Corporator Updates

Ambassadors to the hospital. Members of the Emerson family.

Emerson Hospital corporators play an important role in connecting residents of our community to the hospital. Their activities range from supporting grassroots promotion of hospital services to serving as a ready source of volunteers to fit the hospital’s many needs, from governance to resource development. Below are recent corporator updates.

Corporator engagement: New faces and much enthusiasm

We are off and running in our efforts to better engage corporators, say Charles Denault and Joan Litle, co-chairs of the Corporator Executive Committee. “I think our plan is going quite well,” says Ms. Litle. “We’re seeing lots of enthusiasm and lots of new faces getting involved.”

Some are the faces of corporators who have joined the new public relations and marketing initiative. Karen Carper and Patti Foye, co-chairs of the Corporator Public Relations and Marketing Committee, have identified 11 corporators who are now building teams and developing plans for raising awareness of Emerson and its services in their respective towns. “This effort has created a whole new way for corporators to participate,” notes Mr. Denault. “It is likely to have a long-term impact.”

The rest of the new faces are literally new—those of the 34 corporators who are expected to be inducted at the Emerson Hospital Health System Annual Meeting on January 26. “The new corporator nominating process has gone well,” says Ms. Litle, in reference to the work accomplished by Betty Ann Killian, corporator nominating chair. “We look forward to getting to know the new corporators and hearing about their interests.”

More roles and opportunities to come

Coming up next: more ways to engage, says Mr. Denault. “The survey completed by the corporators in 2009 revealed a variety of ways they might wish to support the hospital. We’re dealing with smart people. They don’t want make-work; they want to do something meaningful. We’re working on what the next bite of the apple might be.”

In fact, a few new roles are being defined. “Fundraising is a critical component at Emerson and therefore needs to be a priority as we continue to consider corporator engagement,” says Mr. Denault. “We hope to have someone from the Annual Appeal Committee—a corporator—serve as a liaison to the Corporator Executive Committee. That way, we will be fully aware of the hospital’s fundraising goals.”

As more corporators seek and take on volunteer opportunities, there will be a need for an engagement coordinator. “We want to be sure the volunteer experience is a good one,” Ms. Litle explains. “This corporator will serve as the contact point—the person who knows what opportunities are available and can then connect corporators with the appropriate party. Ideally, the engagement coordinator will continue to be available to ‘close the loop.’”

The third role being defined relates to the various events, small and large, in which corporators are involved. “This person will be something of an event planner,” says Mr. Denault. “Are the corporator breakfasts working? Should we hold an occasional evening meal? What kinds of activities will give corporators what they need or want to better support Emerson?”

“Finally, the hospital’s centennial arrives in 2011. How can the corporators work with the public relations and development offices to make this important celebration a success?”

The corporator annual meeting is coming up

The second Corporator Annual Meeting, scheduled for April 8 at 7:30 am, will keep the dialogue going. In addition to remarks from Christine Schuster, Emerson president and CEO, and presentations by the two committees mentioned above, the agenda includes these break-out sessions:

• Public relations and marketing: Learn more about this ambitious initiative, which will soon be implemented in 11 towns in Emerson’s service area.
• Corporator nominating: Hear about efforts to develop a corporator mentoring program.
• Hospital Volunteer opportunities: Many exist, such as transporting hospital patients, greeting visitors at the hospital entrances and assisting patients in our clinical areas.
• Emerson Hospital Auxiliary: “For those chomping at the bit to get involved with the hospital, this well-established, highly regarded organization provides a range of opportunities,” says Mr. Denault.

More structure, new faces, more ways to get involved—there is a lot going on. “We need to add energy to this corporator organization to better serve the hospital,” says Ms. Litle, “and that’s what we’re doing.”

Public relations and marketing teams are taking shape

Across 11 towns, energy and enthusiasm

The Emerson corporator public relations and marketing initiative is off and running. According to the two co-chairs, Karen Carper and Patti Foye, about half of the 25 communities served by Emerson (see list below) now have team leaders who are taking responsibility for building greater awareness of hospital programs and services in their local towns.

Several corporators had stated an interest in these activities; 11 have officially signed up as team leaders and are identifying other corporators and friends who will join them. Two fall gatherings—a preliminary dinner meeting at the Wayside Inn and a meeting at Emerson—provided an opportunity to describe the PR and marketing goals and how the hospital will support corporator efforts. “We’ve stopped recruiting and will concentrate on building a strong foundation for these efforts,” says Ms. Foye, noting that recruitment for team leaders in the remaining towns will begin again in a few months.

