Providence, one of the largest health systems in the nation, announced today it has named A. Verona Dorch as its new executive vice president and chief legal officer. Verona will report to Providence’s chief executive officer and serve on the organization’s executive council.
Verona joins Providence from Peabody Energy Corp. in St. Louis, Mo., where she has served as executive vice president, chief legal officer, head of government affairs and corporate secretary since 2015. Prior to Peabody, she was at Harsco Corp. in Pennsylvania, a diversified company serving customers in 40 countries. At Harsco, Verona held various leadership roles over her nine-year tenure, including chief legal officer, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary.
“I’m honored to join the team at Providence and to be given the opportunity to bring my passion for governance and the law to the Providence family of organizations,” said Verona. “Having worked in multiple sectors, I am motivated to apply my knowledge and skills to the ever-evolving health care industry. We live in a global and diverse society and it’s important to approach legal and governance matters with an open mind and inclusive point of view. Providence is known for innovation and compassion and I look forward to being part of its lifesaving work.”
Verona’s leadership experience with large, complex organizations, particularly in the areas of government relations, compliance, and data privacy, is highly relevant to health care. Among the honors and recognition Verona has received, she was named one of the 2020 Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Oil & Gas by the National Diversity Council; appeared on the 2019 Financial Times Global GC 20 list; named to Black Enterprise magazine’s 2019 list of the Most Powerful Women in Corporate America; and in 2014, Verona was named a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She has a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.
“We are blessed to have Verona join our ministry’s senior executive team at this critical time in our organization’s history,” said Rod Hochman, M.D., president and CEO of Providence. “Verona brings knowledge of the law that spans the globe, and I know she will be instrumental in helping us move toward our vision of health for a better world.”
As Providence welcomes Verona to the Providence family or organizations, it says farewell to Cindy Strauss, who is retiring after 36 years as an attorney and 31 years of distinguished service as its chief legal officer. “Cindy dedicated her career to ensuring Providence was leading the way in health care, and she will be greatly missed as one of the industry’s leading voices,” Hochman said.
Verona begins her new role with Providence this month and will be based in Renton, Wash. Cindy Strauss will remain with Providence through the end of the year as an advisor to the CEO.
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