John M. Cantalupo, Esq. — Chair
John Cantalupo joined CentraState’s Board of Trustees in 2013, and also serves on the Finance Committee for the CentraState Healthcare System, a position he has held since 2010.
Cantalupo is a shareholder at Archer & Greiner PC, a large New Jersey law firm. Mr. Cantalupo serves on the Board of Directors for the firm and works in its Red Bank office where he concentrates his practice in the area of Public Finance. He currently serves as the chair of the firm’s Public Finance and Economic Development Department.
Cantalupo earned a bachelor’s degree from Marshall University and a juris doctorate degree from Rutgers Law School.
He resides in Colts Neck, in Monmouth County where he is an active member of the community.
Kenneth J. Reilly, CWS — Vice Chair
Kenneth J. Reilly, CWS® is Managing Partner of BroadFront Capital Management in Red Bank, NJ. He joined the CentraState Board of Trustees in 2018 and has been a trustee of the CentraState Healthcare Foundation Board since 2013. Ken also served as Chairman of the Finance Committee for Children’s Progress Unlimited (CPU) and previously was the Co-founder, President, and CEO of Charity Cleaners, LLC (d.b.a. Helping Hands Dry Cleaners).
He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Freehold Township Education Foundation in 2009 and 2010. In 2008, Ken earned the prestigious Certified Wealth Strategist® designation from the Cannon Financial Institute.
He resides in Freehold, NJ with his wife and three sons.
Nadia K. Batchelor — Secretary/Treasurer
Nadia K. Batchelor joined CentraState’s Board of Trustees in 2018.
Batchelor (Manalapan) currently serves as managing director and Global Head of Corporate Access at Jefferies, LLC, in New York City. Previously, she was vice president of Corporate Access at Morgan Stanley, and a pricing manager in Global Corporate Services at American Express, both in New York City.
Batchelor earned a bachelor of science degree in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School in Boston, MA.
An active recruiter for Penn and Harvard, Batchelor was also president of the Harvard Volunteers Club.
John F. Eggert — Immediate Past Chair
John F. Eggert joined the System Board of Trustees in 2011 and is a member of the Board’s Finance and Investment Committees. He also has served on the CentraState Healthcare Foundation Board of Trustees since 2000. He served as Vice Chairman of the Foundation Board from 2004 to 2007 and since 1988 has served on various committees. He co-chaired the Annual Band Aid Open Golf Outing Ball for three years.
Eggert brings more than 40 years business experience. He has been, and currently is, the owner and manager of various businesses in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The industries include Steel, Commercial Real Estate, Construction and Commercial Mortgages.
Eggert has been involved in the Freehold Sunrise Optimist Club, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Masonic Charity.
He lives with his wife Roberta in Howell, NJ.
Ashish Awasthi, MD, FACC
Dr. Ashish Awasthi joined CentraState’s Board of Trustees in 2019. He specializes in cardiac catheterization, cardiology and endovascular intervention.
His board certifications include ABOIM with added qualifications in cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology and nuclear cardiology.
Dr. Awasthi received his medical degree from the University College of Medical Sciences.
He resides in Cranbury.
John P. DeTullio, MD
John P. DeTullio, MD, a pulmonary disease and critical care specialist in private practice, Monmouth Ocean Pulmonary Medicine, Freehold, joined the medical staff of CentraState Medical Center in 1987. In 2009, he was named to the Board of Trustees and was elected chief of the hospital’s medical-dental staff for 2011-2012 after serving two years as assistant chief. Dr. DeTullio was instrumental in the expansion of the Critical Care Unit at CentraState in 2009 and is the past medical director of the CCU. He was voted “Physician of the Year” by the medical-dental staff in 2003 and by the nursing staff in 2005. He is president of CentraState Healthcare Partners, LLC, a Physicians Hospital Organization. Board certified in internal medicine, critical care and pulmonary disease, Dr. DeTullio earned a medical degree from the University of Rome, Italy and a masters of Business Administration from Monmouth University.
He resides in Clarksburg.
Kenneth Eng, DO
Dr. Kenneth Eng joined CentraState’s Board of Trustees in 2017.
He is a board-certified family physician and Assistant Chief of Staff at CentraState Medical Center.
Dr. Eng earned his medical degree at NY College of Osteopathic Medicine.
He resides in Freehold.
Robert Gordon, DDS
Dr. Gordon was named to CentraState’s Board of Trustees in 2014, and is currently the Chairman of the CentraState Foundation Board, the Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee, and a member of the Quality of Patient Care, and Audit Committees. He has been a member of the Medical Executive Committee since 1999, serving as the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Dental Department during that time, and has served on the Medical/Dental Staff of CentraState since 1990. He is also a member of the Medical Advisory Committee of CentraState’s Fitness and Wellness Center.
Dr. Gordon has been a Family, Cosmetic, and Implant dentist in Freehold Township since 1987, and his practice is located directly across the street from the Medical Center. He received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at the University of Maryland in 1986, and his BA from the University of Rochester in 1982. He has been named a Top Dentist by New Jersey Monthly Magazine.
Dr. Gordon lives in Freehold Township with his wife, Rhoda, and their 3 children.
