Memorial Announces 2024 Board of Trustees Officers
GULFPORT, Miss. – December 1, 2023 – Memorial Health System announced today its 2024 Board of Trustees officers. Carlos Bell has been named Chairman, Bob Sawyer has been named Vice Chairman, and Dr. Thad Carter has been named Secretary. Gary Fredericks (Past Chairman), Carrolyn R. Hamilton, Cara Pucheu, and David H. White also serve on the Board of Trustees.
Bell was appointed jointly to the Board by the City of Gulfport City Council and Harrison County Board of Supervisors in 2016. He is a highly accomplished leader and project manager, bringing extensive expertise in collaborating with state and federal government entities, disaster recovery initiatives, civil engineering projects, commercial seaports, and construction endeavors. With a rich background in leadership, Bell serves as Waggoner Engineering Area Manager for the Gulf Coast region and held pivotal roles at the Port of Gulfport, including Director of Public Engagement. His proven success extends to non-profit board organization and human capital development.
Sawyer was appointed to the Board by the City of Gulfport in 2022. He is the owner of Trinity Investment Services, LLC, as a financial advisor and has been in practice for more than 35 years. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Mississippi Public Broadcasting for 12 years. He currently volunteers in the Memorial Health System Emergency Department through the Memorial Auxiliary.
Dr. Carter was appointed to the Board of Trustees by the Harrison County Board of Supervisors in 2017. He is a retired board-certified urologist who served on staff at Memorial Hospital from 1980 – 2016. Dr. Carter is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana College in Hammond, LA, LSU Medical School in New Orleans, LA, and he completed his residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, LA. During his tenure at Memorial, he served as Chief of Staff, Vice Chief of Staff, and Past Chief of Staff from 2010 – 2014. Dr. Carter was a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy. He is a Fellow in the American College of Surgery and the American Urologic Association.
The Memorial Health System Board of Trustees is tasked with making strategic decisions that are based on four core strategies: Population-Based Services; Safety, Quality, and Customer Satisfaction; Work Environment; and Finance. Memorial Hospital at Stone County is governed by the same Board of Trustees. Board of Trustees meetings occur regularly on the second, third, and fourth Mondays of each month at noon.
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ABOUT MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM
Memorial Health System has been serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1946. Located in Gulfport, Mississippi, Memorial is a not-for-profit medical complex jointly owned by the City of Gulfport and Harrison County. Memorial includes two hospitals licensed for 328 beds, a state-designated Level II Trauma Center, two nursing centers, four outpatient surgery centers, satellite outpatient diagnostic and rehabilitation centers, and more than 100 Memorial Physician Clinics. Memorial offers several of the region’s most comprehensive clinical programs and medical specialties unique to the area, including a Level III Neonatal ICU and Mississippi’s first nationally certified Primary Stroke Center. Visit wearememorial.com to learn more.