John Herron

John Herron 
Sacred Heart Hospital Board Chair

Upon earning his masters degree from East Tennessee State University, John Herron began a thirty-four year career in health care administration. From personnel and public relations director to hospital CEO, he has served hospitals in Tennessee and Georgia, ranging from 44 to 500 beds. While administrator with the Georgia Baptist Healthcare System, he oversaw the building of the new Baptist North Hospital in Cumming, Ga. The hospital has been sold, and is now Northside Forsyth.

During his healthcare career he chaired several professional boards: Tennessee Hospital Alliance for Medicaid, Georgia Hospital Association Workers Compensation Fund Board, and the Georgia State Service Council of the American Red Cross. He also held membership on other boards: Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy, Northeast Georgia Counseling Advisory Board, the Hart County Hospital Authority, and the Bell Family YMCA Board (Finance Committee Chair). He was a Rotarian (Paul Harris Fellow) for 30 years, and was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Hartwell (past Distinguished President) for 18 years.

He currently holds Life Fellow membership status with the American College of Healthcare Executives. He serves as Board Chair of St. Mary’s Sacred Hospital in Lavonia, Ga., and is a board member of Trinity Health Georgia. He also chairs the Hart County Imagination Library Community Action Team, and sings with the Athens Symphony Chorus.

He and his wife (Donna) celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2020. They are members at Hartwell First United Methodist Church. Both their son and daughter are married and have blessed them with two granddaughters and a grandson.