CLICK TO HEAR JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH SARA GILES, SHF BOARD PRESIDENT
The Superior Health Foundation has elected a Manistique woman as the president of its Board of Directors.
Sara Giles, who works as the marketing director at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital, was the Foundation’s vice president last year. She will take the spot that was held by Dr. Dan Arnold, who was on the Board of Directors for 19 years.
“It’s a huge honor,” Giles told RRN News. “I’ve served on the board a few years now, and I’ve been able to witness the impact, and hear from the individuals and organizations that have received our grants. To hear how those dollars are being used in their communities to make a difference, it’s so rewarding. It’s been a joy to get to know people all across the U.P., and to form these connections. I really feel that we’re making a difference.”
Giles says that being from Manistique, in this new role, will help to spread the word that the Superior Health Foundation is not only a Marquette County entity.
“I really want to advocate that some of these other counties step up and apply for some of these grants,” Giles said. “We see a lot of grants coming out of the Marquette County area and we think that’s fantastic. We know that our brand is there, but the Superior Health Foundation services everyone across the U.P. So we really want to encourage non-profits to get on our web site, learn about the opportunities, and apply for some of these grants. We have the funds. We just want to get the funds to organizations that really need it, and can make an impact in our community.”
David Jahn, who used to be at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital and moved on to War Memorial Hospital in Sault Ste. Marie, will serve as vice president. He has retired, but brings 40 years of experience as a hospital administrator to the role. Kara Katona will be the secretary/treasurer, as she was last year. She is the managing partner at the public accountant firm Makela, Toutant, Hill, Nardi & Katona, P.C.
Giles will lead a board that has twelve members from across the Upper Peninsula.
“We’ve had a lot of great things happen,” Giles said. “One of my favorite things is seeing a great idea duplicated in another county. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel. We want to connect people who have done similar things and help other communities replicate that success. That’s definitely one of my goals in the next couple of years. To see more applications coming from across the U.P., and seeing successful ideas implemented in other areas as well.”
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