35 years ago, Congress designated March as National Women’s History Month as a time to commemorate the contributions and achievements ofW American women throughout history and today. For over 30 of those years CHANGE, Inc. has proudly been led by hard-working, dedicated women focused on serving the community, including former long-time CEO, Judy Raveaux. Judy passed the torch to now Chief Executive Officer, Lisa Mowry in January of this year.
After graduation from West Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2002, Mowry joined CHANGE, Inc. in March 2004 as Development Coordinator. For the next 14 years, Lisa secured over 350 grants, totaling more than $35 million in funding from foundations, corporations, state and federal sources to support the growth of CHANGE, Inc.’s 30 plus programs. “CHANGE, Inc. has always embraced equality in leadership roles, having women serving in some of the top leadership roles for over 40 years. I have been blessed in learning from, and working alongside strong woman leaders my entire career.” said Mowry.
CHANGE, Inc. operates 3 Family Medical Care Health Centers and 10 School-Based Health Centers throughout Brooke and Hancock counties in West Virginia and Jefferson County, Ohio. Family Medical Care has been a designated Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) since 2007 and is one of 31 community health centers in West Virginia. For CHANGE, Inc. being an FQHC means preventative care can be more cost efficient and allows patients to have access to affordable primary care, health education, and screenings.
Leading CHANGE, Inc.’s medical staff is Dr. Kelli Fournier MD, serving as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Fournier is a Family Practice Board Certified Physician and Weirton native. “I feel very blessed to be a physician in the community that I love, where I was raised and in turn raised my own family.” said Fournier. She has been employed with CHANGE, Inc. since the opening of Family Medical Care in 2005, earning the title of Chief Medical Officer in 2018. “I worked hard for this, in my studies, in my career and enjoy giving back to those coming up behind me.” said Fournier, a graduate of Marshall University School of Medicine. “I take my leadership role as a very serious responsibility. I know I have learned so much from the strong women leaders in my life and now I try to serve as mentor to the female healthcare workers in my sphere of influence.”
Rounding out this team of superwomen is Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Pierce. “When asked about leadership my philosophy is simple – Do your best, expect the best out of your team, and be kind to each other and the people you serve. I believe if you do those simple things, you will be successful,” she said. Pierce is a 1999 graduate of the Trinity School of Nursing, upon graduating she was employed by Trinity Health System first as a nurse’s aide, moving up the ranks to staff nurse, clinical manager, Director of Urgent Care and finally taking on the role of Regional Director of Patient Experience prior to joining CHANGE, Inc. in 2021. Along the way Pierce attended West Liberty University earning a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership and Administration in 2018.
“It is our goal to continue to do the good work of serving the community and build off of the accomplishments of those that came before us. We will continue to grow and adapt to serve the changing needs of the community. We will also continue to support and encourage women, whether it’s the women that come to us seeking services, our staff or others throughout the community. We are here to empower the community as a whole” said Mowry.
CHANGE, Inc. is a local non-profit organization serving northern West Virginia (Hancock, Brooke, Ohio and Marshall Counties) and Jefferson County, Ohio as well as surrounding communities providing various programs and services. Services include, Family Medical Care which is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that prides itself on being a comprehensive health care facility providing Family Health, Woman’s Health, Dental Services as well as Behavioral Health regardless of age, income level, residency or insurance status. Care is provided through 3 Community Health Centers and 10 School based Health Centers. Other service areas include, domestic violence awareness, child advocacy, weatherization, supportive services for veterans, and housing counseling. For a complete list of services and programs visit, www.changeinc.org.
