Samantha Miller
Annville, PA- With his forward-thinking and inspiration to serve others, Geoffrey M. Roche is making contributions to the community, Commonwealth, and nation in many different ways.
Recognizing the strong connection between healthcare and education (Eds and Meds), Roche is closely intertwined with both industries. His career began after graduating from Moravian University in 2008, and has only taken off since then. Roche knew he wanted to pursue healthcare from a young age, looking up to his mother who was a nurse. He witnessed firsthand the positive impact that healthcare can have on individuals, as well as the community. Today, he is following in her footsteps, with extensive experiences and accomplishments under his belt.
Roche’s experience is vast, sharing his passion with different councils, committees, and academic institutions. At both Lebanon Valley College and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, he led strategic partnerships and business development projects. Roche has contributed to optimizing the educational experiences at both schools, through building connections and partnerships between the schools, their communities, health systems, and government.
Additionally, he is currently a member of the Annville-Cleona School District school board, and has been seated for three years. Roche was selected to represent the district in the IU13 Board of Directors, which is a board composed of board members from the schools in Lebanon and Lancaster counties.
This is not his only leadership position, as he is a member of the Leadership Council for Moravian College, and Senior Vice President of Workforce Development at Dignity Health Global Education. Roche was also notably invited to the National Health Equity Task Force, a team of nationwide healthcare experts, dedicated to bringing healthcare to vulnerable communities. Through accepting his appointment to the task force, Roche was able to provide care to those enduring the effects of the pandemic. His outreach made significant differences, working towards the ultimate goal of bringing health equity to minority groups.
Through his work, Roche wants to emphasize the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion. His futuristic vision, understanding how needs change by the generation, has allowed his innovations to be so successful. Each demographic–age, race, ethnicity, etc.– has specified needs, and they must be met in order for healthcare and education to be effective and impactful.
Roche feels hopeful thinking about the future, and the progressive upcoming generation, “I am looking forward to a nation that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. While I know we have significant work to still make this happen, I am encouraged by our nation’s youth and future leaders that are more inclusive than ever before. We must heed the words of the late Congressman John Lewis and be willing to get into good trouble to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion because when we do, all individuals benefit,” Roche said.
Amongst all his great achievements, the one Roche is most proud of is his family, “The most significant accomplishment of my life was when my wife, Rebecca, and I were blessed with the birth of our three amazing boys, Corbin, Gavin, and Reid.”
Author: Amaury Abreu
