Business Hall of Fame honors HCA’s Bovender

Friday, August 15, 2014, Vol. 38, No. 33

Bovender

Jack O. Bovender, Jr. has been named the 2014 Laureate of The Phoenix Club Nashville Business Hall of Fame.

Best known as a longstanding leader of HCA, Bovender’s wide range of volunteer service and community involvement demonstrate that he also is an individual committed to building a strong community, and to ensuring a promising future for Middle Tennessee’s young people.

The Phoenix Club Nashville Business Hall of Fame is hosted by and benefits Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee (JA) and recognizes the city’s outstanding contributors to business and philanthropy. The 2014 event will take place Nov. 6.

Bovender was selected by the Hall of Fame committee for his dedication to strong business practices and extensive involvement in various organizations in the Nashville community. The committee is chaired by past Nashville Business Hall of Fame inductees:

  • Joe Scarlett (2009 laureate), patriarch of the Scarlett Family Foundation
  • Ron Samuels (2010 laureate), chairman, president and CEO of Avenue Bank
  • Hal Pennington (2011 laureate), former CEO and Chairman of Genesco
  • Mark Emkes (2012 laureate), former Commissioner of Finance and Administration for the State of Tennessee, and
  • Rob McCabe (2013 laureate), chairman of Pinnacle Financial Partners.

Bovender is a 40-year veteran of the health care industry and worked at HCA for 37 years. He began his hospital administrative career as a lieutenant in the United States Navy. He later held several senior-level positions with HCA, becoming chief executive officer in 2001 and chairman and CEO the following year. Bovender was lauded by Institutional Investor magazine as “Best CEO in America” for health care facilities in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Bovender retired as chairman of HCA in 2009.

MTSU announces alumni honorees

This year’s honorees include two people with strong aviation backgrounds, one of whom features the nickname “FlyGirl;” two lifelong educators and a third individual whose vision and passion for education also have affected thousands of young people; and a politically driven alumna whose talents have taken her to The White House and beyond.

The six will be recognized during Homecoming Week in October.

Armour

Distinguished Alumni — Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour (Class of 1997), who went from beat cop to a combat pilot in three years and became America’s first African-American female combat pilot, serving two tours overseas.

Young Alumni Achievement Award — Ashley Elizabeth Graham (Class of 2012), deputy communications director for U.S. Congressman Marsha Blackburn.

True Blue Citations of Distinction

Ray Phillips (Class of ’66) — Achievement in Education (current or retired MTSU faculty), who enjoyed a lengthy career as an MTSU educator, serving as a Department of Mathematics faculty member and chair, associate dean in the College of Graduate Studies and interim dean in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences from 1990 to 2003.

Linda Gilbert (Classes of ’72, ’79 and ’91) — Achievement in Education non-MTSU). She served many years as a Murfreesboro City School administrator, currently as director of schools.

Donald McDonald (Class of ’63) — Service to the University. McDonald and his wife, Francis, remain avid MTSU supporters, both with their time and resources. The Donald McDonald Aerospace Maintenance Laboratory at the Flight Operations Center at Murfreesboro Airport is named for him.

Matthew Little (Class of ’08) — Service to the Community. Little has been involved in service for 20 years. He has been a part of numerous initiatives: running camps for 2,000 students, providing leadership for Tennessee’s statewide service day and creating a national park educational program.

Turner joins Capella as VP, general counsel

Turner

Capella Healthcare has announced the appointment of Davis W. Turner as vice president, associate general counsel.

Previously, Turner was vice president and assistant general counsel for Vanguard Health System, where he served for nine years. He has also worked as in-house counsel at Quorum Health Group, OrNda Healthcorp and HCA and was a member of both Frost Brown Todd, LLC and Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. Turner began his legal career at the Nashville law firm of Dearborn & Ewing.

Mathis named VUMC chief compliance officer

Mathis

James Mathis, J.D., chief clinical enterprise compliance officer and assistant vice chancellor for Health Affairs, has been promoted to chief compliance officer for Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Mathis joined Vanderbilt in February 2013 to assume executive and operational control for the Medical Center’s Office of Compliance and Corporate Integrity, recently renamed the Office of Healthcare Compliance.

Mathis assumes oversight of compliance matters involving the Medical Center’s academic enterprise in addition to his continuing role in leading clinical enterprise compliance efforts.

In addition to continuing to lead the Office of Healthcare Compliance, Mathis will also provide input into VUMC’s policies and procedures and will continue to oversee the Vanderbilt Reporting Hotline.