Dr. LaTanya L. McNeal, executive dean of Palm Beach State College’s Belle Glade campus, was recently appointed to the Lakeside Health Advisory Board, the Health Care District of Palm Beach County’s hospital advisory board.
The board advises the Health Care District Board of Commissioners on issues related to the overall health and wellness of Glades residents, visitors and underserved members of the community. McNeal fills the seat vacated by Dr. Maria Vallejo, who retired in March as vice president for growth and expansion and provost of Palm Beach State College’s Belle Glade and Loxahatchee Groves campuses.
“I am honored to serve on the Lakeside Health Advisory Board to help support Lakeside Medical Center as the heart of healthcare in the Glades,” McNeal said. “This teaching hospital is a vital component of the healthcare safety net, and I look forward to working with the board to help meet the healthcare needs of our community.”
McNeal is an educator with 23 years of experience in secondary and post-secondary education. Prior to her recent promotion to executive dean, she served as assistant dean of student services.
McNeal is the chair of the Glades Area Advisory Board for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, serves as an AdvanceED External Review school accreditation team member for the State of Florida and is a member of the Lake Okeechobee Regional Economic Alliance. She also serves on the Glades Career Readiness Roundtable, the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center Advisory Board and the Pahokee Rotary.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. McNeal as a member of the Lakeside Health Advisory Board,” Health Care District CEO Darcy J. Davis said. “Her leadership in the rural western communities will be an asset to our hospital and the patients we serve.”
McNeal obtained her bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences and master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of North Florida. In 2018, she obtained her doctoral degree in higher education and organizational leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. McNeal join the Lakeside Health Advisory Board,” Executive Director Janet D. Moreland said. “She brings an extensive background in education and a wealth of experience and service in the Glades community.”
The members of the Lakeside Health Advisory Board also include Chair Rev. Robert Rease, Vice Chair Dr. Alina M. Alonso, Secretary Mary Weeks, Julia Hale, Inger Harvey, Eddie Rhodes and Carolyn W. Jones.
Lakeside Medical Center is a 70-bed, acute care, teaching hospital accredited by the Joint Commission. In 2011, the hospital became one of Florida’s few rural teaching hospitals, offering a family medicine residency program.
I am pleased to know this young lady and am sure she will be a huge asset to your team!!