Editor’s note: Effective Feb. 23, Sue Perrotty will return to the Board of Directors and Michael Stern will be promoted to President and CEO.
From financial turnarounds to rescuing boxers, local servant leader Sue Perrotty proves that every challenge is an opportunity to make a difference. Her leadership tenures in banking philanthropy and now healthcare reflect her unwavering belief in the power of serving others and her longstanding love for the Berks County community.
Q: What brought you to Berks County?
I came here to go to Albright College. I moved here in 1971 when I was a mere 17 years old, and I never left. I love everything about Berks County. I like its ease of access — I worked in Philadelphia and New York in banking, and we had a big, broad branch system. So, it was a great jumping-off point for me. I also got a job out of college, which was part of why I stayed.
“I felt a responsibility to ensure we didn’t lose the amazing healthcare that we had built in this community.”
Q: You transitioned from banking to healthcare leadership. What motivated you to make that switch?
I was scared to death to take this healthcare shot. I was getting feedback from people saying, ‘Are you crazy? You have such a great legacy. This one might not work out right.’ But my answer was, ‘Well, it needs to be done, and I think I know how to do it.’ I felt a responsibility to ensure we didn’t lose the amazing healthcare that we had built in this community. Tower Health had hit a real financial wall, and we weren’t sure if we could climb out of it. It was scary, but it needed to be done.
Q: And this month marks your four- year anniversary. What has changed since then?
We executed on a multi-tiered turnaround plan with the last piece being the refinancing of our debt stack that was over a billion dollars. In addition, we were running in excess of 20 percent turnover, and it got as high as 25 percent. That’s a quarter of your employees leaving, and in healthcare, training takes a long time. I’m most proud that we returned to pre-pandemic levels while many other healthcare systems haven’t gotten there yet. Over 600 people have returned to Tower Health. To me, that means we’ve made this a great place to work, not just a great place to get quality healthcare. That was what we set out to do.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be a leader?
United Way was pivotal in my career because the first bank that I worked for didn’t let me be a corporate lender as they did not see women being in that role. I decided I had to leave the area to become a loaned executive at United Way. I met Sam McCullough and he told me he would let me be a lender if I came and joined his company. So, I did. And we built perhaps the best culture I’ve ever worked in. With that impact, I became known as the mother of diversity. We did hard work on issues before the word diversity was even in our vernacular…We pushed on lots of norms, and candidly, I see those norms being pushed on again today.
Q: In addition to being a leader, you’re known for your philanthropy, but what’s something people might not know about you?
I rescue dogs. I’m a real softie and will rescue most anything that needs help. I’ve always had a leaning toward serving others, and rescuing animals has fit me well. My rescues have all been boxers. I happen to love the breed, but I also know they can be hard to handle and sometimes don’t fit in with the families they go to. I’ve had as many as five dogs at one time, and right now I have two — Maverick, a boxer, and Bill, a French bulldog.
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Sue’s Advice to aspiring women leaders: “To be courageous. Once I realized I wasn’t going to die from taking risks or standing my ground, it gave me the strength to press forward with what I believed was right.”
Weekly Wrap. From her first week at Tower Health to today, Sue has sent an email to all employees every Friday to lift up unsung heroes and highlight the work of various departments.
