The App State Beaver College of Health Sciences inducted seven health and wellness leaders into the college’s fourth annual Trillium Society event held Oct. 17 in Levine Hall. The Trillium Society honors individuals and college advisory board members who have made significant contributions to the university, the college and to advance the fields of health and wellness. (Photo: Inductees, from left: Jennifer Greene, Jordan Mosley, Ashley Galleher, Valentine Reilly, Maria Vernon, Zachary Hollis, Chad Lefteris with Dean Marie Huff; all photos by Kyla Willoughby).
“Honoring the amazing contributions of our award recipients and Trillium Society inductees were particularly meaningful this year as we honored several folks who helped others after the devastation of Hurricane Helene as well as a rising healthcare leader making a difference in a rural NC community and a nationally renowned cardiologist who earned his undergraduate degree here at App State,” said Beaver College of Health Sciences Dean Marie Huff, PhD. “We were also able to thank two of our outgoing board members who have provided years of wise counsel and outstanding leadership to the college.”
Named for the trillium plant, the society was formed in 2022 and features three tenets–Leadership, Innovation and Caring–that connect faculty, administration, students, alumni and friends of the college.
About the 2025 Trillium Society Inductees
Former BCHS advisory board members Chad Lefteris ‘96 (2015-2025) and Maria Vernon ‘99 ‘01 (2018-2025) were inducted into the society and recognized for their board service. In addition to serving as a member, Vernon also served as board chair.
The college recognized and announced the recipients of its annual awards for Emerging Leader, Inspiring Service and Distinguished Alumnus. Nominations for the awards are available online, and a committee made up of board members and college representatives selects the recipients.
The 2025 college award recipients include:
Emerging Leader Award – Jordan Mosley ‘17
Mosley, a 2017 graduate of the bachelor’s in healthcare management program, joined Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital in Elkin after graduation. She began working in home health and quickly moved to Human Resources, where she served in various capacities until being named Human Resources director in 2022.
Her nominator wrote: “I can say from personal experience that Jordan is exceptionally bright, innovative, reliable, exudes positivity in all circumstances, and has established our enterprise Human Resources function as an accessible, efficient, and trusted resource for over 1,000 team members. Jordan has earned the broad respect of her peers for her subject matter expertise, integrity, and solution-oriented posture. She epitomizes "high reliability" in her attention to detail, responsiveness, and passion to improve the employee experience at Hugh Chatham Health.”
Inspiring Service Award – Jennifer Greene ‘04
After graduating in 2004 with a health promotion degree from App State, Greene joined the Appalachian District Health Department. In 2017, she was appointed to lead the public health division. Since that time, she has led multiple community-driven initiatives to create more opportunities for healthy living, expanded clinical services to include behavioral health and dental, and helped the department achieve the Patient Centered Medical Home recognition by the National Council on Quality Assurance (NCQA).
Greene and her team have supported the region through some extraordinary public health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene. After Helene, she deployed mobile tetanus vaccination sites to reach affected communities with limited access to care.
A nominator wrote, “Jennifer exemplifies the mission and values of the Beaver College of Health Sciences by advancing a culture of health and wellness through visionary leadership, innovation, and community partnership. Under her guidance, AppHealthCare has addressed immediate health crises and built sustainable systems that promote long-term well-being in Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties.”
Inspiring Service Award – Ashley Galleher ‘10 and Valentine Reilly ‘08
Galleher, a 2010 Recreation Management graduate, owns Zionville Ramp Company, a High Country business offering skateboarding camps, lessons, and custom half-pipes; Reilly is a 2008 Recreation Management graduate and the artist behind Kind Designs by Valentine.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene in September 2024, Galleher and Reilly joined forces and sprang into action to help individuals impacted by the storm’s devastation.
Together, they co-founded the State Line Resource Station and Rural Distribution Center at the Zionville Ramp Company and what started with a single table of supplies quickly expanded, with hundreds of volunteers and helicopters delivering critical resources to their site. They kept the distribution center open until December 2024 and successfully coordinated volunteers, distributed essential supplies—including generators, medication, and food—and assisted with home cleanups. They facilitated visits from healthcare providers and social workers to support families impacted by the storm.
The App State alumnae also started Brittany’s Fund Recovery Grant, which provides financial assistance ranging from $100 to $3,000 to individuals and small businesses affected by the hurricane in Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, and Southwest Virginia. The grant has been a lifeline for many, helping communities rebuild and regain stability.
One nominator wrote, “Ashley and Valentine are champions of public health and service and living examples of resilience, hope, and action. As alumni of the Recreation Management program at App State, they have applied their education in innovative and deeply impactful ways—combining leadership, compassion, and action in the face of adversity.”
Distinguished Alumnus Award – Dr. Zachary Hollis ‘02
Hollis, a specialty care physician board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine, and clinical cardiac electrophysiology, is the Western Region Leader for the Arrhythmia Department at Inova Heart and Vascular.
He directs strategic initiatives to expand access to advanced cardiac care for underserved rural communities and is a 2002 graduate of App State’s undergraduate Exercise Science (now Kinesiology) program. Hollis has been recognized as a pioneer in leadless pacemaker technology and performed the first in-human implant of a leadless pacemaker at Bachmann’s Bundle to achieve atrial resynchronization, a groundbreaking advancement in cardiac electrophysiology. He is also part of the department’s leadership in conduction system pacing with cutting-edge pacemaker implantation techniques which have been shown to significantly improve cardiac function, reduce heart failure progression, and decrease hospitalizations for patients.
One of his nominators wrote, “I offer my highest recommendation for his selection, confident that his contributions have already left a significant mark—and will continue to shape the future of cardiology and the broader health sciences community.”
2026 Trillium Society Nominations
Nominations for the 2026 Trillium Society award recipients will open in January 2026.
Two individuals stand together with one holding a wooden plaque
Dean Marie Huff and Dr. Zach Hollis