Hats Off to Our Four Departing Board Members

An earlier version of this post had an incorrect title for Sally Kraft.

At its May 20 meeting, the Vital Communities Board of Directors bid farewell to Board of Directors members Bill Geraghty, Sally Kraft, Ronald Shaiko, and Ken Wells. Here’s a glimpse of what those four remarkable departing Board members brought to our organization! (Read about the seven new Board members.)

Bill Geraghty – Independent Consultant, Geraghty HR Consulting  

Hanover resident Bill Geraghty’s accomplishments include nearly a quarter-century leading human resources teams at the Upper Valley’s two largest employers, Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Dartmouth College, and before that, a combined 15 years at Princeton University and nearby Middlesex County College. Currently, Bill is an adjunct faculty member at both Franklin Pierce University and New England College. In addition, he leads his own consulting practice focusing on leadership development, coaching, positive employee relations, labor relations, hiring processes, and communications. Bill’s track record of volunteering is just as impressive as he willingly shares expertise gathered during his four-decade career by serving on the boards of several nonprofits. Bill also currently serves on the Hanover Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee. 

“With 18 years of Vital Communities Board and Committee service, Bill is the institutional memory of the organization,” said Rachel Darrow, Vital Communities Finance Manager. “His vision, leadership, and understanding of the community we serve have helped shape the organization into what it is today. He leads by example, listening thoughtfully and encouraging others’ ideas.”

“I have been amazed by the quality of the staff and volunteers that have been involved in the variety of programs under Vital Communities’ umbrella,” said Bill.  “VC continues to respond to the needs of the Upper Valley Communities with excellent programs that improve the quality of life.  It has been a pleasure to see the growth of the VC programs and the flexibility to respond to needs.  This past year with the impact of COVID is just one more example of how the leadership, staff and volunteers stepped up to help our communities.”

 Sally Kraft, MD, MPH – Vice President of Population Health, Dartmouth-Hitchcock  

Also on the Board since 2016, Dr. Sally Kraft, MD, MPH is VP of Community Health at Dartmouth-Hitchcock where she leads a multi-disciplinary team dedicated to improving the health of communities across the region served by Dartmouth-Hitchcock faculty and affiliates.  She serves as subject matter expert in Dissemination and Implementation at the High Value Healthcare Collaborative. She served as the Medical Director of Quality, Safety and Innovation at the University of Wisconsin Health system from 2007-2014 where she led system-wide initiatives to redesign ambulatory care.  

“The breadth and depth of Sally’s understanding of communities and health is equally matched by her passion for helping people understand the complexities of community health,” said Rob Schultz, Vital Communities Manager of Leadership Upper Valley and Development.” Most importantly, she’s brilliant at helping folks see what they can do about it. In addition to her wonderful service on the Vital Communities Board, she’s been one of our most inspiring and effective presenters for Leadership Upper Valley.”  

Ronald Shaiko,  Associate Director for Curricular & Research Programs, The Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences, Dartmouth College 

Ron has served on the Vital Communities Board since 2016, most recently as Chair. A Senior Fellow and the Associate Director for Curricular and Research Programs at the Rockefeller Center, Ron has taught in university for 34 years, 20 of them at Dartmouth. Prior to coming to Dartmouth, he was the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in American Politics in the American Studies Center at Warsaw University in Poland during the 2000-2001 academic year. Throughout the decade of the 1990s, he taught at American University, where he founded and served as the founding academic director of the Lobbying Institute and served one year each as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives and as a Democracy Fellow at the United States Agency for International Development.  

“During my stint as interim Executive Director I could not have done it without the support and Guidance of Ron,” said Beth Roy, Vital Communities Food & Farm and Valley Quest Program Manager. “His attention to detail and his ability to ask good questions enabled me to pursue VC’s taking on of the Upper Valley Everyone Eats program with confidence that the project was and is a success for the community and Vital Communities as an organization.”  

Ken Wells – Chief Retail Lending Office, Mascoma Bank  

On the Board since 2019, Ken has been employed by Mascoma Bank for over 30 years. He is currently the chair of the Vital Communities Local First Steering Committee and has been a resource and advocate for our Energy program and other efforts in recent years. Ken serves on the Finance Committee of the Carter Community Building Association. Ken has been with Mascoma since 1990 and has nearly 30 years in banking.  Ken is on the Finance Committee for the Carter Community Building Association in Lebanon.

“As chair of the Local First Steering Committee, Ken was a trusted advisor that I could always count on to ask thoughtful questions leading to more impactful programming,” said Nancy LaRowe, Vital Communities Economy and Food & Farm Coordinator. “We were fortunate to have him lend the Board of Directors his deep knowledge of the Upper Valley economy, practical insights, and commitment to community.”

Published 6/22/21