development; legislative issues related to the improvement of patient care and grant writing. Her research interests include nursing staff job satisfaction, quality of life and symptom management in the cancer patient, and nursing scope of practice. As a nurse educator, Sherry likes to focus on the passion and commitment needed to care for patients and how the course material relates to patient centered care. She currently is an adjunct faculty for Post University in CT, and Franklin Pierce University in NH, teaching undergraduate and graduate nursing courses. Previous publications in nursing journals include topics of nursing care in cancer diagnoses; educating patients about their disease process, and educating nurses on patient care delivery. Sherry Greifzu received her nursing education at Southern CT State University in which she was awarded a B.S.N. and M.S.N. Sherry is also a practicing advanced certified oncology nurse (AOCN). In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, home improvement and spending time with her family.
Brian Harwood
Retired Marketing Executive
Brian Harwood is a Waterbury native with a dual career in radio and television broadcasting and marketing. He founded an advertising agency in Stowe in 1976, which still exists as HMC in Richmond. He began his radio career at WDEV in Waterbury in 1954, and maintained an on-air presence in 2012. He has served on several non-profit boards, and is currently a member of the VNA, UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences advisory board, Vermont Life advisory board, and Vermont Symphony board. Harwood was an aide to former U.S. Representative Dick Mallary. He has been board chair of the Northfield Savings Bank, Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, Vermont Symphony Orchestra and Vermont Public Television; and served as board member of Copley Hospital and chair of the Copley Hospital Foundation. He and his wife Janet live in South Burlington. They have three grown daughters and three growing grandsons.
Jane Kaufman, PT, M.Ed., BCIA-PMDB
Emerita Chair of the Board of Advisors
Jane Kaufman has been a practicing physical therapist for more than forty years. She is a graduate of the Ithaca College Physical Therapy program and earned her master’s degree at the University of Vermont. In 2005, Jane achieved international board certification in the use of biofeedback for pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. Jane is President of Phoenix Physical Therapy, PLC, a specialized private practice located in South Burlington, VT. Jane’s career has included practice at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital in Vermont, and at the former Medical Center Hospital of Vermont where she supervised the Department of Physical Therapy. She has also worked with and managed Burlington area physical therapy practices. Jane has been an adjunct faculty member in the University of Vermont’s Department of Physical Therapy for more than thirty years. Jane is a faculty member for the Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute which provides educational programs for health care providers across the USA. She is also a lead instructor for Texas-based Biofeedback Training and Incontinence Solutions which offers courses in pelvic floor muscle function for health professionals world-wide. Jane has served on many professional boards and volunteer committees including the UVM Alumni Association’s Vermont Regional Board. Previously, Jane co-chaired the former UVM Parent’s Council. Jane has also served on various South Burlington public school committees. Jane and her husband have three grown sons, two of whom are UVM graduates.
Marcelle Pomerleau Leahy
Retired Nurse
Born in Newport, Vt., Marcelle Pomerleau Leahy is a first-generation American born of Canadian parents. Married to Patrick Leahy for more than 55 years, she has sustained a career as a Registered Nurse in Vermont, Washington, DC, and Virginia. As the honorary chair of the Vermont National Guard Family Readiness and Support Program, she raised awareness of the selflessness and sacrifices of members of the armed forces and their families, as well as the challenges they face upon reintegrating after deployment. Mrs. Leahy has also served on the board of the Washington National Opera and with the Spouses of the Senate chapter of the American Red Cross.
Joan Lenes, Ed.D.
Chair, Emerge Vermont
Joan Lenes served in the Vermont General Assembly, representing the Towns of Shelburne and St. George from 2007-2017. She was a member of the House Committee on Corrections and Institutions. Joan currently is the Chair of Emerge VT and an elected justice of the peace in Shelburne, Vermont. Joan currently serves on the Age Well Board, CVSD Connecting Youth Board, Vermont Children’s Trust Foundation, the University of Vermont Continuing and Distance Education Board, the University of Vermont Nursing and Health Science advisory board, and Wake Robin Board of Directors. She is a member of Charlotte/Shelburne/Hinesburg Rotary Club and Shelburne Business & Professional Association. Joan is a former member of the University of Vermont Board Of Trustees, former school board member for the Champlain Valley School District from 1992 until 2018; she was a founding member of Robin's Nest Children's Center and a former volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels. Joan previously taught in the Center for Service-Learning at UVM and owned and operated Climb High, an outdoor mountaineering business. She has two grown children and lives in Shelburne with her husband, Helmut. Joan received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida and her M.ED. from the University of Vermont.
John J. Neuhauser
President Emeritus, St. Michael's College; Professor and Vice President and Dean of Faculties at Boston College; Professor and Dean of Boston College's Carroll School of Management
John (Jack) Neuhauser is president emeritus of Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont. He served as president of the college from 2007 until 2018. Prior to that he had a long career at Boston College, where he served as professor of computer science, dean of the Carroll School of Management, academic vice president, and professor. He has served on over 20 nonprofit and corporate boards during his career, including the UVMMC board. Dr. Neuhauser earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Manhattan College, a master's in operations research and statistics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a doctorate in operations research and statistics: mathematics, also from Rensselaer. He has an impressive record of publications in creative computing and business. Jack participated in the Boston marathon seven times. He has three children and seven grandchildren, and spends as much time as he can with them on an old farm in southern Vermont.
