Will Wagnon abruptly leaves St. John’s after 6 months
CEO have no reason for his resignation, board was taken by surprise
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — At a special public meeting of the St. John’s Health board of trustees this morning, the board accepted the resignation of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) William O. Wagnon. The trustees named David Robertson as interim CEO, effective immediately.
Wagnon had been in the role only six months since taking over late last year. No reason was given for his abrupt departure other than to say it was “unexpected.”
Robertson is a Victor, Idaho resident. He has served as a board advisor to SJH for the past 3 1/2 years. He has spent his career working for with community and rural hospitals like St. John’s. Throughout more than his 30-year career as a health systems CEO, he led three different health organizations. For the past 10 years, Robertson has served as senior executive in the nation’s largest member-driven health care performance improvement company working with nonprofit hospitals.
“While this transition was unexpected, the board has absolute confidence in Dave. He has a long track record of hospital leadership and deep ties to the communities we serve,” said board chair Sue Critzer. “We are fortunate to be able to have Dave lead our organization at this time. He is uniquely qualified, and through his many years of involvement with SJH he understands the opportunities and complexities of our organization.”
It appears the “interim” status attached to Robertson’s title is permanent enough for now. The board has not taken any steps toward launching another nationwide search for a replacement at CEO as it has done in the past. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the board of trustees is scheduled for August 26.
The CEO position was once a bit of a revolving door for St. John’s as turmoil at the top ruled the day during the late 2000s when frontpage soap opera headlines made the oh-ohs look more like the “uh-ohs” for St. Joh’’s Medical Center. Then came the steady leadership of Lou Hochheiser, who was acting CEO from 2012–2016, and Paul Beapre, who served from 2016–2021.
Pam Maples had a cup of coffee with the organization after Jim Schuessler was fired in 2009, after he, in turn, had fired CFO Robert Flake and assistant administrator Virgil Boss. At one time, CFO John Kren was acting CEO until the dust settled.
Then-trustee in 2009, Emmy Knobloch, asked for the public’s patience as the hospital went through “turbulent times.”
St. John’s Health board of trustees say they are “excited and encouraged to have Dave lead our organization into our next chapter.”
