Robert Crego named executive director of Southern Vermont AHEC

The Board of Directors of the Springfield-based Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center announced that Robert Crego was named Southern Vermont AHEC’s executive director, succeeding Marty Hammond upon her retirement at the end of October 2018.

Robert has worked in community development for nearly 30 years. He was founding executive director of Valley Cares and developer of the organization’s 64-unit West River Valley Senior Housing project, a continuum of independent, supportive, and assisted living for seniors located in Townshend.

Prior to his work with Valley Cares, Robert was a grant writer and project developer for Grace Cottage Hospital, assisting in developing and supporting primary and acute care and eldercare initiatives.

Robert has 20 years of experience consulting with nonprofit organizations in Vermont, providing strategic and business planning, finance and asset management, program development and management, and grant writing. Over the years, Robert has obtained over $30 million in public and private grant funding, primarily for affordable housing, education, and health care-related projects.

Prior to his hiring at AHEC, Robert was development manager for M&S Development in Brattleboro, where he helped the business plan and finance downtown mixed-use real estate projects.

Robert received a Master of Arts in teaching social studies from the University of New Hampshire in Durham, and a bachelor’s degree in history from St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y.

The Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center is one of two regional AHECs in Vermont. These AHECs work in partnership with the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, College of Education and Social Services, and the UVM Medical Center Residency Programs.

Through this alliance with the University of Vermont, the two AHECs support and promote excellence in the health care system of Vermont and in the training of health practitioners through community-based education involving students, health care professionals, and community residents.

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, the University of Vermont, the State of Vermont and local community organizations provide funding for the AHECs. This four-way partnership enables a broad framework under which each AHEC tailors its program and activities to meet local health priorities. Southern Vermont AHEC was established in Springfield, Vt. in early 1999. It serves the five counties of Addison, Bennington, Rutland, Windham, and Windsor. Southern Vermont AHEC primarily focuses on rural health care workforce development to meet the needs of communities and health care professionals. Related to workforce development, the center works closely with the University of Vermont in supporting medical students and their community faculty prior to, during and after rotations.

www.svtahec.org