Nicholas Sears, M.D., FACS
Chair of the Board of Advisors, President, NJS Consulting
Dr. Nicholas Sears is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 40 years’ experience as both a clinician and physician executive. He currently serves as the president of NJS Consulting, providing consultative services to providers, payers, and consultancies in the healthcare arena. Dr. Sears also serves as a member of the Senior Advisory Board to Nanowear Inc. and MyCare Inc., two early stage healthcare startup companies. He completed his term on the Senior Advisory Board at MedAssets Inc. in March of 2016. Prior to starting his own independent consultancy, he served as the Executive Vice President & Chief Medical Officer at MedAssets Inc., leading its Clinical Resource Management Consulting Practice. During his 12-year tenure as CMO, he was instrumental in growing the company and helping position the organization for its IPO. Duties not only included delivering on consulting engagements but also involved developing robust marketing literature, increasing sales and working with the business development division. Dr. Sears is widely respected among his peers and is recognized as a thought leader in the field of physician engagement strategies and enhancing hospital margins. He has published numerous articles, spoken at a variety of healthcare industry conferences and been a keynote speaker at the annual AAHRM meeting. Before joining MedAssets, Dr. Sears worked as a Principal for Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. In this role he was responsible for reducing supply chain expense for high-cost physician preference items, as well as clinical integration and transformation issues centered on leading practices, clinical pathways and LOS reduction, while maintaining high quality patient care. Dr. Sears worked closely with physicians and administrators to ensure smooth, effective management practices. For 15 years prior to his work as a consultant, Dr. Sears maintained a clinical practice of Cardiothoracic Surgery in both private and academic settings in Tampa, Florida.
Mary Steiger
Physical Therapist, Owner and Executive Director of PT360 Inc.
Mary Steiger graduated from St. Michael's College with a bachelor's degree in Biology. She received her graduate degree in physical therapy from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Mary has 27 years' experience in the practice of physical therapy and management. She worked as the chief of a physical therapy department at St. Mary's Hospital in New Jersey. In addition, Mary also owned and worked at Alpha Physical Therapy, a private practice, for 16 years. She has been an APTA member for 27 years and a member of the Advisory Board at the University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences for five years. Mary was the Director of the Physical Therapy Center of Vermont. Mary is a member of VERG (Vermont Elder Resource Group) and is on the community assessment team for the Blueprint for Health.
Linda Krueger Tsoumas
Physical Therapist, Educational Consultant
Linda Tsoumas has been a physical therapist for more than 45 years, with 30+ years of experience in teaching and leading academic programs in physical therapy. Her clinical practice was in the area of pediatrics and neurological rehabilitation. She last served as the Founding Dean and Professor of Physical Therapy at MCPHS University, and prior to that, was on the founding faculty of the physical therapy program at Springfield College. Having recently retired, she is now working in the higher education world as an educational consultant, skilled in program evaluation, academic advising, literature reviews, instructional design, and curriculum development. Linda earned her B.S. in physical therapy from the University of Vermont, M.S. in exercise science from UMASS-Amherst, and an Ed.D. in educational leadership from the University of Hartford. She was a founding member of UVM Rescue and, now as an alumna, has been involved with that student group since its inception.
Kerri V. Weinert, M.B.A.
President, Boston Biomedical Consultants
Kerry Weinert joined Boston Biomedical Consultants (BBC) in 1984 and was appointed President in 2004. Previously she served as senior consultant and vice president for the company and acted as de facto general manager since 1995. During her tenure at BBC, Weinert's engagement has spanned all aspects of BBC's consulting practice, from IVD market sizing, forecasting, IVD company benchmarking, to new company/product/partner search and strategic planning. Currently her IVD industry focus is centered on Laboratory systems/products, POC/Near Patient Testing, and a supporting role of BBC's NAT franchise. As BBC has built its Asia Pac fact base and expertise she has interfaced/managed the company's Japan activity and was responsible for the early development of BBC's China market assessment, which began in 2001 and culminated in BBC's first immunochemistry China IVD market book in 2012. Prior to joining BBC, Weinert worked as a clinical chemist at the Conley Laboratory in the Maine Medical Center. Weinert received a bachelor's degree in Medical Technology from the University of Vermont and a master's degree in Business Administration from Babson College.
Burton Wilcke, Ph.D.
Associate Professor Emeritus in Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Vermont
Burt Wilcke has more than 25 years of public health experience at the state and local levels. He served as Director of Health Surveillance for the Vermont Department of Health before joining the faculty of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at UVM in 2002. At UVM, he chaired the Department of Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences (now Biomedical and Health Sciences) for 11 years. Burt has served on committees and boards of the American Public Health Association, the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), the Institute of Medicine, and the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). He is Past President of the Vermont Public Health Association (VtPHA) and currently serves as the VtPHA representative to the American Public Health Association. He consults on public health laboratory systems development both locally and globally.
Mary Wilson
Speech-Language Pathologist, Emerita Faculty, University of Vermont Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Mary Wilson is a practicing speech-language pathologist, President of Laureate Learning Systems, and Professor Emerita, Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Vermont. She received her B.A. in Speech and Theatre from Smith College, her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from Emerson College, and her Ph.D. in Communicative Disorders from Northwestern University. She has been the Principal Investigator on multiple Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). These grants have supported the development of Laureate’s Sterling Edition language assessment and intervention programs. She has received numerous awards and honors including Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Honors of the Vermont Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Emerson’s Alumni Achievement Award, and the 2012 Special Award from the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD).