Centra announces new board members for 2023

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — In the coming year, Centra’s Board of Directors will be welcoming three new members to the board.

The new directors, Alison Morrison-Shetlar, Ph.D., John A. Fees and Gloria T. Witt, will each begin their three-year term on January 1, 2023. Additionally, this past September, Cynthia Gunnoe was voted on the board.

Alison Morrison-Shetlar, Ph.D. has served as the President of the University of Lynchburg since August 2020. As president, she has spearheaded the development of a strategic plan for the university in addition to directing a comprehensive campaign to grow endowed scholarships, programmatic support, and two facilities projects. Importantly, she has also worked to increase the involvement of the University of Lynchburg in the community.

Dr. Morrison-Shetlar has been employed by multiple private and public institutions including the University of Central Florida, Elon University, and most recently, Western Carolina University where she served as the provost, vice president for development and alumni engagement, and interim chancellor. A native of Scotland, Dr. Morrison-Shetlar obtained her bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry and her doctorate in biomedical science at Dundee College of Technology now Abertay University.

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John A. Fees recently retired as chairman of BWX Technologies, Inc. Board of Directors. Fees served as chairman of the company since 2010, following its spin-off from McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE: MDR). Fees was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MDR, a leading engineering and construction company with a focus on energy from October 2008 through July 2010 at which time he retired from the company with 31 years of service.

Fees has served on the Boards of the National Association of Manufacturers, Nuclear Energy Institute, and the National Petroleum Council, along with numerous community organizations where Fees lived.

He is a Governance Fellow with the National Organization of Corporate Directors and possesses significant experience in the conduct and organization of boards of directors. Fees holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and operations research from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in engineering administration from George Washington University.

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Gloria T. Witt is a Principal Consultant at Linkage, Inc. Prior to this role she was employed with Areva, now Framatome, for 32 years. She has dedicated her career to helping global leaders achieve business objectives with an intense focus on coaching intentional leadership behaviors.

She has extensive experience working in a multicultural matrixed corporate environment, government organizations, and non-profits. Witt is also a member of the Executive Board for the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance, a 15-year member of the Board for The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lynchburg, a member of the Board for the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC), and president of the Amherst Branch of the NAACP.

Witt has a bachelor’s degree in communications with minors in sociology and economics from Randolph Macon Woman's College and a Master of Business Administration from Capella University. She completed the Leadership Engine Program at the University of Michigan and received the Master Human Capital Strategist (MHCS) Certification from the Human Capital Institute.

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Cynthia Gunnoe has been the Vice President of Gunnoe Sausage since 1986 and the Secretary and Treasurer of Arthur’s Jewelry since 1992. As Vice President of Gunnoe Sausage, Gunnoe has managed large teams, built relationships with major grocery store chains in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and overseen the operations, finances, and human resources for the company.

Similarly, her role at Arthur’s Jewelry has included management of the marketing, finances, and human resources for a Central Virginia-based business. She also holds extensive board experience having served on the Central Virginia Community College Advisory Board, Bedford Community Health Foundation, Bedford Regional Water Authority, Town of Bedford Planning Commission, and the Centra Bedford Memorial Hospital Board which she is the chairwoman of at present.

Gunnoe obtained her bachelor’s in business administration from the College of William & Mary.

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Dr. Morrison-Shetlar, Fees, and Witt will fill the positions of outgoing board members, Julie Doyle, Hank Hubbard, and Sackett Wood. Doyle has been serving on the board since 2006, Wood since 2011, and Hubbard since 2014.

"Centra is grateful for the time and effort that Doyle, Hubbard, and Wood have devoted to improving the health and quality of life for the communities we serve through their service on Centra’s Board of Directors. These individuals bring not only business expertise and leadership, but also a general love for this community. They have dedicated countless hours to Centra and the health of the communities they have served. Furthermore, Centra is excited to welcome Gunnoe, Fees, Morrison-Shetlar, and Witt to the board as Centra’s team of Caregivers–board members, nurses, staff members, and providers- work daily to pursue excellence, inspire hope, and advance health and healing."

To learn more about Centra’s Board of Directors and the work that Centra is doing across Central Virginia to create healthier communities, please visit https://www.centrahealth.com/.