FirstHealth of the Carolinas is pleased to announce the appointment of Dana L. Casson, CFRE, as president of The Foundation of FirstHealth, effective Oct. 14, 2024.

Casson will succeed Kathy Stockham, who will retire in December after more than 35 years of dedicated service.

Casson joins FirstHealth with more than 20 years of executive fundraising experience, having held key leadership roles in several leading health care organizations. Most recently, she served as vice president of philanthropy for Novant Health Foundation in Winston-Salem, N.C., where she successfully led a team that supported six hospital-based foundations.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dana to FirstHealth,” said Mickey W. Foster, MHA, chief executive officer for FirstHealth in a press release. “Her extensive experience and proven success in health care philanthropy make her the ideal leader to continue advancing the core purpose of our organization—to care for people.”

Karen Fitch, chair of The Foundation of FirstHealth Board of Trustees, also shared her

confidence in Casson’s leadership sharing: “Dana’s exceptional leadership and strategic vision have been evident throughout her career. We are confident that her expertise and shared value of community relationship building will be instrumental in driving the continued success of the Foundation.”

Casson’s impressive career includes leadership roles at OhioHealth Foundation, Vidant Health,

MedStar National Rehabilitation Network and Henry Ford Macomb Hospitals. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Michigan State University and is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE). Dana and her husband, John, reside in Pinehurst and are proud parents of two adult daughters.

“I am both humbled and honored to join The Foundation of FirstHealth in this capacity,” said Casson in a press release. “The opportunity to contribute to an organization that plays such a vital role in the community is truly inspiring. I am excited to work alongside the team at FirstHealth and continue building on the incredible legacy established by Kathy Stockham.”