Brian Gragnolati
Brian Gragnolati, President & CEO of Atlantic Health System, is a nationally respected voice in health care regularly appearing on CNBC, MSNBC and Bloomberg Radio, sharing his experience and insight on the country’s most pressing health care concerns. He is a former Chairman of the Board of the American Hospital Association; was selected by Governor Phil Murphy for both the Office of the Governor’s COVID-19 Restart & Recovery Advisory Council and Professional Advisory Committee; and was honored by Modern Healthcare as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare. He previously served as SVP, Community Division of Johns Hopkins Medicine and CEO of Suburban Hospital. He serves on the Boards of Lakeland Bancorp, Inc. and Lakeland Bank. He and his wife, Donna, live in Madison, NJ.
Amit S. Kharod, MD
Amit Kharod, MD, is a board-certified general surgeon with advanced training in laparoscopic surgery. He specializes in gallbladder removals, complex hernia repairs and breast surgery as part of Surgical Associates of CentraState, a member of Atlantic Health Medical Group. He has served as chair of CentraState’s Department of Surgery since 2012 and Secretary/Treasurer of the Medical Staff since January 2021.
Ramanasri Kudipudi, MD
Ramanasri Kudipudi, MD joined the CentraState Board of Trustees in 2023. Dr. Kudipudi is an infectious disease specialist and is the secretary/treasurer of the Medical Executive Committee.
Maureen M. Lawrence
Maureen Lawrence joined CentraState’s Board of Trustees in 2017.
Lawrence is the Chief Financial Officer at St. Francis College. Previously, she was vice president of Finance and Administration at Middlesex County College.
Lawrence received a bachelor’s degree from Monmouth University, a master’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a doctoral degree from Seton Hall University.
She resides in Highlands.
Peter G. Licata, Esq. — Immediate Past Chair
Peter G. Licata, Esq. is a partner at Sonnenblick, Parker & Selvers, PC of Freehold. He serves as a member of the CentraState Healthcare Foundation Board and Healthcare System Board. He is a former Chairman of the CentraState System Board of Trustees. Mr. Licata has served on the Governance Committee, Executive Compensation Committee, Executive Committee, Celebration Ball Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and Cancer Campaign Cabinet.
He is a member of the Monmouth County and NJ State Bar Associations as well as the Sports Car Club of America.
He resides in Manalapan with his wife and children.
Barbara McMorrow
Barbara McMorrow, retired mayor of Freehold Township, joined CentraState’s Board of Trustees in 2020. As mayor, McMorrow was the liaison to the Freehold Municipal Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse, the Human Relations Commission, and the Mayor’s Wellness Campaign (MWC), a statewide initiative that she inaugurated in the Township in 2013.
Currently the Monmouth County Library Commissioner, McMorrow taught for many years at Freehold High School before retiring in 2003 as principal of Howell High School. She served as a councilwoman for Freehold Borough and was elected council president and police commissioner. She has the distinction of being the only person to have served on the governing bodies of both the Borough and the Township. McMorrow has received numerous awards throughout her career, including the Distinguished 2019 Public Servant Award in honor of Women’s History Month from Senator Vin Gopal.
Gerard K. Norkus
Gerard Norkus has been a board member since 2014. He is also an honorary member of the CentraState Healthcare Foundation Board of Trustees, as well as chair of philanthropy with the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross – Jersey Coast Chapter.
Norkus is a sales associate at Harold Wier Real Estate, LLC. Previously, he served as chair and CEO of PSK Supermarkets, Inc., chair and CEO of Foodtown, Inc., and president of Norkus Enterprises, Inc., which owned and operated grocery stores beginning in 1935.
He resides in Sea Girt.
Maureen A. Schneider, PhD, MBA, RN
Maureen Schneider, PhD, MBA, RN, served as Chief Nurse and Operations Officer for several years in Chilton before rising to President, Chilton Medical Center, Senior Vice President Atlantic Health System in 2021.
Dr. Schneider held several healthcare executive leadership positions in New York and New Jersey including New York Presbyterian, Barnabas Health, Somerset Medical Center and Cathedral Healthcare. She achieved Magnet Designation for Nursing Excellence at three, including Chilton Medical Center. Most recently under her leadership, Chilton was awarded its ninth consecutive “A” hospital safety grade – its highest by Leapfrog, and the national Leapfrog Award for top 250 hospitals, the national Beacon Critical Care Award, the Emergency Department Lantern Award and several Healthgrades awards including critical care, sepsis, and patient safety.
Dr. Schneider is a current board member for CentraState Medical Center representing Atlantic Health System, Springpoint Life-senior living, advisory board member for Seton Hall University and Monmouth University, NJHA Business Solutions, and served on several Board of Directors, as past Chair/President including past chair of the Springpoint Life, past chair of both the Professional and Compensation Committees of Springpoint Life, past president of Executive Women of NJ, past chair Strategic Planning Committee of NJ-American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). She also served as past vice chair of the Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills, past chair for NJ Nurse Executive Constituency, Board of Directors for NJ Nurse Organization of Leaders, and NJ Health Research, Education and Trust.
