The Trustee of the Year Award honors up to two individual trustees who currently serve on a Missouri hospital or health system governing board.

The selection criteria is based on leadership skills, grassroots advocacy, community involvement, meeting participation and personal development. The awards are presented at MHA’s Annual Convention in November. Please consider nominating a trustee that has been instrumental in your hospital or community.

Selection Criteria

Leadership Skills

• has served in one or all of the following board officer positions: chair, vice chair, secretary or treasurer
• has contributed to the continued viability of the organization through leadership in diversification/new ventures, mergers, affiliations, restructuring or expansion of services

Grassroots Advocacy

• has supported MHA’s grassroots advocacy efforts in the hospital and community
• has advocated on behalf of the hospital or health system, and continually advocates and promotes the hospital in the local community

Community Involvement

• has enhanced the scope of access to health care services provided to the community through work performed on the governing board
• has been involved in promoting population health and community benefit activities for the local community
• has built consensus for hospital projects with community stakeholders

Meeting Participation

• has attended 75% of all board and committee meetings since becoming a board member
• has been an active participant during board meetings, committee meetings and annual board retreats, and encourages and facilitates cooperation within the board
• has been involved in board development and self/board assessment

Personal Development

• has remained current on state and national hospital issues by attending education programs designed for governing bodies
• has developed the ability to understand the health care delivery system and the accompanying performance measures
• has developed the skill to guide long-term plans for funding growth and for ensuring human resource functions are aligned to achieve organizational strategic outcomes

Nomination Process

Nomination Deadline: 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 1

• Recipients must currently be serving on a Missouri hospital or health system governing board. Foundation board members are not eligible.
• Up to two individual trustees will be honored.
• The award will be presented at MHA’s Annual Convention in November.
• Nominators must complete the online nomination form, along with a narrative summary that addresses each section of the selection criteria and three letters of support.

Nomination form

Past Recipients

Click the links to view the winners’ award videos.

2021 Award Winners

Walter Bazan
Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital
St. Louis

Catherine “Katie” Rhodes
Parkland Health Center
Farmington, Mo.

2020 Award Winners

The Trustee of the Year Award was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019 Award Winners

Marvin Lyman
Truman Medical Centers
Kansas City, Mo.

Winthrop “Win” Reed III
Mercy Hospital South
St. Louis

2018 Award Winners

Thomas W. Wagstaff
Saint Luke’s Health System
Kansas City, Mo.

Robert Jackson
Community Hospital – Fairfax
Fairfax, Mo.

2017 Award Winners

Omanez Fockler, R.N.
Texas County Memorial Hospital
Houston, Mo.

Peggy Dunn
Truman Medical Centers Inc.
Kansas City, Mo.