New Officers for Memorial Health Board of Directors

The Memorial Health Board of Directors in Savannah, Georgia has confirmed a new slate of officers for 2007. Their one-year terms began March 1.

Karen Pannell is the new chairwoman of the Board. She is active in numerous community organizations, including the Second Harvest Food Bank, the Espy House Committee of Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church, and the Telfair Museum of Art. Pannell is the past president of Savannah Heritage, Inc. She has worked as a tour guide for the Historic Savannah Foundation and was executive director of the Chatham-Savannah Voluntary Action Center. She also served as a legislative assistant for Georgia Electric Membership Corporation in Atlanta. Pannell has been on the Memorial Health Board of Directors since 2001 and previously served as treasurer. She replaces outgoing chairman, Curtis Anderson.

William “Bill” Daniel is the new vice chairman. Daniel is vice president and general counsel of Vaden Automotive Group. He also serves on the board of the Georgia Automobile Dealers Association and the Savannah advisory board of Wachovia Bank. In addition, Daniel is chairman of the Chatham County Recreation Authority.

Helen Downing is secretary of the Memorial Health Board of Directors. She has served as chairwoman of the board for SunTrust Savannah and United Way of the Coastal Empire. She is a member of the board at the Ronald McDonald House, MedBank, and Hospice Savannah, among others. Downing is past president of Parent and Child Development Services, and past president of the Historic Savannah Foundation.

J. Curtis Lewis, III, will serve as treasurer of the Board. Lewis is an attorney with the firm Hunter & Lewis, LLP, and a managing member of Lewis Commercial Properties, LLC. He serves on the board of directors for several local corporate and nonprofit entities, including Savannah Health Mission, Union Mission, Inc., and The Savannah Bank.
The 15-member Board of Directors establishes operational policies for the Memorial Health system. It also ensures that the long-range strategic planning, budget, resource allocation, and policies are consistent with the mission of Memorial Health. In addition to the incoming officers, the Board includes outgoing two-term board chairman Curtis G. Anderson, Gus H. Bell, Robert A. Colvin, William J. Degenhart, M.D., Harold P. DuCloux, M.D., John R. Duttenhaver, M.D., Jack M. Jones, William L.D. Lyght, Charles F. McMillan, Southwood J. Morcott, and Mark E. Murphy, M.D.

Memorial Health is a two-state healthcare organization serving a 35-county area in southeast Georgia and southern South Carolina. The system includes its flagship Memorial Health University Medical Center, a 530-bed tertiary medical center; CareOne, its two-state home care division; Memorial Health University Physicians, the area's largest group practice; a major medical education program; business and industry services; and NurseOne, a 24-hour call center. Memorial Health is the only healthcare system in the country to be named a Distinguished Hospital by J.D. Power and Associates and a “100 Best Companies to Work For” by Fortune Magazine. Visit the Memorial Health Web site at www.memorialhealth.com.