Identifying corporators for the various towns has required no arm-twisting, notes Ms. Carper. “The people who’ve joined this effort are self-starters,” she says. “They know the hospital needs to build greater awareness, and they want to do something about it.”

While their backgrounds vary, the corporators have an important thing in common: appreciation and respect for Emerson. “We’ve heard so many stories about the successful treatment of health problems, how their children were born at Emerson and the wonderful care they’ve received,” says Ms. Carper. “We’re seeing that many of these individuals are in a good position to get the point across that Emerson has physicians, facilities and technology that are the equal of many Boston hospitals.”

Initially, the PR and marketing teams will focus on making that point to newcomers to the area and also will work with school systems, councils on aging and established clubs, such as the Lions and Kiwanis Club.

“One size doesn’t fit all,” says Ms. Carper. “We recognize there are unique needs and opportunities in each community. We want to understand what those needs are.” The individual teams are developing PR and marketing plans that fit the bill. Speaker’s bureaus and health screenings will be part of the mix. In Littleton, there is interest in producing a program about Emerson for community access TV.

Enthusiasm is fueling the corporator PR and marketing initiative. “I think everyone realizes that this is potentially high-impact work,” says Ms. Carper. “They are going to directly help Emerson.”

Public Relations and Marketing teams have been formed in these communities:

• Acton
• Bedford
• Carlisle
• Concord
• Groton
• Hudson
• Lincoln
• Littleton
• Maynard
• Wayland
• Westford

New corporators to be elected; Overall board will expand in size

The letters went out, nominations were made, and soon it will all be official. Thirty-four new corporators are expected to be elected at the Emerson Hospital Health System Annual Meeting on January 26. According to Betty Ann Killian, corporator nominating chair, they will arrive on the board with a clear understanding of their responsibilities.

“This is an important part of our ongoing corporator engagement efforts,” says Mrs. Killian. Corporators who join know up front that they are expected to act as ambassadors for Emerson in their communities, to contribute their time, expertise and judgment to the hospital administration and Board of Directors and to make the hospital a priority in their charitable giving.

Last fall, current corporators, hospital and foundation board members, medical staff and senior management were asked to recommend new corporator candidates. “In the process, we targeted towns where we’d like to increase the corporator representation,” Mrs. Killian notes. “We also asked that the individual who nominated the new corporator be willing to serve as their mentor for one year.”

The nominees were approved by the Governance Committee in November, as were the 43 corporators who are expected to renew for another three-year term. “We will increase the number of corporators from 172 to 191,” she adds.

Mrs. Killian’s work won’t end with the Annual Meeting. “Next, we intend to add three to five new members to the Nominating Committee,” she says. “We want to have a vital, enthusiastic committee ready for service later this year.”

Current Corporators

Acton

• Rev. Andrew Armstrong
• Thomas L. Beaudoin
• John L. Butterworth
• Brewster Conant
• Charles A. Denault
• Karen H. Donoghue
• Albert D. Ehrenfried
• Patricia C. Foye
• F. Dore Hunter
• Joseph Ianelli
• Larry Powers
• Robert W. Puffer III
• Pamela Sawyer
• Cynthia Sechrest
• Virginia Ross Taylor
• Tracy A. West
• Jack Whittier

Ayer

• Kevin Hill

Bedford

• Pamela J. Brown
• Irma Carter
• Barbara A. Doyle
• Lisa A. Freed
• Paul A. Purchia
• Michael A. Rosenberg
• Mary D. Wheble
• Ines Yeatts

Billerica

• JoAnne Albright

Boxborough

• Jeanne S. Kangas, Esq.
• George C. Krusen II
• Anne Lynch
• Lynn Martin
• Kathleen A. Vorce

Carlisle

• Elizabeth A. Ahern
• Heidi R. Harring
• Pliny Jewell III
• Pliny Jewell IV
• John T. Kovach
• Beth Kubacki
• Dale Ryder
• Liza G. Snell

