Houston Healthcare Honors Board Chair, Sonny Watson

On December 16, 2022, the Houston Healthcare Systems Board of Trustees and the Houston Hospitals Board of Trustees met together in a joint meeting. To begin the meeting, the Houston Healthcare Systems Board voted unanimously to name current and long-time Chair Roy H. “Sonny” Watson as Chairman Emeritus.

To recognize Mr. Watson’s dedication and many years of service as Board Chair, the Boardroom at Houston Healthcare – Warner Robins was named the Roy H. “Sonny” Watson Boardroom. New signage and an oil painting of Mr. Watson was revealed immediately following the joint meeting. Additionally, the facility at 233 N. Houston Road will be renamed the Roy H. “Sonny” Watson Health Pavilion.

The Houston Healthcare Systems Board also voted to expand its size to nine members, name Ivan Allen, EdD as Chairman, Fred Graham as Vice-Chairman and add two new members. Those new members are Robert T. Tuggle, III who moved from the Hospitals Board, and Angie Gheesling who is a new Board member to the organization.

The Houston Hospitals Board also voted unanimously to expand its size from seven to nine members.

In response to the Houston Hospitals Board vote, the Houston Healthcare System Board voted to name Tommy Stalnaker as Chairman of the Houston Hospitals Board and add five new members to that body. The new members are retired Brigadier General John Kubinec, Cary W. Martin, Pastor Tolan J. Morgan, Sabrina Phelps and Mark Scott, PhD.

Following is information about the new Board members.

Angie Gheesling has held the position of Executive Director for the Development Authority of Houston County since 2012. She has more than twenty-five years of economic development experience in both state and local government, serving in both professional and volunteer roles. In 2019, Angie was named one of “North American’s Top 50 Economic Developers.” Angie is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and Georgia College & State University.

Brigadier General John Kubinec, USAF, retired, serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the 21st Century Partnership in Warner Robins. He is responsible for implementation of the vision, mission and strategies of the Partnership. For more than 25 years, the Partnership has been a key participant in all large-scale Department of Defense decision-making of impact to Robins Air Force Base. General Kubinec served as the Commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. He is an Air Force Academy graduate and a career aircraft/munitions maintenance officer. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels as well as served in key staff positions at the Center, Major Command, Headquarters Air Force, and Combatant Command levels.

Cary Martin served as Chief Executive Officer of Houston Healthcare from 2011 through 2019, where he led our organization through a series of renovations and expansions to meet the needs of a growing Houston County. Prior to Houston Healthcare, he served as Vice-President at Taylor Healthcare Network in Hawkinsville where he was part of the management of the Taylor Healthcare system consisting of two hospitals and a home health agency. He also served as the Administrator for Bleckley Memorial Hospital. Mr. Martin holds a Bachelor's of Business Administration from Valdosta State University and a Masters of Business Administration from Georgia State University.

Pastor Tolan J. Morgan has pastored Fellowship Bible Baptist Church in Warner Robins since 2015. Prior to that, he pastored the New St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, Mi for 14 years. An ordained minister and graduate of Perdue University, Pastor Morgan earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Apologetics from Faith International University and holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity from St. Thomas Christian University. He is an accomplished teacher, musician and composer.

Mrs. Sabrina C. Phelps currently serves as Program Manager with the Technical College System of Georgia, where she supports and serves College and Career Academy leaders in Central and South Georgia. In June 2022, Mrs. Phelps retired as principal and CEO of the Houston County Career Academy, where she led the career technical program and established business partnerships for the county since 2011. Over the past 30 years, her various roles in the Houston County School System included teaching at Perry Middle and Tabor/ Thomson Middle and serving as an Assistant Principal at Warner Robins High School (2005 to 2011).

Dr. Mark Scott began his tenure as the Superintendent of Schools for Houston County in 2014. Prior to that, he served as the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and as the Principal of Northside High School, as Assistant Principal at Baldwin High School and as Principal at Oak Hill Middle School. Dr. Scott earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Mercer University and a Specialist in Educational Leadership from Georgia College & State University. In addition, he earned a Master of Technological Studies and Bachelor of Trade and Industrial Education, both from University of Georgia.