Avera McKennan Announces Board Appointments

Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center announces appointments to its Board of Trustees for its new fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024.

Pat Costello will step into the role as chair and Jennifer Bunkers will serve as vice chair.

Pat Costello is the market manager for Builders FirstSource. Prior to that he was President / CEO of Schoeneman’s Building Materials Center (now a division of Builders FirstSource) in Sioux Falls and has served as Commissioner of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Sioux Falls City Councilor. He is past chair of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation Board Executive Committee and holds a degree from Arizona State University.

Jennifer Bunkers is a partner at Redstone Law Firm and has 18 years of experience in law, with previous experience in health care billing and reimbursement. She holds a law degree from the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law and bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Sioux Falls. She previously served as chair of the Avera Foundation Board, and currently serves on the board of directors for Volunteers of America – Dakotas Foundation, Inc., South Dakota Governor’s Trust Task Force, and the South Dakota Ag Foundation.

 New members joining the Avera McKennan board include:

• Sanaa Abourezk – Sanaa is a gourmet chef, restauranteur, author, nutritionist, and blogger who is passionate about the art of cooking, teaching recipes, and fighting child hunger in America and the world. She owns and operates Sanaa’s Gourmet Mediterranean, a Middle Eastern Restaurant in Sioux Falls, SD. She earned a degree in agricultural engineering from Damascus University and a master’s degree in nutrition from California State Polytech University, Pomona. She attended cooking school in Florence, Italy, as well as the Cordon Bleu Baking School in Paris, France.  She worked for the South Dakota Department of Health as a nutritionist for the WIC program in Rapid City, where she advised clients on nutrition, cooking and healthy eating
• Ryan Boschee – Ryan Boschee currently serves as Regional President for First Interstate Bank. Based out of Sioux Falls, SD, Ryan works with his team of over 600 employees in the Pacific Northwest and Upper Midwest including Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota and Washington. Boschee started his career in banking after graduating in 2001 from Northern State University and has worked in a variety of roles over the years including retail management, mortgage origination and business banking. He currently serves on the South Dakota Junior Achievement Board and is also Chair of the Board for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

Avera McKennan thanks outgoing board members, Tom Biegler and Alex Ramirez. Biegler served as chair and vice chair during his years of service on the Avera McKennan Board of Trustees.

“Service on the Board of Trustees is an important aspect of the Avera Health ministry. People from within our organization and the greater community bring their talents and experience together to provide guidance and direction,” said Ron Place, MD, Regional President and CEO of Avera McKennan. “Avera McKennan patients, families and staff ultimately benefit from the insights they share and we are so grateful for their service.”