Board of Trustees

GEORGE E. NORCROSS serves as Chairman of Conner Strong & Buckelew, with offices located in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida. Founded in 1959, Conner Strong ranks among the largest insurance, risk management and employee benefits brokerage and consulting firms in the country, serving clients throughout the United States and abroad. Norcross has been the head of Conner Strong and predecessor companies since 1979.

Norcross is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Cooper Health System and Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, and has served as a Trustee since 1990. During this time, Cooper has been transformed into a top-tier academic medical center and most recently announced plans to create the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. In 2011, in recognition for his contributions, Norcross received the New Jersey Hospital Association Healthcare System Trustee of the Year Award. In 2010, he was also named to the "50 Most Powerful People in Health Care in New Jersey" and the "50 Most Powerful Nonprofit Board Members" by NJBIZ. In 2006, Norcross was named Trustee of the Year by the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals. Norcross formerly served on the Board of Directors of Commerce Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:CBH).

Norcross is a committed supporter of many charitable organizations in the region. In particular, Norcross has been a long-time benefactor of the Larc School in New Jersey, a special education school for children with disabilities. His involvement includes serving as Chairman of the Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge, the largest 10K run in the tri-state area and the Larc School's most significant fundraising event. Through the run and other initiatives, Larc School has been the beneficiary of millions in fundraising dollars.

Norcross has been nominated for numerous awards to honor his contributions to the community. In particular, Norcross received the Annual Champion of Children’s Award and the Tree of Life Award from the Jewish National Fund for his philanthropic and community leadership.

The Norcross Family, The Norcross Foundation, and its affiliated entities provide support to over 200 life-changing organizations each year. The foundation focuses its charitable efforts on improving education for youth, funding research to help cure diseases, supporting the arts and culture, improving the community's safety, and helping people with disabilities. In recognition for its contributions, Conner Strong Companies, Inc. was named a "Top Corporate Giver" for the second year in a row by the Philadelphia Business Journal. The 2010 award named Conner Strong as the 25th largest contributor in the region.

Norcross resides in Cherry Hill, New Jersey with his wife Sandy and two children, Alessandra and Alexander.

JOAN S. DAVIS, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Cooper Health System, received her B.S. degree from the College of Education, and her M.B.A. from the School of Business and Management of Temple University.

A former educator and financial analyst, Mrs. Davis is actively involved in civic and community activities. She recently Chaired the Board of Trustees of CAMcare Health Corporation. Mrs. Davis was appointed to a five year term as Commissioner of the Delaware River Port Authority by Governor Christine Todd Whitman in 1997; and served on the Board of Trustees of the Home Port Alliance for the USS New Jersey. A Past President of the Camden Free Public Library, with twenty-five years of service to this organization, Mrs. Davis is also a former Director of Cooper's Ferry Development Corporation and former Chairman of the Camden Redevelopment Agency.

JOHN P. SHERIDAN, JR., is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Cooper Health System. He is responsible for the operations of Cooper University Hospital and Cooper’s more than 75 satellite offices throughout the region. He also is a member of The Cooper Health System Board of Trustees. Mr. Sheridan joined Cooper as Senior Executive Vice President in July 2005. He became Chief Administrative Officer in March of 2007 and President of Cooper University Hospital in September 2007. He was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of The Cooper Health System in February 2008.

His career spans forty years in governmental service, the practice of law and healthcare.  Before joining Cooper, he was a senior partner and Co-Chairman of the law firm of Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti, LLP, which he joined in May 1985.  While at Riker, he served for a number of years as General Counsel to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the Carrier Clinic.  He served on the Board of Trustees of the Carrier Clinic, a not-for-profit psychiatric hospital in Belle Mead, N.J. for 25 years.

Mr. Sheridan also served in the Cabinet of Governor Thomas H. Kean as Commissioner of Transportation, and as Chairman of the Board of the New Jersey Transit Corporation from 1982 to 1985.  Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy Attorney General of the State of New Jersey, Assistant Counsel to Governor William T. Cahill, and Counsel to the New Jersey Senate Minority.

