UNC Health Rockingham Foundation Welcomes Three New Board Members

By | Published | No Comments






























































UNC Health Rockingham News Release • August 12m 2024 • Erica N. Vernon, Media Contact

EDEN, N.C., August 12, 2024 — The UNC Health Rockingham Foundation Board of Directors welcomes three local leaders for an initial three-year term of service: Nathan Kelley, DPT, Ingrid McCraw and Carlissa Wall. The board is comprised of business leaders and entrepreneurs, community advocates and health professionals focused on meeting the philanthropic needs of UNC Health Rockingham, its patients and care teams.

“It is essential that we have informed and engaged residents come together as we seek funding and make investments in providing health care accessible in our rural community,” said Sam Phillips, Board Chair. “We are excited to have Nathan, Ingrid and Carlissa join the UNC Health Rockingham Foundation Board of Directors as we expand our efforts to provide quality care to all of our neighbors.”

Since its founding in 1996, the UNC Health Rockingham Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has worked with the local community to raise funds that benefit the hospital through patient assistance, innovative community health education programs, clinical scholarships, and investment in capital projects for facility enhancements, equipment purchases and renovations.  The UNC Health Rockingham Foundation supports the hospital in providing quality care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay.

Nathan Kelley, DPT is a 2022 Duke University graduate who grew up in Eden. After earning his bachelor’s degree in exercise sports science with a concentration in Physiology from UNC Pembroke in 2019, he continued his education at Duke University – earning his Doctor of Physical Therapy. Nathan has special interests in orthopedics, neurological conditions, pediatrics and sports therapy.

Nathan currently works as a physical therapist at Protherapy Concepts, Inc. and enjoys the variety in his day. Passionate about supporting his local community, specifically the children that reside here, Nathan serves as Vice President with the Boys and Girls Club of Eden. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife Hannah and his daughter and being a foster parent to his other children.


Ingrid McCraw, a native of Eden, graduated in 1998 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned her associate degree in arts at Rockingham Community College in 1996 and a bachelor’s degree in communications at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Since returning to Eden, Ingrid has spent time engaging with and supporting our local community.  For more than ten years she has owned and operated Ingrid’s Cupcakes & Confections, a local bakery in Eden. Previously, Ingrid worked in corporate settings including the housing and mortgage industries. 

Ingrid enjoys being involved in the community and works with the Eden Chamber of Commerce as an ambassador, the Theater Guild of Rockingham County, Rockingham County Schools, several local churches, and many local non-profits.  She also serves on the State Employees Credit Union Community Advisement Board. She was recognized as Business of the Month in December of 2018 and most recently named Distinguished Member of the Year in 2022 by the Eden Chamber of Commerce.

In her free time, Ingrid enjoys spending time with her husband of twenty-three years, Dale, and her twin boys.


Carlissa Wall is the Branch Manager and Vice President of First National Bank in Eden. She joined First National Bank in 1997 and has worked in the banking industry for the last 45 years. During her banking career she has served on numerous boards and worked with nonprofits throughout Rockingham County including Eden Chamber of Commerce, Salvation Army, Kiwanis Club of Eden and the March of Dimes Steering Committee, to name a few. She has also volunteered with Junior Achievement and Habitat for Humanity.

Carlissa has two children, Lacy Wall III and Brittiney Wall, that are her pride and joy and have blessed her beyond what she could have ever imagined.

The UNC Health Rockingham Foundation is led by director Erica Vernon and coordinator Bethany Strader, along with officers, Sam Phillips, Chair; Christy Hensley, Vice Chair; Andrea Fox, Treasurer; Carla Estes-Porter, Secretary; Randy Hunt, Immediate Past Chair. Current board members include Hospital President Steve Eblin, Hospital Board Chair Jeff Parris, Pete Baker, John Collins, Tara Fargis, Will Flynt, Rose Mary Nolen, and Alicia Parker.



UNC Health Rockingham is a nonprofit, 108-bed community hospital preserving excellent, compassionate and trusted care where it is needed most: close to home. As a cornerstone in Eden, N.C., and a major employer, UNC Health Rockingham serves people throughout Rockingham County and in neighboring Southern Virginia areas. In addition to inpatient, outpatient, surgical and emergency care, the hospital offers diagnostic and treatment services, provide screenings and tests and lead wellness initiatives. More information about UNC Health Rockingham may be found at uncrockingham.org.

###