Contact: Danette Brackett
Danette.Brackett@unchealth.unc.edu
(828) 580-5690

UNC Health Blue Ridge 

Appoints New Board Members

MORGANTON, N.C. (June 1, 2025) - UNC Health Blue Ridge will appoint three new members to its Board of Directors.  Thomas O. “Tod” Blackwell, Chris Brittain and Blake Millinor will begin their service as of July 1, 2025.

“These three bring a diverse set of expertise and a deep commitment to the well-being of our region, “said Mac McCrary, Chairman of the UNC Health Blue Ridge Board of Directors. “Their leadership and insight will be invaluable as we continue working to enhance healthcare services across the communities we serve.  

Blackwell, CLU, ChFC, is a financial advisor for MassMutual Carolinas in Morganton. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds both the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designations from The American College of Financial Services, Bryn Mawr, PA. He is currently serving as treasurer for the Blue Ridge HealthCare Foundation. He has served as Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 192, is a past president of the Valdese Rotary Club and is currently a member of Lovelady Masonic Lodge.  

Brittain is the co-owner of Nest Realty in Morganton, managing accounting and property management for the firm. He manages real estate investment properties and development projects, including the most recent creation of MoCo (Morganton Coworking). He is a graduate of Western Carolina University and holds a Master of Business Administration from Gardner-Webb University. He is a member of the Alder Springs Deaf and Blind Community Board of Directors and a member of the Community Foundation of Burke County.

Millinor is President and CEO of Valdese Weavers, where he leads the largest employee-owned (ESOP) domestic manufacturer of decorative textiles in the USA with more than 700 associates across four facilities located in Burke County. He is a graduate of The Citadel and Kenan Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a board member of the National Council of Textile Organizations, the High Point Market Authority, and Boy Scouts of America Piedmont Council.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Tod, Chris, and Blake to our board,” said Gary Paxson, President and CEO of UNC Health Blue Ridge. “Their collective business expertise will help guide our strategic vision and support our mission to provide high-quality, compassionate care.”

Other members of the Board of Directors include Michael Bridges, Past Chairman; Jim Rostan, Vice Chairman; David Bennett, Treasurer; Susan Haire, Secretary; Kevin Baxter; Dr. Andrew Brant; Amy Jackson-Kincaid; Dr. Gandhari Loomis; and Thea Yang.

“On behalf of the entire board, I welcome our new members and thank them for their willingness to serve,” added McCrary. “Their passion for this community and commitment to innovation will strengthen our ability to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the mountain region.”
 

UNC Health Blue Ridge (www.unchealthblueridge.org) is a not-for-profit community healthcare system, providing advanced healthcare and wellness services from more than 50 locations across a three-county region of Western North Carolina. We are the only Level III Trauma Center in the region, offering advanced trauma services close to home. The system includes one hospital with two locations and a continuing care retirement community. Nearly 150 primary care physicians, physician specialists, and extenders in the Blue Ridge Medical Group combine with other physicians on the Medical Staff to serve patients in the region. UNC Health Blue Ridge provides graduate medical education programs for medical school graduates and students in allopathic and osteopathic medicine.  UNCBR is affiliated with UNC Health System (www.unchealthcare.org), a not-for-profit integrated healthcare system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill.