Griffin Health Services Corporation Board of Directors

Kenneth Baldyga, CT State Arbitrator and Human Resources Consultant, received his B.S. in Business Administration from Sacred Heart University and his M.S. in Industrial Relations from the University of New Haven.  He also is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources.

Mr. Baldyga has spent much of his career as a human resources executive. He was previously Vice President of Human Resources at Vishay Intertechnology and Crown Risdon in Naugatuck and Thomaston for many years. He also served as an adjunct faculty instructor at Post University. Mr. Baldyga served as the chairman for the United Way Campaign of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls, is a member of the Shelton Memorial Day committee and is currently a volunteer with the Shelton Fire Department. He lives in Shelton with his wife Janet.

Patrick A. Charmel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Griffin Hospital and its parent organization, Griffin Health Services Corporation, has been associated with Griffin since 1979, when he served as an undergraduate student intern while attending Quinnipiac University. After earning a Master of Public Health degree from Yale University in 1983, he joined Griffin Hospital’s Executive Staff and served in a number of Administrative positions. He became President and CEO in 1998.

As President and CEO of Griffin Health Services Corporation, he also serves as Chairman of Planetree Inc., a subsidiary corporation. Planetree is a not-for-profit organization that supports a membership that includes more than 800 care sites across the United States and 24 foreign countries that are committed to patient empowerment and the delivery of person-centered care to improve the care experience. Charmel also serves as Chairman of the Value Care Alliance, a collaboration of Connecticut hospitals, health systems, and physician organizations working together to build the infrastructure and capabilities necessary to deliver high value accountable care.

During his tenure, Charmel has positioned Griffin Hospital as an award-winning, innovative organization, recognized as an industry leader in providing personalized, humanistic, consumer-driven healthcare in a healing environment. Under his leadership, Griffin appeared on the Fortune Magazine list of the “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” for 10 consecutive years. The Griffin Hospital management team was selected by HealthLeaders Media as the nation’s “Top Leadership Team in Healthcare” for community and mid-sized hospitals. Griffin and Charmel have been profiled in a number of popular business books including Tribal Leadership, The Little Big Things by Tom Peters, The Transformative CEO and The Disney Way.

Charmel is also co-author of the book “Putting Patients First,” which received the American College of Healthcare Executive’s Healthcare book of the year award. A third edition of the book was released in October 2013.

John “Jack” Betkoski III is Vice Chairman of Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA).

Betkoski has served on Connecticut’s utility regulatory authority since 1997 when he was named a Commissioner of the Department of Public Utility Control. He was elected Vice Chairman of that body in 2007. When PURA was established on July 1, 2011 as the state’s new regulatory authority, Betkoski was appointed a Director by Governor Dannel P. Malloy and elected as Vice Chairman of the new authority.

He is the former President of the New England Conference of Public Utilities Commissioners (NECPUC) and is the 2nd Vice President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). In addition to his NECPUC and NARUC responsibilities, Betkoski is currently Chairman of the Connecticut Water Planning Council. 

A past Chairman of the Board of Directors for Griffin Hospital in Derby, Betkoski and serves as Chairman of the Board of Director for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Connecticut Chapter. He is on the board of Waterbury Youth Services, and VARCA, Inc. of Derby, a private non-profit agency which provides work opportunities to individuals with special needs. He also is a member of the Advisory Board of The Salvation Army of Waterbury. 

State Rep. Themis Klarides is serving in her ninth term representing the 114th House District which includes Woodbridge, Orange and Derby. Following the statewide elections in 2014, her House Republican colleagues unanimously chose her as Caucus Leader - the first woman to hold the position. She was a Deputy Republican Leader from 2007 through 2014. As Leader, Klarides is a member of the legislature’s committee on Legislative Management.

Rep. Klarides has been active in her community, serving on numerous boards and civic organizations.  In 2006, she was appointed to the Board of Directors of Griffin Health Services and is a member of the Residency Advisory Committee of Griffin Hospital in Derby. She is an outspoken advocate for first responders and public safety personnel including firefighters, police, and emergency medical technicians.

Themis Klarides is a graduate of Trinity College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and later graduated from Quinnipiac University School of Law. She is a practicing lawyer in the State of Connecticut and in the United States District Court for Connecticut. She is of Counsel to Bridgeport-based Cohen and Wolf in the firm’s Orange office.

State Sen. George S. Logan represents the 17th District, which includes Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck and Woodbridge.

