Board Members
Ocean Health Initiatives’ Board of Directors are members of the Ocean County Community serving in all parts of the region. They are dedicated individuals who seek to uphold the mission and policies of OHI and work to ensure the strategic planning and financial stability of the health center. We, the Administration and Staff, are grateful to the following for their dedication and commitment to OHI.
Jorge Rod
Jorge Rod
Jorge A Rod was born in Colombia, South America and was raised in Venezuela. Upon Graduating from St. Joseph’s High School he came to the United States at the age of 15.
His mother was from Cuba and his father from Mexico. Both of his parents are now deceased.
Jorge A. Rod has been a resident of Ocean County for 45 years. He lives in Jackson with his wife Betty. Jorge A Rod was honorably discharged from the United States Army after serving his country for three years, from 1965-1968 discharged with the rank of Sergeant.
Jorge A. Rod was elected to the Lacey Township Committee for three consecutive terms in which served as Mayor in 1981. Mr. Jorge Rod was elected and re-elected to the New Jersey State General Assembly. Mr. Rod was New Jersey’s first Hispanic Legislator.
Jorge Rod was former Publisher and owner of the Mail Bag Publication a weekly tabloid also a former Administrator to Lacey Township (Ocean County). Presently Mr. Rod is the CEO/owner of J A Rod Associates, LLC Publisher of Latinos Unidos de NJ which serves Ocean, Monmouth and Middlesex County and The Ocean County Jewish Journal.
Tony Lombardino, MD, MMM
Tony Lombardino, MD, MMM
Dr. Lombardino is the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of OHI.
He is a retired physician who is board certified in Adult Neurology, and a Master of Medical Management degree from Tulane University.
Prior to His retirement Dr. Lombardino was Vice President of Medical Affairs at Kimball Medical Center, a 350-bed acute care hospital in New Jersey, and a member hospital of Barnabas Health System. Prior to that he practiced adult neurology for 20 years.
Dr. Lombardino has held a number of leadership positions in health care, including chairman of the Physician Executive Constituency Group of the NJ Hospital Association; chairman and founding trustee of Ocean Health Initiatives and board member of the Health, Education and Research Trust of NJ. He served as chairman of the Kimball Medical Center Bioethics Committee for over 25 years.
Dr. Lombardino has long been committed to affordable, quality health care for every individual.
Cathy Ainora
Cathy Ainora
CATHERINE A. AINORA, MBA, FACHE
A strategic and visionary leader, Ms. Ainora serves as executive vice president, and chief integration and transformation officer of Hackensack Meridian Health. She is responsible for the Integration/Transformation office, which includes the Project Management office.
She created the integration architecture of the Hackensack Meridian Health network, including the most recent mergers of JFK Health and Carrier Clinic. In this role, she also coordinates the development of care transformation services throughout the network, using integration as a catalyst for transformation.
In 2019, she served as interim president of the Hospital Division of Hackensack Meridian Health, overseeing the operations of the health network’s 16 hospitals including 3 academic medical centers, 2 children’s hospitals and 11 community hospitals. Prior to HMH, Ms. Ainora had retired from Barnabas Health after 17 years where she was senior vice president of System Development/Planning during the development of what was then Barnabas Health. Over those years she was responsible for strategic due diligence of potential mergers and acquisitions, the successful transition of 3 underutilized hospitals into viable alternative health care facilities, and implementation of the transition of hospital-based clinics to 3 newly designated federally qualified health centers, as just a few examples of the depth of her experience. In 2019 she received the NJBIZ Best Fifty Women in business award.
Ms. Ainora has also served in State leadership positions, as exemplified by her role as co-chair of the State Health Planning Board for more than a decade. She has also advised and served on numerous New Jersey Hospital Association committees during her career.
Ms. Ainora holds an MBA in health care administration from Bernard Baruch College – Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. A fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, she has served on many ACHENJ committees, and on a number of community-based health care boards.
A leader by example, Ms. Ainora mentors rising professionals providing guidance and insight regarding the qualities that make a great health care executive including a commitment to providing exceptional, accessible health care and a commitment to service. She is involved in a Hackensack Meridian Health mentoring program and sponsors a network-wide quarterly event for women executives.
Debra Levinson
Debra Levinson
Debra A. Levinson is a retired professional health care planner. Known as a community-oriented, analytical researcher, Ms. Levinson has: developed grants, getting over $10,000,000 in funding; established and executed strategic planning processes for a major NJ health care system and other national organizations; coordinated hospital/health system bond rating presentations and offering statements; started/implemented a local cancer coalition, created several innovative cancer prevention programs; monitored and evaluated NJ State Cancer plan 2008-2012; updated NJ State Cancer Plan 2013-18. She now volunteers at the Ocean County Historical Society where she writes grants, participates in strategic plan development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, helps in the research center is the Vice President and has fun!
John Craddox
John Craddox
Mr. John Craddox has proudly served Lakewood School District for over thirty (30) years. During his career, he has been a teacher, a coach, Vice Principal of Oak Street School, and finally retired as Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics.
John began his love for sports while attending Freehold Boro High School. He played football and excelled at wrestling. During his high school career, John won two (2) District Titles as well as Most Outstanding Wrestler award. He was also named First Team All Shore by the Asbury Park Press. John went on to become an NCAA All American Wrestler while attending Trenton State College, which is now known as The College of New Jersey.
