Julie Morris, New Smyrna Beach LTC Leader, Elected President of Florida Health Care Association

Tallahassee, Fla. – Florida Health Care Association (FHCA), the state’s first and largest advocacy organization representing over 700 Florida long term care facilities and more than 1,000 professional members, has elected Julie Morris of New Smyrna Beach as President of the Association. Morris is Vice President of Operations for Aston Health, which manages 47 skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities across Florida. As President, Morris will lead the Association’s 30-member Board of Directors and will focus her term on strengthening partnerships across the continuum of care, growing the next generation of long term care professionals and keeping Florida on the path of being the gold standard in high-quality care.
 
“The success of our Association for the past 70 years is a result of an actively engaged membership that recognizes the fact that our people drive progress and quality,” said Morris. “My goal is to continue finding innovative ways for the Association to further invest in our caregivers – from leadership development, mentorships, scholarship opportunities and grassroots advocacy. The future is bright for Florida and our long term care community, and I’m thrilled to lead this Board through the opportunities that lie ahead.”
 
Morris has worked in long term care for over 30 years, both in nursing home administration and regional operations. She has spent most of her career actively involved with FHCA. She previously served on the FHCA Executive Committee as Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary, has served on the Board of Directors as both a Region Vice President and District President and has also chaired the association’s Workforce and Annual Conference committees. Morris is also a graduating member of the FHCA Florida Leaders program and frequently presents on workforce and leadership topics. 
 
Morris will be joined on the FHCA Board of Directors by the following Executive Committee members:

• Senior Vice President Joshua Wagoner of North Campus Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Leesburg;
• Treasurer Patricia Spears of Topaz Fiscal Services in Jacksonville;
• Secretary Isis Fernandez of Hialeah Shores Nursing & Rehabilitation in Miami;
• Independent Owner Vice President Neil Sutton of NuVision Management in Ft. Lauderdale; 
• Not-for-Profit Vice President Mike Ward of Pines of Sarasota;
• Member at Large Mel Beal of Facility Support Company in West Palm Beach; 
• Immediate Past President Anita Faulmann of Excelsior Care Group in Tierra Verde.

Additional Officers of the Board include the following:

• Multifacility Vice President Vernon Zeger of The Lilac Health Group in Lake Mary;
• Assisted Living Facility Vice President Lonnie Steckler of The Pointe of North Gables in West Miami;
• Associate Member Vice President Stephen Lomonico of Thrive Behavioral Sciences in Trinity;
• Region I Vice President Monica Calonge of Palmetto Subacute Care Center in Miami;
• Region II Vice President Brittney Traill of Orlando Health and Rehabilitation Center;
• Region III Vice President Daniel Frenden of Balanced Healthcare in Kenneth City; and
• Region IV Vice President Melinda Gay of Washington Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Chipley.

FHCA's Board of Directors also includes the presidents of 16 local districts across Florida. For a complete list of FHCA's 2024-2025 Board of Directors, click here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2024

PRESS CONTACT:
Kristen Knapp, APR
850-510-4389 or kknapp@fhca.org