He is a graduate of St. Peter's College and received his law degree from Rutgers Law School. Mr. Sheridan also served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970. 
John Sheridan is a member of The Cooper Foundation Board of Trustees and serves on the Executive Committee of Coopers Ferry Partnership.  Mr. Sheridan is a member of the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals, the New Jersey Hospital Association and the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey. He serves on the Hospital Alliance of New Jersey Board & Executive Committee and served on New Jersey Governor Christies’ Healthcare Transition Subcommittee in 2010.

PETER S. AMENTA, M.D., Ph.D., is Dean of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Professor & Chairman of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. As Interim Dean, Dr. Amenta is responsible for all academic, research, and clinical activities of the medical school.

Dr. Amenta received a Bachelor of Science degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut; and Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in Anatomy as well as his medical degree from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia. He is Board Certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Pathology (Anatomic and Clinical Pathology). Dr. Amenta is also a member of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and its Internal Advisory Board; and serves as a Director of Immunohistochemistry Shared Resource.

MICHAEL E. CHANSKY, MD, is Chief, Department of Emergency Medicine at Cooper University Hospital and Associate Professor and Chair of Emergency Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden. For the past 25 years, under his direct leadership and through his strong commitment to his patients, graduate education and staff, Dr. Chansky has transformed Cooper’s Department of Emergency Medicine into one of the highest quality and busiest ED’s in the region treating more than 65,000 patients a year.

Dr. Chansky received his Medical Degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, New York and is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine. He completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he moved on to serve as Chief Resident prior to coming to Cooper full time. Dr. Chansky has many teaching awards for his commitment to academics from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School where he taught for more than two decades. In 2003 he was inducted into the Masters Education Guild at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, the first Camden Campus faculty member to be so honored.

LEON D. DEMBO, ESQ., is the managing member of the law firm Dembo & Saldutti LLP in Cherry Hill, New Jersey where his practice is concentrated in the areas of real estate and commercial law.

Mr. Dembo received a Bachelor of Arts degree, Cum Laude, from Georgetown University and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University Law School, Camden, New Jersey. He was admitted to the practice of law in 1980 and is licensed in the State of New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Dembo is a past Vice-President and currently serves on the Board of Managers for the Katz Jewish Community Center of South Jersey. He resides in Voorhees with his wife, Jody, and their two children, Adam and Michelle.

DENNIS M. DIFLORIO, former Chairman of Commerce Bank, N.A., has more than 30 years of management and executive leadership experience in the financial services industry. His career includes 20 years of service with Commerce, having served successively as Senior Vice President of Operations, and President of Retail Banking and Operations prior to being named Chairman.

Mr. DiFlorio is active in several community organizations. His special interest is in helping children afflicted with Progeria--a rare, pre-mature-aging disease.  He also works with the Sunshine Foundation, which brings more than 30 children with Progeria disease from all around the world together for an annual week-long reunion.

Mr. DiFlorio is a graduate of Temple University, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He and his family reside in Voorhees, New Jersey.

GENEROSA GRANA, MD, FACP, is Director of the Cooper Cancer Institute and Head of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Cooper University Hospital. She is an expert in the field of genetics and breast cancer. She is also adjunct assistant professor at the Coriell Institute for Medical Research in Camden, New Jersey.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame, Dr. Grana attended medical school at the Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago before completing her residency in internal medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Grana completed her fellowship in hematology and oncology at the Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple University in Philadelphia where she also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in preventive oncology.

Dr. Grana has received numerous awards including the Johnson & Johnson Community Health Crystal Award in 1999, the American Cancer Society Silver Chalice Award in 1999, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure "Light of Life" award in 2009.

ALI A. HOUSHMAND is Interim President of Rowan University.

Throughout his years in academia, Dr. Ali Houshmand has been a professor, academic advisor, director, dean and provost. He has published over 40 papers, received several teaching awards and helped establish a highly successful professional studies college.

Dr. Houshmand came to Rowan University in September 2006 from Drexel University where he served as associate provost for academic affairs, dean of the Goodwin College of Professional Studies and interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. For the 18 months he served as provost, Dr. Houshmand oversaw 11 colleges and associated support services. He supervised the implementation of Drexel’s five-year strategic plan, achieving all specific first-year goals in the areas of research, budgeting, cooperative education, faculty development, undergraduate programs and student retention.

