Damien Ghee named chair for Virtua Health Foundation

Virtua Health, South Jersey’s largest not-for-profit health system, announces leadership appointments for the Virtua Health Foundation Board of Trustees, effective January 2023. They are Damien M. Ghee as chair and John C. Gillespie as vice chair. Additionally, John J. Parker, Sr., who served as the Foundation board chair from 2019 to 2022, has joined the Virtua Health Board of Trustees for a three-year term starting January 2023.

Damien M. Ghee has more than 20 years of experience in financial services, commercial lending, and retail banking. He serves as TD Bank’s SVP and regional vice president for the Greater Philadelphia Area. At TD Bank, he served as co-chair of the Metro PA/NJ Regional Diversity Council and co-lead of the Black Employee Network – Customer Pillar for more than 10 years, spearheading equity-based strategies, programs, and growth opportunities to advance inclusion within the organization.

Ghee joined the Virtua Health Foundation Board in 2017. He presently serves on the boards of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia-based not-for-profit groups Committee of Seventy and HopePHL. Ghee holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Rutgers University and a Master of Science in Banking and Finance Management from Boston University.

“Growing up in Camden and seeing the challenges families and children continue to experience today has motivated me to give back through service and by supporting programs that make a difference,” says Ghee. “I look forward to continuing the impactful work Virtua Health has done, in partnership with our generous donors, including advancing food access, increasing health services for children, reducing barriers to cancer screenings, and more.”

Parker said of his successor: “Damien is a purposeful leader who cares deeply about the health and well-being of our community. His professional experience and work with not-for-profit organizations will be a tremendous asset in furthering Virtua Health’s philanthropic initiatives.”

John C. Gillespie is an attorney with the Parker McCay law firm in Mount Laurel, NJ. With 40 years of experience to his name, Gillespie specializes in local government law and serves as chair of Parker McCay’s municipal and government department. He joined the Virtua Health Foundation Board of Trustees in 2019 and began serving as chair of the Governance Committee in 2022.

Gillespie has been active in several local not-for-profit organizations, including Samaritan Healthcare and Hospice, the Burlington County Chamber of Commerce, Church of St. Isaac Jogues, and Crossroads Runaway Program. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College and a Juris Doctor from Villanova University School of Law.

“Damien Ghee and John Gillespie understand that healthy communities require bold leadership and innovative problem-solving,” said Dennis W. Pullin, FACHE, president and CEO of Virtua Health. “Their commitment to service and being Here for Good will help guide their fellow trustees and the mission of Virtua Health Foundation.”

“We are also pleased to welcome John Parker to the Virtua Health Board of Trustees,” Pullin added. “John’s advocacy and leadership helped our philanthropy team make a meaningful impact during the toughest times of the pandemic; that same critical thinking and optimism will serve us well in the years ahead.”

John J. Parker, Sr., is the managing director of Investments at Parker Private Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors and a graduate of Rutgers University. Parker joined the Virtua Health Foundation board in 2016 and has also served as a chairman of the American Association for Cancer Research’s “Party with a Purpose.”

The Virtua Health Foundation is the philanthropic division of Virtua Health, which partners with grateful patients and families, Virtua colleagues, community organizations, corporations, and leaders in South Jersey. Through philanthropy, Virtua Health Foundation and its benefactors are funding highly-impactful initiatives that aim to address the most serious health needs of children and families across the region.