Board of Directors

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.

Lesley Adkison is currently on the board of directors for Youville Assisted Living in both Cambridge and Lexington, Massachusetts. Her professional background includes roles in program development and coordination, nursing administration, nursing education, research and biotechnology. Adkison’s professional interests include organizational ethics and provider-patient interactions in health care. She received her undergraduate degree from Maryville College, a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a nursing doctorate from Boston College. She also holds specialty certifications in both gerontological nursing and psychiatric mental health nursing.

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. He serves as board chair of St. Mary’s Health System, which includes St. Mary’s Health Regional Medical Center and St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Thomas Mortimer’s 40-year banking career began as an undergraduate at Northeastern University, where he earned his degree in finance. He would later receive his MBA in finance at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell. Professionally, Mortimer had been the Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer at Pentucket Bank. Since 2010, Mortimer is now the President and CEO of the Haverhill Bank. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Mortimer has also lent his time and talent to several community organizations. He is co-chairman of the finance committee of All Saints Parish in Haverhill; Past Chairman of the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce; Immediate Past President of the Greater Haverhill Foundation; and Vice President of Haverhill Day Care; Finance Committee Chairman for the Northern Essex Community College Foundation; and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Bankers Association. Mortimer is the Vice President of the George Wadleigh Foundation; and on the Board of Directors of the Co-Operative Bank’s Employees Retirement Association (CBERA). Mortimer is also the Chairman of the Board of Penacook Place, a 160-bed not-for-profit skilled nursing and rehabilitation center located in Haverhill.

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.

Louise Trottier is past chair of both the Covenant Health and Covenant Health Systems boards of directors. She currently serves on Covenant Health’s Finance Committee and is chair of the Sponsorship & Governance Committee. For many years, Louise served in governance and leadership positions at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua. She is past chair of the St. Joseph Hospital Board in Nashua and was a member of their finance committee.

Louise is retired and previously held the position of senior vice president of retail banking at TD Bank. She is active in her community and has served on many nonprofit local community boards including service as vice-chair of the board for Hunt Community Senior Living in Nashua.