The Governance Committee is pleased to present the following slate of Candidates for the Beacon Board of Directors.

Larry Badler (second term)

Tom Coia

Tom Donoghue

Darshan Kulkarni

Barbara Taylor

Voting will take place electronically November 14 - 16. The results will be announced on Thursday, November 17.

--

Candidate Bios

Larry Badler

Larry has over 20 years of experience in both Big 4 Management Consulting and Fortune 100 firms. He has served in strategic, business analysis and measurement, program design and execution, and technology roles across a wide range of global product lines and distribution channels. Following his initial experience with Deloitte Consulting, Larry spent 11 years with Bank of America – Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, supporting multiple business groups in various consultative roles. Larry returned to Deloitte after Merrill, and leveraged his Six Sigma Black Belt certification and experience within Deloitte’s Process Excellence practice. He started his own consulting practice, Skybridge Consulting LLC in early 2017, with a focus on operational excellence and execution. After several years helping his clients address their numerous operational issues, he was hired full time by one of them as their Chief of Staff which is his current position.

Larry joined the Beacon Board of Directors in 2020, and is currently serving as its Chair.

Larry holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture, from the University of Michigan, a Master in Architecture from Harvard University – Graduate School of Design, and a Master of Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University – Tepper School of Business. 

Tom Coia

Tom is a Client Advisor at Marsh McLennan Agency, where he helps his clients tailor their employee health and benefit plans to align with their organizations' short and long-term strategic goals. He has been able to help clients navigate the complicated exit of PEOs, increase their benefit richness and save double-digit percentages, and align their benefit plans with their competition and regional peers. When Tom is not helping companies, he enjoys helping others succeed in life and business. Above all else, his favorite thing is spending time with his son and effervescent wife.

Tom Donoghue

Tom is a results-focused, innovative digital marketing leader, experienced Army officer and global brand builder who specializes in leveraging leading SaaS platforms to drive results. He is analytical and develops data-driven strategies, driving results, possesses advanced knowledge of data analytics, and driving results for Fortune 1000 companies. Tom is committed team leader, coach and mentor to those on his team.

Tom enjoys coaching his twin sons in soccer and baseball, brining his older son to crew events and practice. Tom, his wife Rachel and family live in Wayne and enjoy traveling to Europe and the Caribbean for holidays.

Darshan Kulkarni

Darshan Kulkarni is an FDA regulatory lawyer, author, professor, and speaker, who takes a holistic approach to the healthcare and life sciences industries. Through the lens of patient centricity, including the underlying concepts of privacy, transparency, innovation, and access, Darshan looks at the broader implementation of programs by life sciences companies and healthcare professionals. With a background in creating companies, developing products, and helping guide finished products through the approval process where he has sold products as a pharmacist, Darshan has a unique perspective on how the pharmaceutical, regulatory, and life sciences industries intersect and function.

Barbara Taylor

Barbara Taylor, CPCU, offers 20+ years of expertise in business coaching, talent management leadership development and performance management.

Barbara has built a reputation for designing creative leadership development programs.  She has designed and implemented effective talent management strategies for numerous Fortune 500 clients including Comcast, New York Life, GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, L3, Sara Lee, Goodwill and Kellogg Company.

Currently, Barbara is a business partner of JanBara & Associates, a coaching and executive development firm specializing in accelerating the performance of people and organizations.  The JanBara partners believe that purposeful human performance is the greatest contributing factor to a company’s success.

--

Selection Criteria & Process

Our selection criteria are based on the criteria established in the bylaws, Values & Code of Conduct, and as guided by the Board of Directors. Those criteria include active Beacon membership with the organization, involvement in Beacon subgroups and/or committee activities, demonstrated leadership within Beacon or other nonprofit organizations, the perceived ability to work well with other members of the Board of Directors and demonstrated ability to meet the skill sets suggested by the Beacon leadership.

The Governance Committee reviews applications, interviews candidates and determines the list of nominees presented to the membership for election. 

Election Process

Members of the Board are elected by the members of Beacon by electronic ballot; the election will take place November 7-9, 2022; and results will be announced by email and on the Beacon website. Those elected will serve a term of three years beginning January 1, 2023 and ending December 31, 2025. The Beacon Board of Directors is comprised of 9-15 individuals whose terms are staggered to provide both continuity and fresh perspectives with each new term. Following completion of one three-year term, members are eligible for nomination to a second three-year term. Once elected, the Board goes through a nominations process and elects its officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary) for the year. 

Board Roles and Responsibilities

Members of the Board will:

• Have the opportunity to work with peers and colleagues to establish the policies, vision and goals for Beacon and help the association grow and thrive;
• Provide insight and input to help Beacon members find value and achieve their professional and personal goals;
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to monitor progress toward Beacon’s strategic goals and contribute to establishing and revising strategies as appropriate; and
• Contribute to ensuring that the Board fulfills its corporate duties of care, loyalty and obedience to the members and to Beacon in accordance with governing documents and policies.

The Board of Directors in 2023 will hold monthly meetings, whether in person or virtual. (A final schedule for Board meeting times and dates will be determined based on the best dates for the members selected as well as checking against holidays and other conflicts.) The Board may also meet virtually when business decisions require such phone meetings.

In addition to the routine business meetings, Board members will have an orientation session to establish common understanding of key organizational matters and standards for operation and communication, as well as a meeting focused on the mission, vision and strategic plan goals to ratify/suggest changes as appropriate. On average, directors can expect to spend 8 to 10 hours monthly on Board activities and preparation. Between meetings, members of the Board will:

• Receive, review and evaluate documents intended to keep the Board apprised of organizational performance, events and activities, and issues that may require Board attention or oversight;
• Attend Beacon major events and activities and meetings of committees and subgroups as appropriate (generally at least one per month) to remain informed, represent Beacon, and carry out specific work as assigned;
• Seek out opportunities to gather information from members, staff, allied groups, media, etc., so that the Board’s decisions are informed by available knowledge/data/environmental factors relevant to its decisions;
• Volunteer/be willing to serve on committees, task forces or working groups, and/or as a member or Board liaison, to carry out the work of Beacon;

Demonstrate the leadership qualities appropriate to Board membership by supporting decisions of the Board, being an enthusiastic representative of Beacon to internal and external audiences, and engaging in principled and robust dialogue to help the Board reach good decisions that will serve the Association and its members.