Schneider earned her BSN and MSN from Hunter College-Bellevue School of Nursing, an MBA from Monmouth University, and a PhD from Seton Hall University. She is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), and is certified in healthcare Quality, Six Sigma, and nursing administration. Schneider, passionate about nursing research and education, developed curriculum and teaches nursing doctoral and graduate leadership/management students in an adjunct faculty role at Seton Hall University.
Additional accomplishments include author, speaker and recipient of several prestigious honors including Hospital Executive Nursing Administrator Care Leader Award, NJ State Nurses Association Leadership Award, the NJ-ONL Executive Award, NJ Executive Women’s Award for Policy Makers, the prestigious Top 50 NJ Women in Business, National DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award, Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2022 Annual List of Top 100 Chief Nurses to Know, and most recently the Newbridge Leadership Award.
William A. Schories
William Schories joined the CentraState Board of Trustees in 2016 and has served on CentraState’s Finance and Investment Committee and various other Committees since 2014.
Mr. Schories is a Senior Retirement Consultant for Invesco which acquired OppenheimerFunds in May of 2019. Prior to joining OppenheimerFunds in 1999, he held positions at Long Term Credit Bank of Japan, Drexel Burnham Lambert and Thompson McKinnon Securities.
Mr. Schories received a bachelor’s degree from Niagara University and holds Series 7 and 63 licenses. He is also a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®), an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) and a Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS®).
He resides in Holmdel.
Thomas W. Scott, FACHE
Tom Scott is a seasoned healthcare executive whose career spans more than 20 years. He presently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of CentraState Healthcare System, having initially joined in 2015 as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Scott previously served for seven years as Chief Operating Officer at Chilton Medical Center, Pompton Plains, New Jersey, an Atlantic Health System hospital. He has deep experience in healthcare management with prior positions at Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Connecticut and St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, Paterson, New Jersey, among others.
At CentraState, Mr. Scott oversees a 284-bed acute care hospital, three senior living communities housing 630 residents, an ambulatory campus, four satellite health pavilions, a family medicine residency program and more than 2,600 employees.
During his tenure, Mr. Scott has integrated CentraState’s strategic vision with its operations, while fostering a culture of teamwork, innovation, accountability and excellence.
Mr. Scott helped guide the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, and other major system initiatives, including the opening of a new cardiovascular interventional suite as a single-story addition to the hospital campus, and a solar initiative that produces approximately 70 percent of the hospital’s electric needs. In addition, he crafted a physician development plan that will add 60 primary care and specialists and led the technology transition to the Epic electronic health record and MyChart patient portal.
He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a Fellow of The Advisory Board, and he serves on the Board of Trustees of the VNA Health Group and the Board of Directors of NJHA Business Solutions.
He received a bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University and a master’s degree in Health Administration from Cornell University. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the VNA Health Group and the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Hospital Association Business Solutions.
He lives in Manasquan, New Jersey, with his family.
Steven Sheris, MD, FACC, FACP
Steven Sheris, MD, FACC, FACP is Executive Vice President, Chief Physician Executive for Atlantic Health System and President, Atlantic Medical Group. Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Sheris was the lead cardiologist at Associates in Cardiovascular Disease (an Atlantic Medical Group practice) commencing in 2001. Before working in private practice, Dr. Sheris served as a physician in the United States Navy for thirteen years, holding multiple leadership positions and ultimately attaining the rank of Commander. Dr. Sheris serves on the staff of Overlook and Morristown Medical Centers, and was the Chief of Cardiology at Overlook from 2008 to 2014. From 2014 to 2015, Dr. Sheris served as the Co-Chair of Atlantic Medical Group and participated in system initiatives focusing on patient-centered care and clinical integration as a member of Atlantic Health System’s senior management team.
Brett Taft
Brett Taft joined CentraState’s Board of Trustees in 2020. A dedicated supporter of CentraState and the surrounding community, Taft first became involved with the CentraState Healthcare Foundation Board of Trustees as a Board member in 2018, a position he currently holds today in addition to his new post. He is the co-founder and president of Open Space Pace, a local nonprofit organization that presents a yearly event at Freehold Raceway for entertainment and charity.
“CentraState Healthcare System is a staple of Monmouth County and has been providing quality health care for our community for decades,” said Taft. “I look forward to working with the Board of Trustees to further advance the health of the community.”
Taft is vice president and chief operating officer at UMH Properties, Inc., a property management and real estate investment company. A graduate of Monmouth University, Taft lives with his wife and two children in Freehold.
Valerie Mac Phee - Auxiliary Representative
Valerie Mac Phee has been a member of the Associated Auxiliaries for more than 40 years. The group formed in 1964 with a vision of bringing a community hospital to the Freehold area. Their fundraising efforts helped build Freehold Area Hospital in 1971.
Now retired, Mac Phee was a music teacher in Jackson Township school district for 28 years. She also taught at Georgian Court College as an adjunct professor. She received her bachelor’s degree in music from Georgian Court College and a master’s degree in elementary education from Trenton State College, and she plays the piano and accordion. Mac Phee and her husband reside in Millstone, where she has lived for more than 50 years.