Dr. Avonia Richardson-Miller

But however, the demands were pulling me away from the balance that I needed with my family.

And then I had to make a very difficult decision to take a major step back from that VP title.

And that actually landed me

coming into the healthcare industry at that time because I took a position with JFK Medical Center as a director of their early childhood program.

And with that, it was a role that I was uniquely qualified for given my background as an entrepreneur and with the childcare center.

And I had during that time also earned my doctorate in education.

And so with that opportunity, I just leaned into Dr. King's words

that to be the best at whatever you are.

And I poured that value of executing with excellence into the work that I did there.

And under my leadership, that program earned its initial national accreditation, which is considered a gold standard from the National Accreditation of the Education of Young Children and

And then it was during that time that I actually was diagnosed with the heart condition and had to undergo that surgery.

And so that was another pivotal change.

But with that, JFK at the time then merged shortly after, about a year or two after my surgery, we merged with Hackensack Meridian Health.

And this merger created a wave of new opportunities at the corporate level.

And I had already established a great track record for excellence in leadership and was positioned to be considered for a new role.

So that is how I landed into HMH.

Yeah, I think it's, yeah, HMH is a very special place.

And I think that that starts right at the top with our leadership.

You know, our CEO, Bob Carrott, even our board, you were at the board summit.

And there's a clear vision and action plan to create tangible opportunity for everyone.