Chris Turnbull Named Chief of Staff

Chris Turnbull, who most recently assisted with our leadership transition, has been named Chief of Staff.

The chief of staff role is new to Carilion, though other health systems have implemented it in recent years. At its core, the role is intended to optimize the work of the CEO and his team, allowing them to remain strategic in focus. In his new position, Chris will support and advise Steve and his team by:

• Helping them prioritize and coordinate work across the organization
• Seeking to improve collaboration and coordination across service lines and support functions and with Carilion’s external strategic partners as well
• Communicating on their behalf, helping to translate and interpret their initiatives, expectations and priorities

Chris brings more than 25 years of leadership, communications and management consulting experience to the position. He joined Carilion 10 years ago to focus on external communications. Over the past 10 years, he built our Corporate Communications team, which has become a trusted resource to leaders, employees and the community.

He was a part of the leadership team that helped us navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and is often involved in addressing complex challenges across the system. Prior to joining Carilion, Chris led teams and projects at The World Bank, United Nations Women, the International Monetary Fund and Amazon.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Roanoke College and a Master of Science degree in Management, with a focus on leadership communication, from the University of Maryland Global Campus.