Hospice of the Chesapeake Welcomes 3 Distinguished Leaders to its Team

By ELYZABETH MARCUSSEN
Hospice of the Chesapeake

PASADENA, Md. (June 22, 2026)—Hospice of the Chesapeake is pleased to announce the appointment of three accomplished professionals to its senior leadership team: Shawn Essien as vice president of human resources, Donna Grande as chief transformation officer, and Melanie Gibson as regional director of hospice operations for its southern region. Together, they bring decades of leadership experience, a commitment to organizational excellence and a proven ability to drive meaningful change.

Essien joined the organization in June and brings more than 20 years of experience as a human resources executive and licensed employment attorney. Her career has been built at the intersection of employment law, labor relations and culture development in mission-driven organizations. She has extensive experience working in complex, highly regulated environments, including unionized workforces, collective bargaining, equal employment opportunity compliance and organizational development.
 
Most recently, Essien served as head of people and culture for the ACLU of Maryland, where she led initiatives ranging from human resources information system implementation to hybrid return-to-work planning. She partnered closely with executive leadership on workforce strategy, employee engagement and labor relations.

Essien holds a Juris Doctor degree and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certifications. This unique combination of legal and human resources expertise allows her to approach people strategy with a deep understanding of the legal and organizational factors that shape workplace decisions. She is recognized for fostering high-performing, people-centered cultures built on trust, accountability and engagement.

As vice president of human resources, Essien will lead the organization’s human resources strategy and team as Hospice of the Chesapeake continues its commitment to becoming an employer of choice in the communities it serves.

Grande joined Hospice of the Chesapeake last fall and was appointed chief transformation officer in January. She brings more than 30 years of executive leadership experience developing innovative programs, strategic initiatives and organizational transformations that deliver measurable results.

In her role, Grande partners with leaders across the organization to advance strategic priorities, strengthen operational effectiveness and support sustainable growth. Known for her collaborative leadership style and results-driven approach, she applies evidence-based practices and innovative strategies to improve organizational performance and enhance outcomes.

Prior to joining Hospice of the Chesapeake, Grande held executive leadership positions with the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association and the American College of Preventive Medicine. She also led national campaigns for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health and directed major strategic and philanthropic initiatives for organizations including The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society and the Visiting Nurse Associations of America.

Gibson is a seasoned hospice and palliative care leader with more than 25 years of experience driving clinical excellence, operational performance and patient-centered care. She joins Hospice of the Chesapeake from AccentCare/Seasons Hospice and Palliative Care, where she served as senior regional director of operations overseeing inpatient hospice operations across multiple markets.
 
Throughout her career, Gibson has demonstrated a passion for developing teams, improving quality outcomes and ensuring compassionate care for patients and families. She has earned a Master of Healthcare Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN). In her new role, Gibson will lead hospice operations in Calvert, Charles and Prince George’s counties.

“We are thrilled to welcome Shawn, Donna and Melanie to our leadership team,” said Becky Miller, president and CEO of Hospice of the Chesapeake. “Their combined experience, vision and commitment to mission-driven leadership will help strengthen our organization as we continue to grow and expand our impact throughout the communities we serve.”

Hospice of the Chesapeake provides expert, compassionate care for individuals and families navigating serious advanced illness and loss. Care is built around a genuine partnership between skilled clinicians, healthcare partners and the patients and families we serve—centered on supporting quality of life at every stage. For more than 45 years, we have had the privilege of caring for more than 65,000 patients and more than 100,000 family members across the communities we serve. Hospice of the Chesapeake is proud to be a part of Chesapeake Health Partners, an organization focused on strengthening community-based care and support services across the region.

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Governor Moore Announces New Workforce Partnership With RAISE US

By PRESS OFFICER
Office of the Governor

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (June 25, 2026)—Governor Wes Moore today announced Maryland’s partnership with RAISE US, a national non-profit organization that partners with states, employers, workers, and educators to build workforce infrastructure that supports and trains workers to thrive in an AI economy. The partnership between RAISE US and the state will further the Moore-Miller administration’s work in preparing Maryland workers, employers, and community organizations to succeed in a future shaped by AI and emerging technologies.

“Marylanders are concerned about how quickly artificial intelligence is moving, and they want to know what it means for their jobs, their families, and their future,” said Gov. Moore. “That’s why my administration is moving with urgency to empower and strengthen our workforce with the skills, tools, and resources they need to meet this moment. This partnership with RAISE US builds on our commitment to creating real pathways to work, wages, and wealth for all.”

In Maryland, RAISE US will design and pilot new corporate incentives to retrain and redeploy workers, fresh approaches to support people through job transitions, and training models tied to real employer demand. The partnership will expand Maryland’s Service Year Option pathways into sectors such as healthcare and education, launch a competitive fund for innovative career transition models, and create an accelerator that helps displaced workers pursue entrepreneurship.

“America has a technology strategy for leading the global AI competition. It does not yet have a people strategy—and we cannot lead without one,” said Gina Raimondo, Co-founder and CEO of RAISE US. “If we build the best AI systems in the world and leave millions of Americans behind, we won’t have won anything; we’ll have automated our own decline. I believe AI will create new jobs and industries over time, but the transition could be disruptive, and it’s already underway. We shouldn’t fearmonger, but we can’t pretend our training and worker support systems are ready, either. It’s time for innovative and practical solutions. This moment demands ambition, urgency, and creativity. We’ve assembled the country’s leading companies, best economists, and philanthropy at a scale rarely seen—all to advance new ideas and incentives, pilot them with governors and business, and scale what works.”

The Moore-Miller administration continues to directly invest in workforce development to prepare for and lead in the new AI economy, reinforcing the administration’s dedication to Maryland’s workforce.

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