Our leaders are dedicated to the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve. They are committed to the mission and vision of Southern New Hampshire Health, bringing their expertise and talents to our organization in all they do. From our senior leadership to our Board of Trustees that bring together community leaders and volunteers, we share a common goal of a healthier region now and for generations to come.
Colin is a healthcare executive with over 30 years of experience. He became president and chief executive officer of Southern New Hampshire Health (SNHH) in April 2022. Before this role, Colin served as senior vice president and chief value officer for SolutionHealth, the regional health system formed by the combination of SNHH and Elliot Health System in 2019. He also acted as interim president of SNHH in 2020, guiding the organization through a leadership transition, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the implementation of the Epic electronic medical record.
Earlier in his career, Colin held leadership positions focused on integrated healthcare delivery and value-based payment models, including senior vice president of network development and contracting at MaineHealth, interim president & CEO of Synernet, Inc., and vice president of provider engagement and contracting for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
He earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Arts from The University of Connecticut.
With more than 25 years of medical group leadership experience, Jim is responsible for health system strategy and provides administrative oversight of Foundation Medical Partners (FMP).
Jim first joined FMP from 2000-2005, serving in a finance leadership role. He rejoined the organization in 2017 after more than a decade away. During this time, he held several leadership roles, including president of Hartford Medical Group in Hartford, Connecticut, executive vice president of physician services at Women and Infants Hospital in Rhode Island, and senior vice president of physician services at William H. Backus Health System in Connecticut.
Prior to his career in healthcare, Jim worked in audit for Ernst & Young in a public accounting role. Jim is a certified public accountant and earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Springfield College and a Master of Business Administration from Nichols College.
Dr. Sal Vella joined Foundation Medical Partners in 1999 as a founding member of Memorial Medical Associates. Throughout his tenure, he has held various leadership roles, including serving on the Board of Governors, as vice chief of staff, and later as chief of staff for Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. Since 2022, Dr. Vella has served as chief medical officer of Foundation Medical Partners while continuing his work as a practicing physician and hospitalist.
In addition to his clinical and leadership roles, Dr. Vella contributes to medical education by teaching Geisel School of Medicine and University of New England medical students as they rotate through various specialties.
Dr. Vella earned his medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine. He completed his residency at UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is board-certified in internal medicine.
Susan joined Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in 2022. She is a registered nurse and healthcare leader with more than 40 years of experience providing quality patient care and strategic leadership in an acute care hospital system. She previously held several progressive leadership roles at Tufts Medicine, Lowell General Hospital, most recently serving as associate chief nursing officer with extensive oversight of its nursing practice.
A transformational leader, Susan is known for her dedication to fostering a supportive work environment for healthcare workers and promoting a culture of shared decision-making. Her broad experience in nursing brings valuable insight and perspective to her role at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center.
Susan is a certified nurse executive through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She holds a doctorate in nursing practice and a master’s in business administration from Rivier University.
Rebecca joined Foundation Medical Partners in 1995 as a board-certified adult nurse practitioner. She became involved in medical leadership when she joined the board of governors, serving from 1997 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2009. She began working with quality assurance in 2005 when she joined the Foundation Quality Assurance Committee.
In 2015, Rebecca became medical director for quality assurance at Foundation Medical Partners. In December 2019, she was promoted to chief quality officer for Southern NH Health. In 2021, Rebecca was promoted again, becoming vice president of quality, safety, and accreditation and chief quality officer.
Rebecca graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Science in nursing in 1991 and a Master of Science in nursing in 1994. She is also certified in health care quality management by the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians.
Dr. Leahy joined Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in December 1997 as a staff emergency medicine physician and has held several leadership roles prior to his appointment as senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer of Southern NH Medical Center. He has also served as penultimate past president of the New Hampshire Osteopathic Association.
In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Dr. Leahy continues to care for patients in the emergency department at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. He is an active member of the community, currently serving on the United Way of Greater Nashua Community Advisory Council and is a former board member of the Granite State Children’s Alliance.
Dr. Leahy earned his medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine and completed a residency in emergency medicine at Union Hospital in Union, New Jersey.
Michael brings extensive experience in health care operations and joined Southern New Hampshire Health as senior vice president and chief operating officer in December 2024.
He previously served as chief operating officer at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and held several leadership roles with Tower Health, including vice president of operations. Throughout his career, Michael has focused on innovation, strategic growth, enhancing patient-centered experiences, improving workflows and efficiency, and increasing patient access to care.
He earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and a Master of Business Administration in health care management from West Texas A&M University.
Ken is a proven leader with a passion for innovation who combines more than 25 years of budget, audit, and accounting knowledge with health system expertise to ensure financial excellence. A lifelong New Hampshire resident, Ken’s leadership helps SNHH maintain our position of financial strength while looking for new ways to enhance our commitment to all those in our care.
Starting out as the system’s financial controller, he became the vice president of finance of Southern NH Health in July 2023, where he spearheaded financial reporting processes, led database implementations, and collaborated with leadership to improve workflow and achieve best-in-class financial performance. He’s also held numerous other leadership positions across New England, including executive and managerial financial roles at Catholic Medical Center, Concord Hospital, Inc., and Home Health & Hospice Care.
