The Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors announces the election of a new president, Dr. Michele Ballou, the election of two new board members, Marie Fitzpatrick and Mike Warwick, and the retirement from the board of Jack A. Hammond.
These changes became effective following the annual meeting of The Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors on Friday, July 10.
Dr. Ballou succeeds Jack Hammond as president of the board. Hammond, who served as president for the past year and was a member of The Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors for 14 years, reached his term limits and has been elected a director emeritus.
A member of the board since 2006, Dr. Ballou was elected to a three-year term as president. An internist and pulmonologist with Jackson River Internists in Low Moor, she has been practicing pulmonary and internal medicine since 1988.
Dr. Ballou served as chief of staff at LewisGale Hospital Alleghany in 2012 and 2013. She was also a member of the hospital’s board of trustees in 2012 and 2013. Dr. Ballou is an active member of the Medical Executive Committee, is chair of the Medical Ethics Committee and medical director of Respiratory Therapy and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
She also serves as the medical director of Mountain Regional Hospice and a clinical instructor for the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Ballou was awarded the Clinical Educator of the Year for the Class of 2015. She lives in Clifton Forge with her husband Dr. Jim Ballou, an internist/infectious disease specialist with Jackson River Internists. They have one daughter, Kate.
“My family and I have enjoyed being a part of this community for many years,” Dr. Ballou said. “I have also watched the community change a lot during my time here, and I appreciate the opportunity to be able to give back to the Alleghany Highlands while also being part of the foundation’s efforts to strengthen the quality of life in the region.”
She added that the loss of jobs over recent decades creates challenges that are hard to overcome and yet community members show tremendous volunteerism and leadership in many non-profits and local government endeavors. “I am excited that the foundation supports the focus areas of economic transformation, educational attainment, health and wellness, leadership and civic vitality and community capacity,” she added. “The efforts made by grantees working in these areas along with the many volunteers contributing to VISION 2025 demonstrate that we have strong partnerships seeking positive opportunities for residents of the region.”
Marie Woods Fitzpatrick is retired but continues to work part-time for the Rockbridge Area Health Center as an in-person assister under a grant awarded to Alleghany County by the federal government for the Affordable Care Act. She retired from Wendy’s where she held a variety of positions that included district manager, general manager and human resources representative.
She is a member of the Riverside Health Center Board of Directors, the Covington Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Directors and the WestRock Covington Community Advisory Panel.
Fitzpatrick is a graduate of Greenbrier East High School and West Virginia University. In 2001, she received a certificate in public administration from Old Dominion through the Teletechnet program at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College.
Marie and her husband, Ralph, reside in Covington. Their children include daughters, Adria, Ava, Sonya, and Sheryl. The family attends Pine Street Baptist Church.
“I am truly grateful to serve on The Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’m looking forward to helping assist our communities to reach their full potential and to promote the health and well-being of our residents.”
Mike Warwick and his wife, Elizabeth, are lifelong residents of the Alleghany Highlands who recently retired following the April closing of their family-owned business, Rooklin’s, Inc. The downtown Covington store had been in operation for 100 years.
Warwick has served the Highlands community in numerous volunteer efforts. He was appointed by the Hon. Malfourd Trumbo to serve on the Citizens Committee to Perfect a Consolidation Agreement between Alleghany County and the City of Covington. He is a past president of the Alleghany Highlands Kiwanis Club and past president of the Covington Retail Merchants Association. He is a past assistant treasurer of the Greater Alleghany United Fund.
Warwick served on the board of directors of the Alleghany Highlands YMCA and the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce. He has held a Virginia real estate salesman’s license and served as a non-credit instructor at DSLCC.
The Warwicks have a daughter, Lauren, two sons, Edward and Michael, and a grandson, Jack. They also enjoy the company of their two dogs, Bodie and Merlin. Mike enjoys walking, biking, cooking and gardening.
“The contribution The Alleghany Foundation makes to our quality of life amazes me,” Warwick said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve.”
Warwick and Fitzpatrick join The Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors that includes Dr. Ballou, President; Dr. Leo T. Mulcahy, Secretary-Treasurer; Thomas P. Dean; Andrew E. Dreszer; James R. Eller; Denise J. Pillow; Lisa H. Schoppmeyer; George C. Snead, Jr.; Lynda N. Thompson and Anne L. Wright.
Alleghany Foundation Executive Director Mary Fant Donnan commented that she is very excited to welcome these new board members. “There is a tremendous amount of talent in the Alleghany Highlands,” she noted, “and the volunteers who serve on the foundation’s board commit a lot of time and effort to our organization.”
“Staff appreciates their leadership and many contributions and looks forward to working with them,” Donnan added. “We also appreciate the wisdom and leadership Mr. Hammond provided and acknowledge how much he has given during his years of service.”
Hammond joins a list of Directors Emeritus that includes Harrison Fridley, Charles W. Kahle, George J. Kostel, James D. Snyder and Patrick Henry Winston Jr.
With several members of his family in attendance, Hammond was honored with a plaque recognizing his years of service by Lynda Thompson during the dinner that followed the annual meeting.
“I’ve been privileged to serve on The Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors for 14 years,” Hammond said. “In that period of time, a number of changes have occurred. We have been building on the foundations laid by the founding board, and we are really working now to engage with the community to build a better future.”
“The world has certainly changed in the past 14 years, and I’m sure it will change even more in the next 14,” he added. “I’m also confident that The Alleghany Foundation will continue to add to the area’s infrastructure and quality of life in the Highlands.”
About The Alleghany Foundation: The Alleghany Foundation was established in 1995 in Covington with $35 million in proceeds from the sale of Alleghany Regional Hospital. The Foundation’s vision is to be a resource for and partner with eligible organizations to make the Alleghany Highlands a civically engaged, prosperous region that builds upon its assets to produce opportunities for all its residents. The total annual awards from The Alleghany Foundation now add up to more than $50 million.