LaVaughn Palma-Davis honored for 30 years of service

LaVaughn Palma-Davis is retiring in November.

Following a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years, LaVaughn Palma-Davis will retire from U-M in November. Palma-Davis has served as a leader in both the health care system and universitywide.

She most recently served as the senior director for Health and Well-Being Services, providing guidance and support to more than 80 employees in numerous programs and services.

Palma-Davis’ commitment to health and well-being was instrumental in creating MHealthy, U-M’s wellness and risk reduction program. She also oversaw employee assistance counseling services; occupational health clinical services; and Project Healthy Schools, a highly successful university-community collaborative program operating in more than 100 schools. Both MHealthy and Project Healthy Schools have won numerous awards and have been recognized nationally as exemplar programs.

For Michigan Medicine, Palma-Davis was the administrative director for the MedSport, preventive cardiology and cardiac rehab programs from 1987-1993. Following that role, she served as an associate hospital administrator for Ambulatory Care and was the project director for leadership development strategy for the health system, responsible for the development of the Foundations of Leadership Program and the Master’s Program.

In 2018, she was honored with a “Champion for Health” award by Michigan’s governor. She also was awarded the 2017 Bill Whitmer Leadership Award from the national Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO). She has been a frequent speaker at national health promotion conferences and a contributor to national articles and publications.

A retirement celebration honoring Palma-Davis will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 10 from 3 – 5 p.m. at the U-M Golf Course, 500 E Stadium Blvd. in Ann Arbor.