Health Care: MARK NANTZ

A relative newcomer to Valley Health, joining the Shenandoah Valley-based health care system in June 2020, Nantz is responsible for a team of 6,000 employees and six hospitals, including two in West Virginia. He previously held executive roles at Bon Secours Mercy Health, including as chief administrative officer and president of its Atlantic Group.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a degree in accounting and a master’s in health administration from Pfeiffer University, Nantz immediately had to deal with rising COVID-19 cases at the start of his current job, and he required that all staff be vaccinated. In February, he announced that the health system would invest $17.2 million toward compensation — in addition to previous investments of more than $50 million since 2020 — allowing a 3% pay raise for eligible full-time and part-time employees.

WHAT MAKES ME PASSIONATE ABOUT MY WORK: The power behind our success is our people. I am humbled and inspired every day by their dedication, compassion and resilience. There’s also a wonderful ripple effect, because highly engaged caregivers contribute to a strong organizational culture of safety, quality and satisfaction for our patients.