Officer Profiles

President

Mark Hannahan

Mark is a 1979 graduate of our program and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame. During his career, he has held senior executive positions in hospitals and managed care organizations, and has bought, grown and sold a number of small businesses in the healthcare and private sector. Mark is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has served as a healthcare executive recruiter for many years; currently he is Senior Vice President of CES Partners, Ltd., a retainer style healthcare executive search firm based in Chicago. As a Cincinnati resident, he has had the opportunity to be actively involved with our Alumni Association and the program for some time, having previously served as President in the late 80s and early 90s, and has conducted mock interviews with the MHSA Graduate students for many years. In 2012, he received the Distinguished Alumni Service Award from the Alumni Association. Mark is also a Class A PGA Golf Professional, and serves as the Director of Instruction for the First Tee of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. His wife, Patti, is a first grade teacher. They have three grown children and three grandchildren.

Vice President

Susan Sherman

Susan is a 1990 graduate of our program and has a diverse industry background. She has held senior level consultant and chief / vice president executive positions for hospitals and integrated health care delivery systems, consultancies / agencies, behavioral health facilities, non-profit foundations and franchising organizations. Areas of specialization include facilitating the alignment of strategic planning with marketing and operations; developing infrastructure and processes to support growth and complex change; physician engagement and group practice management; creating and leadership development programs and executive coaching.

Susan is passionate about the XUGPHSA program and the success of its graduates. She has regularly contributed her time to the alumni association, mock interview program, women’s resource group and student mentoring. As a certified executive coach, Susan is a member of the coaching team for the WeLead Women’s Leadership Program at the CincinnatiUSA Regional Chamber and works with private coaching clients. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband George and their Portuguese Waterdog, Jackson. 

Western Regional Vice President

Leslie Barden

Leslie A. Barden is a 1986 graduate of our program. Leslie is senior vice president/executive officer of the VHA Empire - Metro regional office in New York. The VHA Empire - Metro office coordinates and directs VHA efforts to serve 42 hospitals in New York, one hospital in New Jersey and two hospitals in Pennsylvania, all along the New York State border.
Barden’s health care career spans more than 24 years, a large part of it with United Health Services, an integrated delivery system based in Binghamton, N.Y. Barden started her career at UHS, completing an administrative residency as part of her graduate degree in health administration from Xavier University.  With her extensive background in health care strategic planning, payer relationships and building effective coalitions across health care systems, Leslie is well equipped to serve the diversity of members that exist in the Empire - Metro region.

Midwest Regional Vice President

Tony Houston

Tony graduated from the program in 2000 and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati. After completing his residency at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach, Florida, Tony spent 10 years in Chicago working as an administrator of Pediatric Neurology and Cardiothoracic and Heart Transplant Services at the University of Chicago and serving as a Senior Consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Fitch Ratings. In 2010, Tony returned to the provider side with SSM Health Care in St. Louis and now serves as Executive Vice President/COO at SSM St. Mary’s Health Center in Jefferson City, Missouri. Tony is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has served as a Board Member of the St. Louis HFMA Chapter. Tony serves on various boards in Jefferson City to include the Boys & Girls Club of the Capitol City and St. Joseph Cathedral Parish. Tony lives in Jefferson City with his wife Becky (a 1995 graduate of the Xavier BSN program) and their daughter Avery.

Southeast Regional Vice President

Jim Kniskern

Jim is a 2000 graduate of the MHSA program which he received after working in advertising and sales for several years after graduating from John Carroll University with a BS in Business Administration. He completed his administrative fellowship at Miami (FL) Children’s Hospital under the supervision of class of 1980 Xavier MHSA graduate Tom Rozek and has spent his time since graduating in various health care venues including hospitals, group practices, consulting and home health agencies. Jim lives in South Florida with his wife Lisa and their twin 5 year old girls.

Immediate Past President

Nick Lair

Nick Lair earned a Master's of Hospital and Health Administration from Xavier University in 1994-1995 and a B.S.B.A in Management from John Carroll University in 1992. In 1996, Nick completed a two year Administrative Fellowship at Miami Valley Hospital, a 848-bed tertiary hospital in Dayton, Ohio. After serving in numerous management roles throughout Miami Valley Hospital, he was promoted to Vice President of Hospital Operations in 2004 which is his current position. Nick was selected in 2004 to the City of Dayton's 40 Under 40 List. He has contributed to the Dayton community through his board membership with the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio, Dayton Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, and the Dayton-Montgomery County Scholarship Program. Nick lives in Centerville, Ohio, with his wife, Brydgett, and their two children