John began his coaching career as an assistant at Trenton State, and then moved on the coach at Freehold Township High School. Later, John became the Head Wrestling Coach of the Lakewood Piners. John also serves as Senior Pastor of Praise Temple Ministries in Neptune New Jersey. In 2009, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Elbon Solutions College Ministries of Napa Valley California, for his many years of faithful stewardship and benevolence in the service of the Lord.
John is blessed with his beautiful wife of 32 years, Linda who is a teacher in the Asbury Park School District. They have 5 wonderful children and enjoy working together to enrich the lives of others.
Vincent Della Donna
Vincent Della Donna, AIA
Vincent Della Donna, AIA, is a healthcare consultant and a Past President of the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health. Having spent much of his professional career as a client representative, he has the unique ability to understand healthcare clients’ needs. He is the founding principal of his Healthcare Architecture Planning consulting firm and as leader of consulting services, and select projects, Vincent is an advocate for professional services that are deeply responsive to client needs.
Mr. Della Donna has over three decades of experience, with a healthcare focus for more than twenty-five years. He strongly believes in giving back to the healthcare community and does so through volunteering as a board member with The Foundation for Health Environments Research and Ocean Health Initiatives and as a committee chair with the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health. He maintains active membership with the American Institute of Architects, the Academy of Architecture for Health, the American Hospital Association, and speaks nationally on healthcare topics.
Donald A. Caruso
Donald A. Caruso
Donald A Caruso retired from his private practice of Internal medicine/geriatrics after 38 years. After then serving as director of Barnabas Hospice in Ocean County for 10 years, he worked as a physician director for utilization management for a large insurance firm and also as Medical Director for Bayada Nursing for Ocean County to Cape May County.
Dr Caruso has an unwavering interest in helping to deliver health care to all people with less accessibility. He was the founder of the first public clinic for AIDS in Ocean County in 1991.
The goals and proposes of OHI are a perfect union with his vision and hopes for the future of health care delivery.
Mary Jo Grauso
Mary Jo Grauso, CSW
Ms. Grauso is a graduate of Rutgers University with a major in Psychology. She retired as the Executive Director of the Lakewood Housing Authority June 2019 having worked there 18 years.
Prior to coming to Ocean County, Ms. Grauso was the Executive Director of the Princeton Housing Authority and the Executive Director of the Hunterdon County Housing Authority. While working as a Social Worker at the Hunterdon County Board of Social Services she achieved her Certified Social Worker license.
Ms. Grauso has been involved in assisting victims of domestic violence by advocating on their behalf with courts, social service organizations, employers, and schools. She was a counselor at the Women's Crisis Center in Hunterdon County working in their domestic violence shelter. Ms. Grauso was also employed as a contract family case manager at Ocean Mental Health Services and investigated prospective faster care provides.
She is the Chair of the Board of the Berkeley Housing Authority. Ms. Grauso also volunteers for Care Givers of Ocean County, Fulfill and Habitat of Humanity.
Joseph Casello
Joseph Casello
Joseph M. Casello is a partner in the law firm of Collins, Vella & Casello, LLC in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Mr. Casello has served as the Chairman of the Lawyer’s Advisory Committee to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey; serves as a trustee and is a former President of the Monmouth Bar Association; and served a four-year term on the District IX Ethics Committee as well as serving as the Secretary of the District IX Ethics Committee from March 2013 until September 2018. Mr. Casello received his B.A. from Boston University in 1989 and a J.D. from Rutgers Law School – Camden in 1993. Mr. Casello is pleased to be able to serve on the Board of OHI because in his many decades representing clients in matters before the United States Bankruptcy Court he has witnessed first-hand the devasting financial impact when individuals lack access to affordable quality healthcare.
Mary Guarin
Mary Guarin
For over 14 years, Mary has served Ocean County From diverse socioeconomic, professional, cultural and ethnic backgrounds through community-based, grassroots, nonprofit organizations in the areas of education, immigration, and health. Mary has served our New Jersey Public Schools in the capacity of Teacher, Literacy Coach, Curriculum Writer and Assistant Principal. As curriculum writer, Mary contributed to the work of aligning curriculum to the Common Core Standards and building the capacity of teachers in the instruction of Reading and Writing. As staff developer, she built learning communities around a deep understanding of cultural diversity going beyond race and ethnicity. Mary believes cultural sensitivity goes beyond learning about the culture of immigrant children and families, it requires an understanding of the process of acculturation.
Mary’s advocacy work in education and social justice includes collaboration with Latin American Legal Defense Fund (LALDEF) and New Jersey Dream Act Coalition to support New Jersey aspiring college students in obtaining in-state tuition fees at Ocean County College. In addition, Mary’s public service and leadership in bridging resources to communities extends to maintaining a collaborative relationship with Central and South American embassies. Between the years 2012-2015, Mary worked alongside the Philadelphia Mexican Consulate to establish a sustained relationship with Ocean County residents of Mexican decent. For the first time, in 2011 the Mexican Embassy became directly involved in social issues and education in the Lakewood community.
Maintaining a proactive approach in addressing concerns affecting the Latino community of Ocean County, Mary, together with her husband Juan, founded Community Ambassadors in 2017. Their work spearheads the work of increasing cultural competence within Ocean County business and organizations to bring improved equitable services to all. The non-profit organization is purposed to serve as the bridge that unites municipalities to the realities of life in Ocean County for the immigrant population. Collaborative work with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Sherriff’s Office, Police Departments, Mayors, Senators, Congressmen, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement representatives continues to spearhead the advocacy effort of responding to the immediate needs of the community.
Eric Houghtaling
Eric Houghtaling
BIO coming soon!