Ken earned a Master of Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University and earned his Bachelor of Science in business management from Keene State College.
Dr. Watt has more than 20 years of leadership experience with an expertise in information systems and technology. He is responsible for the development and execution of strategies to modernize the health system’s operations for patients and employees seeking care at our facilities.
Dr. Watt has held several leadership positions including Chief Medical Information Officer, Chief Information Officer, and Senior Product Consultant. Early in his career, he worked as an EMR installer and software developer for Meditech. He is also certified in the Epic EMR and has worked on large scale Epic implementations.
Dr. Watt returned to Southern New Hampshire Health in 2025 after leaving his role as Chief Medical Information Officer and Chief Information Officer at Catholic Medical Center. He serves on both the SNHH and CMC Institutional Review Boards (IRB) as a scientific reviewer for clinical research. Andrew is the 2025 Board Chair of the Foundation for Healthy Communities.
Dr. Watt earned his medical degree from the Chan School of Medicine in Worcester, Massachusetts. He completed his residency and served as Chief Resident in Emergency Medicine at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. He is board-certified in both emergency medicine and clinical informatics.
Shannon is an accomplished human resources leader with more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, high tech, and financial services. She combines deep expertise in talent acquisition, workforce planning, employee engagement, and leadership development to advance Southern New Hampshire Health’s people strategy and support the organization’s mission.
Before joining Southern NH Health, Shannon served as Interim Division Vice President of Human Resources for the Community Hospitals division at Beth Israel Lahey Health, overseeing HR teams at seven hospitals across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She has also held senior human resources leadership roles at Exeter Health Resources, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Baystate Health. Shannon earned her MBA in Organizational Leadership from Rivier University and her bachelor’s degree from Jacksonville University. She holds both Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Society for Human Resource Management – Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) credentials.
Scott joined the organization in 1999 as Director of Property Management, eventually assuming his current position. He is responsible for facility planning, operations, construction management, and emergency management for Southern NH Health. Scott previously held positions as director of facility operations for Dartmouth-Hitchcock, the Nashua School District, and Merrimack College.
He is a graduate of North Shore Technical School, where he majored in construction theory and management. Scott attended New England Institute, majoring in mechanical engineering. He holds an unrestricted construction superintendent license and is a certified healthcare emergency professional.
Leanne joined Southern NH Health in 2022 with over 18 years of experience in Perioperative Services. Leanne has held several perioperative leadership positions across New England, most recently as operating room director for Beth Israel Deconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Leanne is a progressive leader in the surgical services arena and has focused her career on optimizing the continuum of care for surgical and procedural patients. In 2024, Leanne expanded her role to include lab services, radiology services, and cardiology and respiratory therapy services. She earned her B.S. in Nursing from Endicott College and her master's in health care leadership from Western Governors University.
Laura joined Southern New Hampshire Health in 1998 as a new graduate RN. During her nearly 25 years here, Laura has served in many progressive leadership roles, including clinical teacher, unit director, and most recently, director of professional practice and Magnet program director.
Laura is a highly motivated and energetic leader who focuses on empowering nurses and engaging teams throughout the organization to achieve excellence in all aspects of their work. She has actively supported the Magnet Nursing Excellence Program at Southern NH Medical Center throughout her career, helping to achieve four Magnet designations. Laura is a certified Lean Green Belt and received her Advanced Nursing Leadership Certification in 2014 from Saint Anselm College. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of New Hampshire and is currently pursuing her master’s degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Michelle has over 29 years of experience in behavioral health. She joined Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in 2000 as a registered nurse in the Behavioral Health Unit and has since served as the clinical manager, unit director, and director of Behavioral Health Services. She is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse and nurse executive. In addition, she holds a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Leadership in Health Systems Management from Rivier University and a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Systems Leadership from Rivier University. Michelle currently serves on the Greater Nashua Mental Health Board.
Betsy joined Southern New Hampshire Health in 2018 after more than 20 years as executive director of The Youth Council, a local nonprofit serving at-risk youth. As Southern NH Health's Executive Director of Community Partnerships, Betsy is responsible for identifying and leveraging creative collaborations to address unmet health needs in the community and overseeing Volunteer Services, the Auxiliary, and the Coffee Shop.
Betsy served as a 12-year member of the NH Governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. She is also a fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a founding board member of the Endowment for Health. She has been recognized with several awards, including being named one of Greater Nashua's 25 Extraordinary Women. She is a Commissioner for Nashua’s Citizens Advisory Council, an election volunteer in Nashua’s Ward 7, and serves on the Greater Nashua Food Council and Nashua’s Public Health Advisory Council. She’s a 27-year member and past president of Nashua West Rotary and an alumnus of Leadership Greater Nashua class of 2000.
Betsy received her Bachelor of Arts from Connecticut College and Master of Arts in Counseling from Rivier University.
John Friberg, Esq.
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Debra Dulac
SVP & Chief Information Officer
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