Since 2014, George Logan has taken on the role of Director of Environmental Management and Government Relations for Aquarion Water Company (Aquarion) of Connecticut, the largest investor-owned water utility in New England and among the seven largest in the U.S.  

He is responsible for leadership and support roles related to government relations and environmental functions related to sustainability programs, alternative energy programs as well as watershed maintenance, law enforcement, source protection, environmental compliance, natural resources management, and community outreach programs. 

Prior to taking on this current position with Aquarion, Mr. Logan was responsible for leadership and support roles in all aspects of water utility engineering.  In other previous roles with Aquarion, Mr. Logan was also responsible for supervision of Aquarion’s land survey, CAD drafting and design functions and was in charge of Corporate Purchasing for the Company.  

A Griffin Corporator since 1989, Mr. Zaprzalka is a partner in the firm, Apicella, Testa & Company, P.C., in Shelton. He received his Bachelor Degree in Accounting from Fairfield University, served as manager of accounting at Gaylord Hospital for several years and is a consultant to numerous medical practices.

He serves on the board of the Valley Community Foundation, the Parish council of St. Michael's Church, and is a corporator of both the Valley United Way and Boys & Girls Club of Lower Naugatuck Valley. He is also a member of the American Institute of CPAs and Connecticut Society of CPAs.

Mr. Zaprzalka is a lifelong Valley resident and currently lives in Seymour with his wife, Laura and two children, Alyssa and Andrew.

Joseph Andreana is currently the the Deputy Executive Director of the United Methodist Frontier Foundation. His extensive business experience includes serving as Executive Director of The Connecticut Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs, Inc., President & CEO of the Oxford Economic Development Corporation, and as an Adjunct Professor at the Sacred Heart University College of Business.

Andreana's history of volunteer activity and community involvement include working with the Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, the Valley United Way, the Valley Advisory Committee of the Community Foundation, Board of Directors of the United Methodist Homes Foundation and former President of the Shelton Jaycees. 

He is a past recipient of the Service to Youth award (1994), Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce Gold Seal Award (2001) and Secretary of State Volunteer Award (2002).

Andreana has served as a Corporator of Griffin Health Services since 2006. He and his wife are residents of Oxford.

Gerald Weiner is an Attorney with Weinstein, Weiner, Ignal, Vogel and Shapiro of Bridgeport.  He received his juris doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

He is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and the State Investment & Advisory Council for the State Treasurer's Office.

He lives in Woodbridge with his wife, Tina, and their three children.

Dr. Frederick Browne is Griffin Hospital’s Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs. A board-certified internist and infectious disease specialist, he is an experienced physician executive having served as Vice President of Medical Affairs at New Milford and South County (RI) hospitals. Dr. Browne also serves as President of the Griffin Faculty Practice Plan. In his roles, Dr. Browne manages and oversees credentialing of Griffin Hospital medical staff, leads the hospital's Medical Executive Committee and the Medical Performance Improvement Committee, and assists medical staff involved in programs and services offered by Griffin Hospital.

Nancy DiNardo was a teacher in Bridgeport from 1971 to 1978, served as School Psychologist from 1978 to 1985 and was Director of Psychological Services until she retired in 2002. She served as an EMT on the Trumbull Emergency Medical Services and on the Trumbull Town Council, Board of Finance and Board of Health where she worked on the committee to develop the regional Hospice Program. Nancy served as chair of the Trumbull Democratic Town Committee for 30 years. 

Nancy became a member of the Democratic State Central Committee in 1998 before becoming State Party Chair in 2005. She stepped down as the chair in 2015 and now serves as vice chair. She is on the Executive Board of the Democratic National Committee and the Association of State Democratic Chairs. Nancy also is the chair of the Eastern Region Caucus of the Democratic National Committee.

Mark Peterson is Chief Financial Officer of OEM Controls in Shelton.  He is certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) and is a Certified Continuous Improvement Champion of Lean Manufacturing.

He holds an MBA from Sacred Heart University and a BS in Accounting from Bentley University. Mark and his wife Monica, a teacher, have lived in Shelton since 1980. They have two children, Jessica and Kurt.

Dr. John M Aversa, Jr. is a fellowship-trained colorectal surgeon. Dr. Aversa attended Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency at the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven and a fellowship at the Colon and Rectal Clinic of Orlando, Florida. He has been on the active medical staff here at Griffin Hospital since 2008.