He also was on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati, where he served as director of graduate studies of the industrial engineering program and acting director of the industrial engineering program. During that time, he tripled the number of graduate students in industrial engineering, established a comprehensive freshman retention program for the College of Engineering and developed a college-wide teaching effectiveness course, proven to significantly improve instructional quality. For three years, he was the director of student assessment for the College of Engineering with emphasis on accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and North Central Association: Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement.

Prior to joining academia, he worked as a staff analyst for United Airlines developing large-scale optimization and forecasting models.

Dr. Houshmand earned his bachelor’s (with honors) and master’s degrees in mathematics and mathematical statistics from the University of Essex, United Kingdom, and master’s and doctoral degrees in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

PAUL KATZ, MD, was appointed Founding Dean of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in June 2010. He has been a physician, educator, and administrator for more than 30 years at prestigious institutions along the East Coast.

Previous to joining Cooper Medical School, Dr. Katz served as Founding Vice Dean of Faculty and Clinical Affairs of The Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton, Pa.  He was instrumental in shepherding the college, which opened in 2009, through the medical education accreditation process and enrolling its first class.

Since earning his medical degree at Georgetown University, Dr. Katz also has been affiliated with the University of Florida College of Medicine; the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health; the Veterans Administration Medical Center; Georgetown Medical Center; Mount Sinai Medical Center & Miami Heart Institute; and the University of Miami School of Medicine.

ADRIENNE KIRBY, PH.D., FACHE
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Adrienne Kirby, Ph.D., FACHE, is Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Cooper Health System. She is responsible for the administration and management of The Cooper Health System’s health care delivery operations, including the hospital and physician organization. Kirby is also a member of the Cooper Health System Board of Trustees. She supports the Board and the President/CEO in establishing strategic direction for the organization and achieving its financial, service and quality goals.

Kirby joined Cooper in January 2012 with over 30-years of healthcare management experience, much of it at hospitals in the Delaware Valley. Prior to joining Cooper, Kirby served as President of Medstar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore, a 380 bed community teaching hospital. Franklin Square is the third largest hospital in Maryland and has been nationally recognized for excellence in clinical quality. Prior to her accomplishments at Franklin Square, Kirby served in various leadership positions at Virtua Health, including Chief Operating Officer of Ambulatory Services and Programs of Excellence and Chief Operating Officer of Virtua Hospital Voorhees. At Virtua, she spent more than ten years building a foundation for growth, physician partnerships and development of services and facilities. Kirby has also worked at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where she was involved in an international healthcare project in Kiev Ukraine.

Kirby has served as the chairman of numerous physician-health system joint venture boards. She has also served on many community boards in Southern New Jersey. In 2010 she led the Southern New Jersey American Heart Associate's Go Red for Women event.

Kirby earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Rutgers University and her Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. She has been a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives since 2003 and a certified healthcare executive since 1998. Kirby was born at Cooper and raised in South Jersey.

DUANE D. MYERS is President and CEO of M&C Insurance Agency, Inc., a full-service insurance agency, writing property, casualty and health insurance lines. Mr. Myers founded the company in 1983 after receiving a B.A. in accounting from Rutgers University, CCAS in Camden, New Jersey. The company is headquartered in Pennsauken, New Jersey and has grown to include multiple locations in South Jersey.

Mr. Myers serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Camden County, New Jersey and he serves on the Agency Advisory Board of the Travelers (NYSE: TRV) Insurance Companies. Additionally, Mr. Myers is a member of the Board of Trustees for Camcare Health Corporation and the Gloucester County Economic Development and Youth Council.

Mr. Myers has devoted many years of service and support to numerous South Jersey community organizations. He and his wife reside in Washington Township with their two children.

WENDELL E. PRITCHETT, Ph.D is chancellor of Rutgers University–Camden since June 30, 2009. He is noted scholar in urban history and policy and an experienced government and university administrator.

Dr. Pritchett serves as chief executive officer of Rutgers–Camden, reporting directly to the Rutgers president. He is a key member of the university’s leadership team as well as the principal spokesperson for the campus and the university in the region. In his role, Dr. Pritchett collaborates with organizations to promote the revitalization of Camden and advance the economic, social, and cultural development of southern New Jersey and the Delaware Valley.

