Jack O. Lanier
DrPH, MHA, FACHE

Dr. Lanier currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority. Additionally, he serves as professor emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia School of Medicine (VCU/MCV), Department of Epidemiology and Community Health. Dr. Lanier also holds a faculty appointment in VCU’s Department of Health Administration. In 1992, Dr. Lanier was recruited to VCU with the primary goal of directing the development and accreditation of the University’s newly-created Master of Public Health Program, a goal fully met within three years of his arrival. Prior to joining VCU, Dr. Lanier served for three years as the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, with responsibility for oversight and management of the Defense Department’s health services-related budget of approximately $15 billion at the time.

In 2001, Dr. Lanier was appointed by the governor to a four-year term on the Virginia State Board of Health. The following year, he was elected by board members to serve as Chairman. In 2005, he was reappointed by the governor to a second four-year term and, until 2009, served five consecutive years as Board Chair.

Dr. Lanier is a retired Colonel with more than 22 years of service with the U.S. Army Medical Department. Some of his key assignments include service at the U.S. Military Academy Hospital, West Point, NY, and the U.S. Army Academy of Health Sciences, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Other military professional assignments have included commanding officer of the 93rd Evacuation Hospital, Republic of South Viet Nam; health policy staff officer at the U.S. Army Surgeon General’s Office; and professor and director of the U.S. Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health Administration.

Dr. Lanier received his Doctorate in Public Health from The University of Texas Health Sciences Center School of Public Health, Houston, Texas, a Master of Health Administration, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in business administration from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina.  He is a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Executives (FACHE), having recertified subsequent to receiving the initial credential.

Dr. Lanier serves on several corporate health system boards to include Catholic Health East, a multi-institutional Catholic health system co-sponsored by 10 religious congregations and Hope Ministries,  based in Newtown Square, Pa. Catholic Health East provides the means to ensure the continuation of the Catholic identity and operational strength of the Sponsors’ health ministries, which are located in 11 eastern states from Maine to Florida.  The system includes 33 acute-care hospitals, four long-term acute-care hospitals, 36 freestanding and hospital-based long-term care facilities, 12 assisted-living facilities, five continuing-care retirement communities, seven behavioral-health and rehabilitation facilities, 25 home health/hospice agencies and numerous ambulatory and community-based health services.  For the past 12 years, he has served on the Board of the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare Inc., Wheaton, Illinois. Another key appointment includes serving on the Education Board of the American Public Health Association.