Excellence in Governance - 2023

Hanson was the first woman and first Black person to chair the board of directors of the Erie County Medical Center Corp., on which she has served since 1996. Now secretary, she has held numerous other leadership positions, including chair of the executive compensation and governance, human resources, performance improvement and building and grounds committees. She led the push for state legislation in 2003 establishing the medical center as a New York State Public Benefit Corporation. Thirteen years later, she and her board colleagues successfully advocated for an amendment to the legislation that enabled more collaboration among ECMCC and two other institutions, helping to broaden access to care and lower costs. Hanson’s influence extends beyond Erie County: In January, she was elected as vice chair of the Healthcare Trustees of New York State.