Dr. Pritchett received his B.A. from Brown University in 1986, his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1991, and his Ph.D. in history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. He has written two books and numerous articles on urban history and policy, particularly in the areas of housing, race relations, land use, and economic development.

ANNETTE C. REBOLI, MD, is President of the Medical Staff of the Cooper Health System, Professor of Medicine and the Vice Founding Dean and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. She is responsible for oversight of the LCME accreditation process, all aspects of faculty affairs and faculty development, and development of affiliations for the medical school.

Dr. Reboli received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Biology from Georgetown University College of Arts and Sciences in Washington, DC. She received her MD degree cum laude from Georgetown University School of Medicine and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society. She completed an internship, residency, and a year as Chief Medical Resident in Internal Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, followed by a three-year clinical and research fellowship in infectious diseases at the Medical University of South Carolina. Prior to becoming Vice Founding Dean, she served as Interim Dean of CMSRU and was the Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Deputy Chief for Administration of the Department of Medicine at Cooper University Hospital, where she also served as the hospital epidemiologist.

Dr. Reboli is board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases. She has authored or co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and abstracts. Dr. Reboli has been named a “Top Doctor” in a variety of magazines, including New Jersey Monthly, Philadelphia Magazine, South Jersey Magazine, SJ Magazine, and Consumer’s Checkbook. She has been recognized by Who’s Who and Best Doctors in America. She has served as an expert in infectious diseases on several committees for the county and state. Dr. Reboli’s main research interest is in candidemia and other forms of invasive candidiasis. Over the course of her career, she has garnered over $5 million in research support from a variety of sources, including NIH, NIAID, private foundations, and industry.

In 2008, she received the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Dean’s Research Award in the faculty-clinical sciences category for research on antifungal therapy that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. She serves on the Candida Infections Guidelines Committee of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. She has been the recipient of several teaching awards and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, and the Philadelphia College of Physicians.

ROBERT A. SAPORITO, D.D.S., received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA; his Doctor of Dental Science from the School of Dental and Oral Surgery of Columbia University; and a Specialty Certificate in Prosthodontics from the College of Dentistry, New York University.

He previously served as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey and as a faculty practitioner of the UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School in Newark, with Courtesy Staff Appointment at University Hospital in Newark. Dr. Saporito also held various administrative and academic appointments within UMDNJ, including that of Dean of the New Jersey Dental School.

His significant professional activities revolve around teaching, research, and service on both a local, national, and international level. In addition, Dr. Saporito is actively involved in community service.

ROLAND SCHWARTING, M.D., is the Chairman of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Cooper University Hospital, and Professor of Pathology at CMSRU. He received his M.D. degree from Kiel University, Germany, in 1981. He subsequently spent three years at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center developing tumor markers some of which have US patents and are distributed worldwide. Dr. Schwarting finished his residency in pathology in Berlin Germany, and continued as an attending pathologist at Thomas Jefferson University until 2006. He is board-certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and Hematopathology. He is President Elect of the Medical Staff of the Cooper Health System, and serves also as the President of the South Jersey Pathology Society.

WILLIAM A. SCHWARTZ, JR. is President and Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Vision, a retail chain of optical products with corporate headquarters in Glendora, New Jersey. A member of the Board of Trustees for seven years, he also serves on several Board committees, including the Executive Committee.

Mr. Schwartz is a graduate of Monsignor Bonner Roman Catholic High School in Upper Darby, and trained with Bausch & Lomb in Wilmington prior to joining his father, who had an optical shop in Ardmore. From that small beginning, the business grew to what it is today, with 543 optical centers in 48 states. Mr.Schwartz also serves on the Boards of U.S. Vision, Commerce Bank, Mothers Works, and Alfred Angelo.

JOHN W. SHIMRAK recently retired as Vice President-Controller, North America, of the Campbell Soup Company. A graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College with a B.S. in Business Administration and a Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania, Mr.Shimrak joined Price Waterhouse & Co. in 1967, where he became an Audit Manager. He was with the Campbell Soup Company in various financial management positions since 1976.

