David Hughes, who has been serving as president of Shore Medical Center, is the new chief executive officer of the Somers Point hospital, it was announced Tuesday.
Hughes succeeds Ron Johnson, who has retired after serving as Shore’s CEO since October 2010.
“David Hughes has been an essential part of our executive team for nearly a decade, during which time he has served as chief financial officer, chief development officer and president with distinction,” David Beyel, chairman of Shore’s board of trustees, said in a news release Tuesday.
“David is a long-time resident of Somers Point and deeply committed to the community. We’re delighted that he has agreed to take on this new role and confident that he will continue to help Shore Medical Center thrive,” Beyel added.
At the same time, Beyel thanked Johnson for his decades of service at Shore.
“Under his leadership, our organization has established high-quality standards, grown consistently, achieved stability, and reached significant milestones, including the construction of our state-of-the-art surgical pavilion,” Beyel said. “Ron has served us with great integrity and class, and while we will miss him, we wish him all the best on a well-earned retirement.”
After volunteering as a member of Shore’s board of trustees, Hughes joined Shore in 2014. Over the past decade, he has been instrumental in ensuring Shore Health System’s financial stability “with an unwavering commitment to keeping Shore an independent, non-profit hospital that provides the highest level of safe and compassionate care,” according to the release.
“Shore has been an integral part of my family for more than 50 years, and it is a privilege for me to serve as CEO and president,” Hughes said. “It is a great honor to have the board place their trust in me to ensure that our community can always depend on Shore for the highest quality of care.”
Hughes also extended his thanks to Johnson for his dedication to Shore since first joining the hospital 28 years ago.
“Shore is a strong organization and well-positioned for the future thanks to Ron’s incredible leadership,” Hughes said.
In addition to healthcare, Hughes has a diverse background in business, casino gaming, media, education, entertainment, credit card processing and charitable organizations.
He is a native of southern New Jersey and a graduate of Stockton University. He resides in Somers Point with his wife, Tricia.
