Empire Health adds two board members

A slimmed-down board for Empire Health Services is getting some new energy from two active members of Spokane’s business community.

The board is in the process of searching for a new chief executive officer for the nonprofit organization that operates Deaconess Medical Center and Valley Hospital and Medical Center.

At a meeting in September, two new trustees joined the Empire board, filling spots left open by retired business people.

Ron McKay, senior vice president of member business services for Global Credit Union, and Judy Cole, director of business and public affairs for Avista Utilities, were elected to three-year terms.

In addition, McKay was elected treasurer.

The board, which until recently had 14 members, now will function with 12 trustees.

Four board members, whose terms were ending, resigned at a meeting in June, although two stayed on until September to help with the transition.

The departing trustees are Phil Sandberg, retired president of Sandberg Securities; Steve Matsko, retired financial planner and former area president for U.S. Bancorp; Mary Bates, retired manager at First American Title Co.; and Charles Stocker, a retired public schools superintendent.

Dr. Bruce McClelland, an otolaryngologist and partner with Spokane Valley Ear, Nose and Throat, is vice chairman of the board, replacing Roberta Greene. Greene, co-owner of Empire Ford and a former city councilwoman, has been interim chief executive officer for Empire since the resignation of Garman Lutz last month.

The board chairman is Mike Taylor of Taylor Engineering. Chris Marr, vice president of Foothills Auto Group, is secretary.