Mr. Shimrak, a member of Cooper's Board of Trustees since 1999, has served as Chairman of the Cooper Board's Audit/Ethics Committee since 1999, and is also a member of the Board's Executive Committee.

He is active in community affairs in Berwyn, Pennsylvania and is a member of the Board of Trustees of West Virginia Wesleyan College.

K. P. (KRIS) SINGH, Ph.D, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Holtec International, an energy technology company that manufactures and supplies equipment and systems for nuclear, solar, geothermal, and fossil power generation sectors of the energy. Since establishing Holtec International in 1986, Dr. Singh has focused on its growth and success, helping build the company into a technology powerhouse respected for its engineered goods and services around the world.

Dr. Singh received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1972, a Masters in Engineering Mechanics, also from Penn in 1969, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Ranchi University in India in 1967.

Dr. Singh serves on several corporate boards including the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Board of Overseers, School of Engineering and Applied Science (University of Pennsylvania), and Holtec International.

HARVEY A. SNYDER, M.D., is an Attending Physician in the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, at Cooper University Hospital, with a teaching appointment at the University of Medicine & Dentistry/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Camden. He also holds privileges at West Jersey Hospital/Marlton and Camden Divisions and Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Dr. Snyder is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine; a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine/Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology; and a member of the American College of Physicians and American Medical Association.

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA with honors, and his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Snyder served his internship, residency, and chief residency at The Cornell University Medical Center-The New York Hospital and then proceeded to The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he completed a Fellowship in Cardiovascular Diseases.

M. ALLAN VOGELSON, J.S.C. (Retired), enjoyed a 16-year judicial career, during which time he served as a presiding judge for the Camden County Superior Court for more than 12 years. He served as presiding judge of the Camden County Superior Court’s Civil Division for eight years, and was subsequently appointed presiding judge of that Court’s Chancery Division. Judge Vogelson was in private practice in Camden and Haddonfield, New Jersey from 1965 to 1991.

A successful litigator, he also served as solicitor or counsel to numerous public entities during that time, and held various government posts including serving as a member of the New Jersey State Legislature Reappointment Committee, Director of the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders and a member of the Camden County College Board of Trustees. Judge Vogelson is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Boys and Girls Club of Camden County, New Jersey.

PETER E. DRISCOLL, ESQ., a senior member of the Haddonfield law firm of Archer & Greiner, is a member of the American, New Jersey, and Camden County Bar Associations; and a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Attorneys. He is also Chairman of Plastic Suppliers, a privately-owned international manufacturer and distributor of plastic films and sheet.

After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College, Mr. Driscoll attended Harvard Law School and graduated with a Bachelor of Law degree in 1964.

Mr. Driscoll's many civic activities have included associations with the Haddonfield Board of Education, the Camden County Guidance Center, and Planned Parenthood-Greater Camden. He is presently serving as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Coriell Institute of Medical Research. His long service to Cooper includes thirteen years as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

RAYMOND A. MEILLIER, is the retired Vice President of Financial Services of Campbell Soup Company. Prior to that assignment, he spent 10 years s the Vice President of Finance for “Campbell North and South America”, which is the company’s largest division. In that capacity, he oversaw the pricing and financial activities of the U.S., Canadian, and South America brands and businesses.

During Mr. Meillier’s almost 40 years at Campbell, he served the company in a wide variety of Plant and Headquarter positions. Hs career included assignments in Finance and Operations at plants in Maryland, Ohio, California, and at the Company’s plant and headquarters of its birthplace, Camden, New Jersey. He has a wide range of in-depth experience in Finance Operations and Logistics, and in the relatively new manufacturer and trade joint effort known as “ECR” (Efficient Consumer Response). Mr. Meillier has conducted many seminars on “Optimal Profits through Pricing”, and on the “Influence of Share Dominance on Pricing and Profits”. He has a B.S. degree in Economics from Villanova University and has attended a wide variety of financial operational and leadership courses at various institutions, including U.C.L.A.

Mr. Meillier was a member of the Cooper Board from 1997 – 2000 and served as Chairman from 1999-2000. He again served on the Board from 2007-2011. In May 2012, Mr. Meillier was elected as a Trustee Emeritus to the Cooper Board.