Board of Trustees
Memorial is governed by a Board of Trustees. Their strategic decisions 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 Meetings
Board of Trustees of Memorial Hospital meetings occur regularly on the second, third and fourth Mondays of each month at noon.
Meetings are held in the West Tower, on the 2nd Floor, in the Administration Board Room. Members of the public may attend at this location.
The Board of Trustees will hold an Annual meeting immediately following the regularly scheduled meeting on the fourth Monday in November.
Any change in the time or location for the board meetings, or the scheduling of a specially called board meeting will be communicated through public notice.
Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees Members
Robert Sawyer
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Mr. Sawyer was appointed to the Board by the City of Gulfport in 2022. He is a resident of Gulfport and is the owner of Trinity Investment Services, LLC, as a financial advisor and has been in practice for more than 35 years. He received his Bachelor’s in Public Administration from the University of Mississippi in Oxford.
Mr. Sawyer 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 Memorial Auxiliary, and he is an active member of St. John Catholic Church.
Thaddeus C. Carter, M.D.
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Dr. Carter was appointed to the Board of Trustees by the Harrison County Board of Supervisors in 2017.
Dr. Carter 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, Hammond, LA, LSU Medical School, New Orleans, LA and completed his residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, LA.
Dr. Carter 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. Dr. Carter is a Fellow in the American College of Surgery and the American Urologic Association.
Cara Pucheu
Secretary, Board of Trustees
Mrs. Pucheu was appointed to the Board by the City of Gulfport in 2022. She is a resident of Gulfport and is the Vice President and CFO of Edge Financial Group, PA. She is a graduate of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi.
Mrs. Pucheu was elected as Councilman of Ward 7 for the City of Gulfport in 2009 and was re-elected and served through 2021. She is a Commercial Registered Agent with the Mississippi Secretary of State and serves as Registered Agent for the State of Mississippi for a large National Registered Agent service. Mrs. Pucheu has served on many boards, and she is a member of the Gulf Coast Business Council and the Home Builders Association MS Gulf Coast.
Carlos Bell
Board of Trustees, Past Chairman
Mr. Bell was appointed jointly to the Board by the City of Gulfport City Council and Harrison County Board of Supervisors in 2016. Mr. Bell previously served The Port of Gulfport as the Director of Public Engagement. Prior to joining the Port, Mr. Bell was the Regional Director for Waggoner Engineering and the State Lead Advisor for British Petroleum (BP); after the Deepwater Horizon explosion where he was responsible for the external affairs and community relations teams in MS and AL.
Mr. Bell is a graduate of MS Gulf Coast Community College, William Carey College, and Colorado Tech University with a Master’s in Project Management and currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Human Capital Development at University Southern Mississippi.
Mr. Bell served our country in the U.S. Army before being injured in combat in Iraq in 2003. Mr. Bell is Chairman of the Boys & Girls Club Gulf Coast. Mr. Bell has received several Community Service and Leadership awards and involvement including the MS Business Journal Top 50 Under 40 (2017), One Coast Top 10 Under 40 (2015), Leadership Gulf Coast (2015), NAACP Drum Major for Justice (2014), and Leadership Mississippi (2010).
Mercedes Carranza
Board of Trustees
Mr. Carranza was appointed to the Board by the City of Gulfport in 2024.
Mr. Carranza is a resident of Gulfport and a native of Michoacán, Mexico. He is a real estate owner and manager at Properties, Inc., where he focuses on property inspection, manpower coordination, and new tenant applications. His career began in the hospitality industry, and from 2013-2022, he was the owner, operator, and executive chef at El Agave Mexican Restaurant.
Mr. Carranza has served in many community involvement positions, including as a board member for the Gulfport Police Athletic League, a member of the Harrison County Schools Junior Leadership Advisory Board, a former member of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce Diversity Committee, and more.
Carrolyn R. Hamilton
Board of Trustees
Ms. Hamilton was appointed to the Board by the Harrison County Board of Supervisors in 2009. Ms. Hamilton is a retired Superintendent of 13 years with the Long Beach School District, with 39 years of educational and leadership experience.
Ms. Hamilton received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern Mississippi and Master of Administration and Supervision in Education from University of Southern Mississippi.
Ms. Hamilton has served on the Board of the Gulf Coast Education Initiative Consortium, Board and Officer with the MS Association of School Superintendents and Board of Association of Gifted Students. Ms. Hamilton has been awarded the Long Beach Educator of the Year and the Administrator of the Year.
David H. White
Board of Trustees
Mr. White was appointed by the Harrison County Board of Supervisors in 1993.
Mr. White is a prior Harrison County Board Supervisor, District Two. Mr. White his the owner and president of David H. White Accounting Firm for the past 42 years. Mr. White attended Phillips Business College, Mississippi Gulf Coast Jr. College, and the University of Southern Mississippi.