Press Release

Baich To Conclude Tenure As Vesper Society President

CONTACT:
Vesper Society, 415.291.0901
Fax, 1.415.291.0906

San Francisco, Jan. 26, 2012 — Vesper Society President and CEO Mary Olson Baich announced today that she will conclude her service with Vesper this year, her 10th with the organization. She expects to leave within a few months, though her departure date has not yet been set. The Vesper Society board of directors will announce her successor by spring 2012.

“I’m thrilled with the experiences I’ve had with Vesper, and I am proud of the success of the organization over my 10 years as president,” Baich said. “I feel that I accomplished the things I set out to accomplish, particularly with regard to healthcare disparities and access to care for the uninsured. I have been passionate about these issues all my life, and I will continue to work on them after I leave.”

A native of North Dakota, Baich has led the Vesper Society since June 2002. She came to the organization with a background as a healthcare executive and a passion for the intersection of health and social justice. “I spent many years leading and growing faith-based, community partnerships, and that experience was a tremendous help to me in my work with Vesper,” Baich said.

From Vesper’s San Francisco offices, Baich led efforts in the organization’s three project areas — economic justice, health care access, and youth empowerment. The faith-based Society strives to meet the social, health, educational, and spiritual needs of individuals and communities in the United States and abroad.

“Working with native populations in South Africa on issues around HIV/AIDS was the thrill of a lifetime for me,” Baich said, referring to the Masangane AIDS Programme Vesper Society supports in the rural Eastern Cape of South Africa. “Watching how the people there cared for one another, how they collaborated to keep each other well and help the families affected [by HIV] — it was simply amazing.”

Prior to her work with Vesper Society, Baich was executive director of Fairview Foundation and vice president of community and church relations for Fairview Health Services in Minneapolis, Minn. She received her master’s degree in hospital and healthcare administration from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor of science in nursing from Pacific Lutheran University.

Vesper Society Interim Board Chairman Eric Reynolds says the Society flourished under Baich’s exceptional leadership.

“Mary demonstrated deep passion for our mission and brought it to life in compelling ways, particularly for those who suffer from a lack of health care access,” says Reynolds.  “Mary’s pioneering work — Masanagne for example — stands witness to her courage and candor facing injustice while painting a picture of a better future.”

Baich plans to remain in the Bay Area. She looks forward to traveling and to spending more time with her three daughters and their families, including her five grandchildren. And she expects to continue exploring telemedicine, looking at ways technology can improve healthcare access and treatment for underserved populations.

“I am excited to pursue this next chapter in my life and the new challenges to come,” said Baich. “I look forward to expanding on the good work and strong relationships I built while at Vesper.”

ABOUT VESPER SOCIETY

Founded in 1965, Vesper Society is a faith-based private operating foundation that envisions a compassionate world which protects human dignity and enhances human potential. The Society’s mission is to promote social justice locally and globally by addressing critical social issues, including the provision of health services for the underserved. To learn more about Vesper Society, go to www.vesper.org.