Covenant Health’s Board of Directors is guided by a team of respected and highly qualified community leaders who volunteer their time, talent and leadership in service to our mission and ministry. Bios are viewable by clicking any board member’s name.
Mark Anthoine, Sr., is the President & Managing Partner of BGA Financial with offices in Lewiston and Portland, Maine. BGA provides insurance and investment planning, employer-sponsored retirement plans and employee benefits advisory services to clients throughout New England. Anthoine began his career in the financial services and employee benefits industry in 1984 following his graduation from Bowdoin College.
John Oliverio is the former president and CEO of Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare where he served for more than 31 years in various capacities. Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare is a Catholic nonprofit organization with 14 hospitals, more than 1,500 beds, over 17,000 associates and 500 medical group physicians, and a housing ministry with 2,620 units in Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado and Illinois. With a deep commitment to Catholic health care, Oliverio led the organization’s move to integrate delivery systems across markets, expand physician services and create innovative physician partnerships to effectively support the needs of patients, associates, physicians and communities. He also served various civic organizations over his career, including his tenure as chair of his parish finance committee and local school board.
Ralph Jenkins is a retired Assurance Partner from Ernst & Young, a global professional services organization. He was the former Managing Partner of the Manchester, NH office, before transferring to the Boston, MA office, and his responsibilities included working with a diverse client base of both public and private companies.
He is currently the finance chair of St. Joseph’s Hospital, Nashua, New Hampshire, a Covenant hospital, serving the organization since 2016; Director and Treasurer of the Heron Cove Association; and serves on the finance committee of Catholic Charities of New Hampshire.
Kathryn Connerton brings extensive expertise in a variety of disciplines to Covenant Health. She is a talented health care executive with demonstrated success driving innovation and transformation across community-based, multi-state integrated operations specializing in clinical and financial outcomes, service line development and care coordination.
Since 2014, she has served as president and CEO of Ascension Lourdes, an extensive health care system comprised of 2,250 doctors, nurses and associates based in Binghamton, New York. Connerton also serves as the chairperson of the Care Compass Network, a not-for-profit community network comprising 180 partner organizations whose mission is to improve the health and life of Medicaid members in the southern tier of New York. She previously served as vice president of Bon Secours Health System, Inc.; chief operating officer of Bon Secours Venice Healthcare Corporation; and vice president and general counsel of Lourdes Hospital.
Aisha Barlatier-Bonny is the Vice President of Behavioral Health & Outpatient Services at The Home for Little Wanderers in Brockton, Mass. She is a passionate advocate for children’s mental health, bringing over 26 years of experience to her work in the field.
Throughout her career, Aisha has honed her skills in strategic planning, training, coaching, contract management, budget planning, quality assurance and risk mitigation. As an inclusive leader with a deep understanding of diverse funding sources, she has a proven record of thriving in productivity-focused environments and is known for her ability to inspire teams and implement effective program strategies.
Aisha is an active member of the Brockton community, having served on the boards of South Shore Haitians United for Progress, or SHUP, the Haitian Organization for the Advancement of Petit-Goave, or HOAP, and Bridgewater State University’s Social Work Advisory Board.
She previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors at St. Joseph Manor as well as a board member for its parent company, Covenant Health. In recognition of her contributions to the Haitian community in Massachusetts and abroad, Aisha was named “Brockton Woman of the Year” in 2011. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Sacred Heart University and a master’s degree in social work from Bridgewater State University.
Bruce Bonnell joined the board in 2016. As a member, he lends his medical expertise to the board and serves on the Quality and Safety Committee. He is a geriatrician, internist and medical educator, and currently serves as medical director for geriatric acute and post-acute care for Redeemer Health in Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania. He previously served as chief of geriatric medicine at Spaulding Hospital for Continuing Medical Care in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. Before joining Spaulding, Bonnell served as a primary care geriatrician at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge and a hospitalist at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Robert A. Clark is the president and chief executive officer of Husson University, Bangor, Maine, the largest private, not-for-profit university in northern Maine. He is also a distinguished professor of business. He has held these positions since 2010. A noted scholar, researcher and author, Clark’s career in higher education spans more than 35 years. He has held academic appointments at the University of Vermont, the University of Tampa, Butler University, and University of Evansville prior to joining Husson University.
Clark is currently chair of the St. Joseph Healthcare Board of Trustees, a hospital in the Covenant Health, Inc. network, and has been a board member serving on the finance and governance committees since 2016. Clark has been a board member of the Council of Higher Education Accreditors, CHEA, since 2018 and has served on the executive committee as treasurer since 2021.
Stephen Grubbs serves as president and CEO of Covenant Health. In this position, he is responsible for developing and implementing corporate strategies, system integration and operational performance. He brings extensive administrative experience to this role, including his time as president and CEO of hospital systems in Florida, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.
