Gulf Coast Selects Senior Vice President for Talent and Innovation | COO

Veronica L. Thames is joining Gulf Coast Community Foundation in the new role of Senior Vice President for Talent and Innovation | Chief Operating Officer. Thames starts her position in early August.

“Veronica Thames is an extraordinarily talented professional who will bring dynamic energy to our nationally recognized initiatives and bolster our status as one of the best nonprofits in the nation to work for,” said Dr. Mark S. Pritchett, President | CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “I am beyond thrilled to welcome her into a leadership role at Gulf Coast.  She is entrepreneurial and fits perfectly into our innovative culture.”

Thames currently serves as Vice President of Human Resources at Blake Medical Center, part of Healthcare Corporation of America (HCA), for which she has worked since 2006. In this executive role, she has been responsible for key operations and personnel management of a 1,300-employee organization with 300 physicians and 350 active volunteers. Accomplishments under Thames’ leadership include operating the top-ranked childcare facility in Manatee County and the largest community health and wellness program within HCA nationwide. Thames also served as Blake’s Logistics Officer during last year’s Hurricane Irma and earned multiple awards for highest participation in the charitable organization that supports employees within her organization.

“Veronica knows how to put together high-performing teams and empower them to get results,” noted Pritchett. “That will enhance not only our staff team here at Gulf Coast, but also our collaborative regional initiatives.”

Thames also brings extensive community leadership experience to her new role. She is the former Chair and a longtime member of the Sarasota Manatee Healthcare Collaborative, a consortium of healthcare employers and educators dedicated to improving workforce development and competitiveness in the region’s healthcare sector. She has served as a board member and volunteered for numerous nonprofit and community organizations, and she is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Manatee.

Thames holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in human resource management.