Sentara leaders elevate their impact through national leadership roles

Two Sentara executives—Eric Conley and Dana Weston Graves—are stepping into leadership roles this year with the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE), an organization that has supported minority leadership growth and professional development in healthcare since 1968.

In January, Conley, Sentara’s executive vice president of acute and post‑acute care, became Board Chair of NAHSE and will lead the organization’s strategic direction, governance, and policies, and serve as the voice of NAHSE in national conversations about health equity.

“I’m blown away by this opportunity. It’s extremely humbling,” said Conley, who has been a member of NAHSE since 1993. 

“Sentara teaches me the realities of running a complex health system, while NAHSE keeps me grounded in building diverse pipelines. Together, these roles allow me to influence decisions that make healthcare better for everyone.”

Alongside Conley, Dana Weston Graves, senior vice president and acute care market president for Sentara’s Southeast Market-Norfolk, will serve as NAHSE’s Treasurer. She sees the role as an extension of her personal mission.

Graves recalled attending her first NAHSE conference as a student more than 20 years ago in 2005.  

“I looked around the room, and it was like a light bulb moment. Throughout grad school I had never seen a Black female healthcare executive. Now I was standing in a room full of them,” said Graves. “I’ve always believed in myself, but NAHSE allowed me to picture myself in a boardroom.” 

Dana Weston Graves speaks at NAHSE’s 2025 conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Leading Sentara’s operations in Norfolk, Virginia, which includes Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Sentara Leigh Hospital, Graves said inclusive leadership is a business imperative. 

“You want people in the room who think from the lived experience of the people you’re trying to serve,” said Graves, who explained that NAHSE aligns with Sentara’s mission to deliver care that meets the needs of all communities.

Across the nation there are 34 NAHSE chapters and here in Virginia, Sentara has a growing number of employees involved in NAHSE leadership. 

“We re-established our chapter a few years ago and there are countless Sentara employees who are part of NAHSE,” said Loren Smith, vice president of operations for Sentara CarePlex Hospital and Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center.

Smith (center) and Graves (right of Smith), with members of NAHSE’s Virginia chapter.

In January, Smith became the president of Virginia’s NAHSE chapter and credits Sentara for helping her grow into the leader she is today.  

“I started off as a volunteer, then worked as an intern for corporate, and after that started working in hospital operations at Sentara CarePlex,” said Smith. “I’m a testament to what it looks like when NAHSE’s mission is embraced by a health system.”

Patricia Webb, interim chief executive officer of NAHSE, emphasized that NAHSE is not an exclusively Black organization, and that people of all backgrounds can join.

"Our members represent a wide range roles, experiences, and perspectives across the healthcare ecosystem," said Webb. "This diversity strengthens our collective impact and advances excellence in healthcare leadership and service to communities.”

For more information about NAHSE, click here. For Virginia’s NAHSE chapter, click here.