The Dogwood Health Trust has chosen an interim CEO after the foundation’s CEO Antony Chiang stepped down in September.
Dr. Susan Mims, has accepted the interim position. She currently works at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) where she was announced as chair of the newly established Department of Community and Public Health at UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC in June. Mims is scheduled to start at Dogwood in December.
“Our goal was to identify an interim who had a strong knowledge of the region, strong leadership and management experience, and existing relationships with partner organizations, allowing the board to be deliberate in considering its needs for a long-term CEO,” says Janice Brumit, chair of the board in a statement.
Brumit says that Mims is "stepping away from her current role to tackle this one."
“I’m looking forward to partnering with the existing team to continue building relationships across the region, understanding and addressing the substantive issues that impact health and well-being of all people in WNC, and maximizing the positive impact of Dogwood Health Trust’s grantmaking," says Mims in the statement.
Mims was previously the Buncombe County Health Director and worked in leadership at Mission Hospital. She was the Vice President for Children’s Services and Clinical Genetics and Personalized Medicine at Mission Health, Chief of Pediatrics for Mission Children’s Hospital, and Vice Chief of Staff for Mission Hospital. Dr. Mims also served as the chief executive for Mission Children’s Hospital for over a decade.
In seeking a permanent CEO, the board says it will focus its initial efforts on evaluating organization needs, CEO skills, and priorities for the next phase of leadership before setting a timeline for an official search process.
