Howard steps into the role following a long tenure as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer for AdventHealth’s East Florida Division. In that capacity, she managed workforce planning for over 12,000 employees, balancing clinical and financial priorities. Her background includes extensive work in the Central Florida Division, where she oversaw HR operations for a workforce of 36,000.

John Sackett, President and CEO of Adventist HealthCare, credited Howard’s track record in developing high-performing teams as the primary driver for her selection. Howard, who holds an MBA in healthcare management from Western Governors University, aims to prioritize team member engagement across the organization’s network of hospitals and outpatient centers. She will now lead the system’s efforts to align its institutional mission with the daily experience of its staff.