University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, the #1 community hospital in the state of Maryland and a Best Regional Hospital as rated by U.S. News & World Report, is proud to welcome four new members to its Operating Board of Directors: Ava Lias-Booker, Gerald Holthaus, Dan Pallace and Robert Stroud, MD.
“We rely on the vision, experience and voices of each of our board members to inform our mission of loving service and safe, compassionate, inclusive, leading-edge care,” said President and CEO Thomas B. Smyth, MD. “We are honored by their commitment and service to UM St. Joseph Medical Center.”
Ava Lias-Bookeris a trial and appellate lawyer with McGuireWoods LLP, a leading international law firm. A partner in the firm’s Baltimore office, Lias-Booker leads the Baltimore litigation practice with three decades of first chair trial experience representing businesses from a broad range of industries. Lias-Booker dedicates herself to mentoring young lawyers and serving the legal and civic communities of Baltimore, the state and the nation. She serves on the board of visitors of Duke University School of Law and is an emeritus member of the board of visitors of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Lawand the board of directors for the Baltimore Open Society Institute, and is also a former member of the board of directors of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.She serves as Chair of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and is a member of its Diversity Action Council andAssociates Committee.Lias-Booker frequently speaks on litigation, leadership and diversity issues.
Gerard Holthaus serves as the Lead Independent Director of WillScot Mobile Mini, a national leader in modular space and portable storage solutions. He served as Non-Executive Chairman of WillScot Corp. from November 2017 until its 2020 merger with Mobile Mini and is the former Non-Executive Chairman of Algeco Scotsman Global S.á.r.l., the leading global provider of modular space solutions.
[more]
Previously, Holthaus served as Executive Chairman and CEO of Algeco Scotsman, where he was
responsible for its North American and European operations, and as Executive Chairman, President and CEO of specialty rental services company Williams Scotsman International Inc. In addition, he also served as interim CEO of BakerCorp International, an equipment rental services company, andis currently the non-executive chairman of FTI Consulting, Inc. and the Baltimore Life Companies.Mr. Holthausgraduated from Loyola University Maryland and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Dan Pallacehas more than 30 years’ experience in the construction industry. As Director of Construction for Merritt Properties, he is responsible for overseeing various aspects of real estate development from site and building design, budgeting and contract negotiations through construction.Pallaceserves on the Advisory Board of the Urban Land Institute’s Baltimore District Council and is currently Chair of the Facilities and Real Estate Commission of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He graduated from The Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and completed the Advanced Management Development Program in Real Estate at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Pallace is also is a member of the Greater Baltimore Committee’s Economic Development Committee and is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Maryland.
Radiologist Robert Stroud, MD,isPresident of the Medical Staff at University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.A Fellow of the American College of Radiology, Dr. Stroud currently serves as the hospital’s Chief of the Department of Radiology and has been a member of the medical staff since 2014. Dr. Stroud has more than 30 years’ experience in the practice of radiology and is board certified in both Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology. He received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed his residency in Internal Medicine and Diagnostic Radiology and fellowship in Neuroradiology at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C.
“The collective experience and dedication of our board members significantly contributes to the success and future growth of UM St. Joseph,” said Board Chairman R. Michael Gill. “We count on their commitment to our community’s health and greatest well-being to help us sustain our regional and national reputation for exceptional patient care, excellent safety and quality outcomes and faith-filled, heartfelt service.”
Each of these members will serve a three-year term on the hospital’s Operating Board of Directors.
About UM St. Joseph Medical Center
UM St. Joseph Medical Center (UM SJMC), founded in 1864 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, is a 218-bed Catholic, not-for-profit regional medical center in Towson, Maryland. A member of the 13-hospital University of Maryland Medical System, UM SJMC is located in suburban Baltimore County, and offers a wide range of superb clinical programs and centers of excellence, including the Cancer, Heart and Orthopaedic Institutes, Women and Children’s services and Emergency Medicine. Our mission: To provide loving service and compassionate, leading-edge care to all. For more information, visitumstjoseph.org.