Grubbs earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Kentucky and his MBA from Bethel University. He is a member of American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on the Boards of Covenant Health, The Yankee Alliance (regional group purchasing organization) and serves as the chair of the Androcroggin Health, LLC. Board.
After more than 40 years of dedicated service, in 2022 Jeff Halverson retired from his role as Vice President of MercyOne Medical Group in Waterloo, Iowa.
As a member of MercyOne’s senior leadership team, he led and grew a multispecialty practice of employed physicians to a group of 120 physicians and 60 plus mid-level providers across 15 specialties. Halverson’s experience included administrative oversight for physician governance, contracting, compensation, recruitment, strategic planning and budgeting. Nearly all his efforts focused on advancing Catholic Healthcare. Halverson completed the Catholic Health Association Sponsor Formation Program in 2023.
Throughout his career, Halverson managed several other healthcare business lines including retail pharmacies, home medical equipment, home nursing, home IV infusion and nursing home pharmacy services as well as supported independent physician practices. He served on the Mercy Services board of directors at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa. He is also an active Rotarian and will serve as District Governor from 2026-2027.
Halverson earned his bachelor’s degree from the College of Pharmacy at the University of Iowa in Iowa City and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.
Catherine Lovecchio earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Villanova University. She attended the College Misericordia for her Master of Science in Nursing Education and returned to Villanova to complete her Doctorate in Nursing. She gained valuable experience as a registered nurse, with a clinical focus in cardiac and critical care, at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, as well as the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Pennsylvania. For the past 35 years, Lovecchio has been teaching in various nursing education programs. For 15 years she was a tenured, associate professor of nursing at the University of Scranton and served as chairperson and director of the undergraduate program.
Currently, she serves as the associate dean for undergraduate nursing at Villanova University. In this administrative role, she is responsible for the oversight of a robust undergraduate program including traditional Bachelor of Science (BSN) four-year students and Second Degree students. Lovecchio has conducted research concerning Dedicated Education Units and academic-clinical partnerships and their effect on student satisfaction with the clinical learning environment.
Sr. Catherine O’Connor is a member of the Congregation of St. Brigid, an international community founded in Ireland. She currently serves as the congregational leader. Prior to being called to congregational leadership, Sr. O’Connor was the vice president for mission and sponsorship at Covenant Health in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. She also served as senior vice president of mission integration and organizational development at Caritas Christi Health Care in Boston, Massachusetts. Sr. O’Connor was a member of the faculty of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas; an adjunct faculty member at Boston College; Saint Pope John XXIII Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts; and the Master of Arts in Ministry program at St. John’s Seminary in Boston. She was a psychologist at the Danielsen Institute at Boston University and has been extensively involved in education, leadership development and pastoral ministry.
Sr. O’Connor has a PhD in psychology from Boston University, a master’s in mental health counseling from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, and an MST in historic-systematic theology from the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio. She is a licensed psychologist, a certified CPE supervisor and a diplomate in the American Psychotherapy Association. She has a certification in organizational development from Linkage/DePaul University and is a certified coach. Sr. O’Connor studied in Louvain, Belgium, and did a cross-cultural study of the Spanish language and culture in Ecuador; Mexico City, Cuernavaca and Chiapas in Mexico.
Gino Pazzaglini’s professional career spans 42 years in Catholic and faith-based health ministry beginning in clinical social work and transitioning to health care executive management. For over 15 years he served as president and CEO at two nonprofit, Catholic health systems, one based in New York, and one in Pennsylvania.
In addition to a master’s degree in social work and a master’s certificate in health administration, Pazzaglini’s considerable accomplishments earned him Life Fellow status as awarded by The American College of Healthcare Executives. Pazzaglini has also completed the Catholic Health Association’s Sponsor Formation program. For nine years, he served as lay sponsor member on Ascension Public Juridic Person, including four years as chair. Pazzaglini also has ongoing governance experience on numerous state/local health, mental health and public service boards. He is an active parishioner and active retiree.
Herman Williams, MD is the President of HW Healthcare Solutions, a multifaceted healthcare consulting firm focused on healthcare solutions for medical staffs, physician practices and hospitals.
Williams has a long history as a senior executive and extensive healthcare experience and expertise that includes the management and operations of large-scale national clinics and hospitals including Christus Health System, Baptist Health System, Regional Care Hospital Partners, Vanguard Health Systems and more. Williams began his first consulting firm, Herman Williams Consulting in 1996. As President, he helped develop and redesign medical staff consulting services to include medical staff credentialing, bylaws redesign and accreditation guidelines for a national client base. He has also held the role of Chief Physician Executive in 2019 as well as initiated the Nashville Healthcare Consulting practice for BDO, USA.
Williams is an experienced Executive Coach, with a successful record of developing leaders, teams and organizations. He has achieved the ranking of Professional Certified Coach (PCC), with the International Coach Federation. Williams earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Boston University School of Medicine, in Boston, Mass, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash. and a master’s degree in public health from Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.