WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 8, 2020)—The Board of Directors for the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) met to welcome two new members, welcome back some returning members, elect officers, and bid a fond and grateful farewell to some outgoing members.

John Olajide, President and CEO of Axxess, and David Totaro, Chief Government Affairs Officer at Bayada, have been elected to three-year terms, which begin in 2021. The two new appointed members are Beth Slepian, President/CEO of Concord Regional VNA, and Susan Ponder-Stansel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeast Florida. 

In addition, David Causby was re-elected to the board for a three-year term.

Officer elections have confirmed Mary Myers as Chair of the Board in 2021, her third year in that position. “I am honored to be serving as NAHC Chair in 2021,” said Myers. “These are very important times for homecare and hospice. The future of health care is in the home and our opportunities seem boundless.”

William Simione III has been elected Treasurer and Brent Korte has been elected Secretary. Both men will begin the first year of their terms in 2021.

Outstanding Service awards were given to outgoing members: Board Treasurer Mark Sharp and Board Secretary Brittnei Salerno, as well as board members Melanie Keller and Craig Mandeville. 

The board appointments are the result of October and November meetings of the Governance and Nominating Committee (GNC). As indicated in the committee charter, the committee reviewed the current board composition, including demographic information, organization make up, expertise of members. The committee identified gaps, reviewed candidates that submitted their names for election and appointment, reviewed engaged candidates from among committee and advisory board members, and discussed other groups for consideration. This resulted in the identification of Slepian and Ponder-Stansel. 

“We are so fortunate to have a great team of dedicated home care and hospice board members,” said Myers. “We very much look forward to working with Susan and Beth as they lend their expertise in service to the whole community of home care and hospice.”

“The latest board appointments and elected officers for 2021 positions NAHC extraordinarily well for the future,” said NAHC President William A. Dombi. “We are blessed with so many highly talented members interested in serving. That is the true hallmark of a representative association.”