Leadership Greater Augusta
Mentors

 

Neysa Rees Simmers

Vice President, Community Services

Augusta HealthCare-Augusta Medical Center

Office 540-332 or 932-4905

Community Services at AMC includes; a state-of the-art fitness center, Medi-spa, physician practices, home care, home medical equipment, transportation, community wellness and the AHC Community Health Foundation.

Before becoming Vice President of Community Services, I served AHC as the project officer in charge of activating Augusta Medical Center.  Prior to 1995, I was responsible as the Director of the Clinical Laboratory at AHC and from 1972 until 1984 I worked for Rockingham Memorial as a staff scientist, section supervisor and program director for the School of Clinical Laboratory Science.

I have an MBA and M.Ed. from James Madison University and a BS in Clinical Laboratory Science from Western Illinois University.

I have several professional designations and have been fortunate enough to receive several professional honors in my career.

I have served the community by chairing the Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and serving on the Boards of; the Augusta Regional Free Clinic, the Augusta Regional Dental Clinic, Healthy Families of the Blue Ridge and the Coordinated Area Transportation Service.

I have two sons and one granddaughter and grew up on a family farm in Illinois.  I enjoy golf, baseball, reading and spending time with family and friends.

Lori B. Epik, M.S.

Program Manager:, Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center       & Chairman of the Board: Blue Ridge Chapter of the American Red Cross

Day: 540-332-7061; Cell: 540-849-6191

Lori Epik currently serves as the Large Event and Televideo Coordinator for Woodrow Wilson Rehab Center (WWRC), a division of the Disability Services Agencies.  Through implementation of televideo services across the commonwealth, WWRC has realized savings of over $25,000 in 2007 alone.  Ms. Epik has worked for the Commonwealth of Virginia for over 15 years, and has been with WWRC since 1998.  Prior to her current position, Ms. Epik oversaw distance learning programs for persons with disabilities, and before that, directed the Assistive Technology Division at WWRC.  Initially Ms. Epik was employed with the Department of Rehabilitation (DRS), where she worked as a Vocational Evaluator.  She has been employed with the Commonwealth since January, 1992.

Ms. Epik completed her MS and BS at Jacksonville State University, Alabama, in 1987 and 1986, respectively.  She is a member of the following professional associations: National Rehabilitation Association, Virginia Rehabilitation Association, International Who’s Who of Professional Management, National Association of Executive Women, Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce, and is currently Chairman of the Blue Ridge Chapter of the American Red Cross.  In 2002, she received the Rehab Services Administration Commissioner’s Award for outstanding achievement and distinction in the training of qualified rehabilitation personnel. 

Prior to Virginia, Ms. Epik worked as a psychologist for the Federal Government, and has developed a variety of counseling programs to address issues such as discharge planning for soldiers injured during the Persian Gulf War, drug and alcohol abuse, spouse and child abuse, outreach to rural communities for persons with mental illness, and Alzheimer’s Disease.  She has received several awards, including the Chiefers Award from DRS in 1998, and Department of Defense recognition for Continued Outstanding Performance in 1990. She was also a full member of the Institute on Rehabilitation Issues 1998 publication on Achieving Successful Employment Outcomes With the Use of Assistive Technology. 

Rod is Director of Hospitality Services at AugustaMedicalCenter, overseeing the Departments of Nutrition, Environmental Services, Laundry, Food Services, Catering & The Atrium Fair. He also serves as AMC’s Hazardous Materials Officer.

A graduate of the University of Florida in English Literature, Rod began consulting professionally in 1980. During his career he has designed, opened & sold four restaurants and a backhoe business.  He spent six years in sports club management directing a country club, racquetball & fitness club and bowling center.  He was a Corporate Instructor with Morrison’s Incorporated and Food Management Group, recruiting & mentoring new managers and developing employee training & retention programs for over a decade.  Before joining AMC as a Director, he was Regional Director for Food Management Group, overseeing nine facilities in four states. 

Rod’s professional associations include membership in the National Speakers Association, the Food & Nutrition Advisory Committee for MedAssets Business Solutions, the Healthcare Foodservice Managers Association of America, the Advisory Board for Restaurant & Institutions magazine and Who’s Who in Healthcare Nutrition Management.

Locally, Rod volunteers his business acumen with SCORE, Counselors to America’s Small Business and sits on the Board of Directors for VAE, the Valley Alliance for Education.   He works closely with The Bradford Company and the View program in RockbridgeCounty.  Through Bradford he provides motivational & skills training to participants in Rockbridge’s local Food Stamp & Taniff programs, teaching the currently unemployed how to find and keep a good job. 

As an Eagle Scout and Friend of Scouting, Rod is a fundraiser for the Stonewall Jackson Area Council of The Boy Scouts of America.  Through his consulting firm, The Team Builder’s Workshop™, Rod provides business & industry training in employee retention through team building, employee & management training and generational conflict management, all for a tax deductible donation to the Boy Scouts.

Personally, Rod is an Independent Wellness Consultant with Nikken, the world’s largest provider of wellness products.  He speaks regularly at Nikken events and has two training CDs that have stayed on the top 10 best sellers list since released in March 2007.  His articles on health & wellness, team building and management have been published nationally and he blogs regularly on the subjects of his choice.

He is a member of CrossroadsBaptistChurch and lives with his wife Peggy and their hound Molly in Waynesboro.  Between them (Peggy and Rod, that is) they have three children and four grandchildren. To find out more about Rod, visit his web site @ www.RodHooper.com .