St. Anthony's Hospital Announces Two New Appointments to the Hospital Foundation Board
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Feb. 24, 2010) – St. Anthony’s Hospital is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to the hospital’s Foundation Board. Bettye Black and Laura Stewart will each serve a three-year term on the Board.
“St. Anthony’s Hospital Foundation’s goal is to help ensure that exceptional and compassionate health care is available in our community,” said Bill Ulbricht, president of St. Anthony’s Hospital. “The addition of such active members of the community to the Board will ensure that we continue our mission.”
Bettye Black hails from Memphis, Tenn., where she began her career as a fashion model and television hostess, and also was involved in local social and civic clubs. Upon moving to the St. Petersburg area, she continued her radio and television career by appearing in many commercials, in addition to being a spokesperson for Eckerd Drugs. She founded the “Wendy Ward” charm school for Montgomery Ward Co and also authored a column for the Times Publishing Company called Mirror Image. Ms. Black also was involved in hotel management including marketing, sales, community development and public relations and was general manager of a Tierra Verde resort, Presidential Inn and Heritage Hotel.
Ms. Black has always been very active in her community possessing leadership roles in a variety of organizations. She is a charter member and past president of The Stuart Society of the Museum of Fine Arts, past president of the Easter Seal Guild, former chairman of the Advisory Council of the Tampa Bay Research Institute, co-founder of the Women’s Forum and a Hospice volunteer just to name a few. Ms. Black was instrumental in forming Women in Philanthropy as the newest donor society of St. Anthony’s Hospital Foundation and has chaired A Healthy Future for Women luncheon program.
A lifelong resident of St. Petersburg, Laura Stewart joined Synovus Bank in 1998 and is currently the bank’s vice president/corporate relationship manager. Ms. Stewart’s career prior to joining Synovus spans more than 28 years in banking, all of which involved institutions in downtown St. Petersburg. Ms. Stewart obtained her undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of South Florida and has also completed a number of leadership training and professional development courses offered through her employer. She serves on the Advisory Board of Gulfcoast Oncology Foundation and also is a member of their Finance Committee. In addition to being an active member of the Rotary Club of St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Stewart was the chair for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer annual fundraiser for 2009-2010. In addition, Ms. Stewart is actively involved with the Children's Dream Fund, The Salvation Army, Boley Centers and the Polywog annual golf tournaments and serves on fundraising committees for The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast.
About St. Anthony’s Hospital
St. Anthony’s Hospital is a 395-bed hospital founded in 1931 as a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany and is the first and only faith-based hospital in Pinellas County. In 1997, St. Anthony’s became part of BayCare Health System, a joint operating agreement between the Tampa Bay areas’s leading not-for-profit hospitals. St. Anthony’s has a rich history dedicated to improving the health of the community by providing high-quality, innovative and compassionate care.
About BayCare Health System
BayCare Health System is the largest community-based health system in the region, providing expert medical care for a patient’s lifetime. Composed of hospitals and numerous affiliated services, the system connects patients to a complete range of services throughout the Tampa Bay area. Together, BayCare organizations seek to advance the health of their patients and their communities.
Member hospitals are Mease Countryside, Mease Dunedin, Morton Plant, Morton Plant North Bay, St. Anthony’s, St. Joseph’s, St. Joseph’s Children’s, St. Joseph’s Women’s, St. Joseph’s Hospital North and South Florida Baptist. On the Web: www.BayCare.org.
