Mercy’s Board of Directors is the agency’s governing body and make up of some of the community’s most passionate and active leaders. As such, they assist Mercy in understanding, pursuing and attaining its mission. In particular, this means:
We are grateful for this tremendous team that serves us so well!
Valerie Wilson is a senior consulting product analyst at HCA Information Technology Group. She has been with HCA for almost 20 years, and received the company’s Noel Williams Award of Excellence for outstanding service in 2016. Prior to moving to Nashville and working for HCA, she served as a medical record/health information management director at various hospitals in Oklahoma from 1980 to 2001. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Medical Records Administration/Health Information Management at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Valerie is married to David and has three children and five grandchildren. She is a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Spring Hill, where she serves as music director and organist.
Gonzalo Elorza is the Corporate Controller at Endodontic Practice Partners. Originally from Argentina, Gonzalo attended Trevecca Nazarene University on a soccer scholarship, where he earned an accounting degree and graduated magna cum laude. After graduating, he worked at Deloitte as an external auditor for three years while also obtaining his CPA license. Later, Gonzalo spent six years at HCA followed by six years as the Director of Finance at LifePoint Health. During his time at HCA, Gonzalo earned an M.B.A. from Lipscomb University. Gonzalo has two daughters, Emma and Lexi.
Tania Davila works in the healthcare industry as a Lead of Operations at a renal pharmacy. She is the first in her family to pursue post-secondary education and holds a B.S. degree in nutrition and food science from Middle Tennessee State University. Tania participates in activities promoting a healthy lifestyle and raising awareness about the healthcare needs of our community. She is passionate about encouraging young adults, specifically minorities and underprivileged students to seek higher education. In her spare time, she loves to play board games with her family and take long walks with her husband and their two dogs. Tania is a member of St. Phillip Catholic Church and sings in the choir.
Dumkele Anifowoshe (Kele) is a self-employed CPA who specializes in working with individuals and small businesses to identify and apply tax planning opportunities. Kele also provides assistance with both individual and business filings. She is a member of the Tennessee Society of CPAs. She immigrated to the United States in 1999 from Nigeria where she earned a bachelor’s degree in applied physics from the University of Benin in Nigeria (1992) and also became a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). Kele has more than two decades of experience in the tax and accounting industries, including working with one of the Big Four firms in Nigeria, then H&R Block and the Tax Audit Department at the Tennessee Department of Revenue. She is married and has three children, loves traveling, and is a member of Church of the City in Franklin.
Cindi Parmenter is a realtor with eXp Realty. Previously she served as Chief Operating Officer for Williamson, Inc. and as the owner of Leatherwood Forge Retreat Center. She formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Farms YMCA, and on the Advisory Board for the Better Business Bureau of Williamson County. She is a graduate of Leadership Brentwood and has served as the facilitator to incoming Leadership Brentwood classes since 2001. What Attracted Cindi to Serve on the Board: “I previously served on Mercy’s Advisory Board, and I have seen the commitment of the entire team to the mission of Mercy.”
As a registered nurse, Jane Allen has dedicated her life to caring for the health and well-being of others. Currently, she is the Director of Client Services at LightWay Home Health Care, which helps seniors live a safe and healthy life of freedom and independence in the comfort of the home they love. Prior to LightWay Home Health Care, she worked as a Manager at United Health Care, Parish Nurse at GraceWorks Ministries, and as a Registered Nurse at Home Technology Home Health Care in Tennessee and St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center (now known as UnityPoint Health) in Iowa. Jane was a founding board member of Grace Medical Clinic, where she also served on the Executive Board. She is also a past executive board member of GraceWorks Ministries. Originally from Sioux City, Iowa, she earned her degree from Western Iowa Tech Community College. She has been married for more than 36 years and has three adult children and nine grandchildren. What Jane Thinks Makes Mercy Special: “The staff. They have true hearts for Jesus and for the people they serve. I see it each and every time I walk through the door.”
Lacretia Crosby joined the board of Mercy Community Healthcare in 2019. As the mother of three children who received care at Mercy, Lacretia brings an important parental perspective to the board. She currently works for Willis Towers Watson in the accounting department, where she serves in a leadership capacity. Lacretia holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Outside of work, she participates in various music ministry programs within the Franklin community.
The Rev. William Herbert Johnson was called to Greater First Baptist Church in Lewisburg, Tenn. November 30, 1997. In this same church, he confesses Jesus Christ as Savior under the pastorate of his father, Willie Payne Johnson. Rev. Johnson received the mantle of pastorate from the church and his father who served the church for 60 years. Herbert, as he prefers to be called, was educated in the Marshall County Public School System. He received his high school diploma in 1975. He attended Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1980. He then attended American Baptist College Seminary in Nashville followed by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1995. He is a member of the Marshall County Ministerial Alliance and currently serves as president. He also serves as a chaplain of Marshall Medical Center in Lewisburg. Herbert served as the vice president of the Middle Region in the Tennessee Baptist Missionary & Educational Convention and has served as the moderator of the Duck River Missionary Baptist District Association. He is also a member of the Marshall County Senior Citizen Board and an active member of the NAACP of Marshall County. Herbert is married to Deborah Kay (Williams), and they have two children, Christy Nicole and William Daniel Johnson.
Michael (Mike) Ren is the Chief Financial Officer for Helios Energy, LLC. In addition to serving on Mercy’s board, Mike serves on the Finance Board and the Parish Pastoral Council of St. Philip Catholic Church in downtown Franklin. Mike holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Villanova University. Before assuming the role of CFO at Helios Energy, he was the senior manager for financial planning and analysis at Asurion, LLC, CFO at Southern Land Company and CFO at Brach Confections. Mike is the husband to Victoria and father to Alison. His interests include golf, music, cars and collectibles. What do you think makes Mercy special? “Mercy serves such an important role in our community, helping to provide medical and mental health services to the underserved and the unserved. Through Mercy’s efforts, community needs are met in a manner that publicly acknowledges the importance of God’s love in our lives.”
As the CEO and Founder of Helios Energy, Chris Nelson is responsible for the overall management of the company. Chris leads the development of all projects including the company’s current commercial to utility-scale solar investments in the South Pacific, Caribbean and US. Chris is a retired United States Marine having served for over 21 years in various intelligence and signal intelligence assignments across the globe. Prior to founding Helios, Chris spent 12 years in senior sales leadership, training leadership, and coaching roles with three different global Fortune 500 companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and financial services industries. Chris connected with Mercy through his work serving as the health programs chair at St. Philip Catholic Church. In that role, he gained a great understanding of the valuable services Mercy provided for our community.
Julia is Mercy’s newest board member and currently works as the Director of Communications and PR for Volkert, Inc. She comes to Mercy with a passion for communication, marketing, and community events. After completing her degree at the University of Tennessee, Julia attended Clemson University for her MBA. Prior to joining Volkert, Julia worked for 10 years in higher education communications and fundraising at Vanderbilt University, Clemson University, and The University of Tennessee. Active in the community, Julia volunteers with the Second Harvest Food Bank, Shalom Foundation, and A Vintage Affair. During her service to Mercy’s board of directors, Julia hopes to spread the good news of Mercy’s mission throughout Middle Tennessee.