Balkus to finish unexpired term of former board member

Manchester, NH—St. Mary’s Bank today announced the appointment of Gina M. Balkus to the St. Mary’s Bank Board of Directors.

Balkus was appointed by the board in February to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of director Edward Dudley last May. Her name will be on the ballot at the credit union’s annual shareholder meeting in April, when members will vote on board positions.

“Gina is both a passionate volunteer and an accomplished professional,” said Joseph Acorace, chairman of St. Mary’s Bank’s board of directors. “We look forward to the contributions she will make as a St. Mary’s director.”

Balkus is director of government relations for Dartmouth-Hitchock in Lebanon, where she is responsible for strategic public policy involvement on behalf of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the 800-physician Dartmouth-Hitchcock multi-specialty group practice. She is a 20-year veteran of health care government relations, having previously served as vice president, public affairs for the New Hampshire Hospital Association.

Balkus is involved in numerous community and professional activities, including the board of directors of the New Hampshire Healthy Kids Corporation and the advisory council for the Endowment for Health. She is immediate past president of the New England Society for Healthcare Communications.

Balkus has won numerous awards for her work in advocacy and communications. In 2005, the New Hampshire Pediatric Society named her its “Public Citizen of the Year.” She was presented the “Employee Campaign Coordinator of the Year Award” in 2000, 2005 and 2006 by Heritage United Way, Manchester.

Balkus is a graduate of Dartmouth College and was a Fulbright Scholar in Warsaw, Poland. A native of Manchester, Balkus lives in Nashua with her husband, Robert, and their three children.