Chelmsford

• Sarah Duffy

Concord

• Jagdish C. Agarwal, Ph.D.
• Kenneth Anderson Jr.
• Robert V. Benner
• Virginia Bethke
• Walter W. Birge III
• John W. Boynton IV
• Sally B. Bradford
• Kimberly M. Burns
• Jeffrey S. Campbell
• Kristin Canty
• Karen M. Carper
• Robert E. Carr
• Stephen W. Carr
• Jack E. Chappell
• Leslie Cheney
• Richard E. Cleary
• Edward M. Colbert
• Ann Marie Connolly
• Daisy Crane
• Sally S. Cross
• Kathleen C. Cuocolo
• Sandra Curran
• Susan H. Curtin
• Cynthia M. Deysher
• Ralph Earle
• John C. Esty, Jr.
• Patricia D. Fleischauer
• John N. Fossett
• Janet H. Franklin
• Lillian R. Gailius
• Timothy J. Gibson
• Kristen Gurall
• Denise E. Haartz
• Robert Halpin
• Frances M. Honan
• Gregory P. Howes
• Susan M. Hunt
• Michael D. Jeans
• Nicole Kelly
• Mary M. Kemp
• Elizabeth A. Killian
• Allene Riley Kussin
• William F. Kussin, Jr.
• Joan M. Lawrence
• Anne H. Lehmann
• Joan Burden Litle
• Mary Lou LoVecchio
• Dr. Frederick H. Lovejoy, Jr.
• Leslie M. Luppold
• John F. Magee
• Linda Cox Maguire
• Karen McCarthy
• Nancy R. McJennett
• William J. Midon
• F. Robert Naka
• Daniel W. O'Connor
• Hillary O'Connor
• James Olsen
• Robert A. O'Neil, Jr.
• Mary Beth Orfao
• Patrick F. Padden
• Faith Pulis
• Dr. Elmer M. Purcell
• Anna Rasmussen
• D. Kim Reid, Ph.D.
• Laura Reynolds
• Frederick J. Robbins
• Pieter J. Schiller
• Ann F. Schummers
• Benson P. Shapiro
• Joseph L. Smith, Jr.
• Barbara Southcote
• John (Tyler) Spring
• Peter M. Standish, Jr.
• Hilary Steinert
• Elinor L. Stout  
• Dale Troppito
• Richard D. Tyson
• Alice Van Deusen
• Stephen B. Verrill
• Donald Voghel
• Robert T. Waldeck
• D. Alexander Wieland, Jr.
• D. Elliott Wilbur, Jr.
• Jean Wiltsee
• Susan P. Winstanley
• Byron E. Woodman, Jr.
• Charles A. Ziering

Groton

• Robert W. Anctil
• Elizabeth Chinnaswamy
• Sara J. Martinian

Harvard

• Kathleen Bunnell
• Molly Cutler
• Stephen C. Ford
• Peter George
• Vanessa Perini
• Anne Marie A. Rowse
• Teresa Symula

Hudson

• Farida Ahmed

Lexington

• D. Peter Lund

Lincoln

• Jacquelin Apsler
• George Berry
• James G. Birmingham
• Tina M. Cantu
• Dorothy Curtiss
• Sen. Susan M. Fargo
• David M. Freeman
• John B. French
• Diana H. Glendon
• Kathleen M. Greene
• John D. LaMothe, Jr.
• Barbara Leggat
• Mary S. Newman
• Joan Perera
• Julia Pugh
• Ian C. Sanderson
• Jacquelyn Snelling
• Janine Stasior, Ph. D.

Littleton

• James M. Coull
• Robert Malnati
• Richard E. Perreault
• Andrew J. Sohn

Maynard

• Patricia Chambers
• David Griffin
• John C. MacKeen
• William L. Ryan
• Mary E. White

Shirley Center

• Elizabeth Tyson-Smith

Stow

• Edward A. Brown
• Anthony Parrinello

Sudbury

• Susan Brock
• Scott A. McIver
• Bruce Osterling
• Amy L. Rose
• Jill Stansky

Wayland

• Priscilla Gannon
• Susan W. Pope

Westford

• Sandra Collins
• Susan J. Cornwall
• Paul L. Davies
• Alan Emmet
• James Geraghty
• June Halio
• Geoffrey D. Hall
• Patricia L. Mason
• Barbara Polo Renison
• Dorothy M. Swanson
• Leslie A. Thomas

Other

• Jean E. Purser