Dr. Menzel promoted to COO

Colette Menzel, Ph.D., has been named chief operations officer (COO) of Antelope Valley Medical Center (AVMC) effective immediately. She now has a unique dual role as both COO and chief financial officer (CFO), a position she has held for 10 months. In addition, the board of directors has approved Dr. Menzel as the official successor to Mike Wall, CEO.

As part of the new generation leadership team being assembled at AVMC, Dr. Menzel has strong ties and great affinity to the local community. She is currently serving on the board of the AV Boys and Girls Club as well as the AV Board of Trade and is an active member of the Lancaster West Rotary Club.

Dr. Menzel has a diverse leadership background in finance and strategic operations and has achieved accolades and recognition in industries ranging from professional services to e-commerce to technology. Prior to joining AVMC she was vice president of finance for Corra, a digital e-commerce agency with offices in New York, Los Angeles and London.

As a longtime resident of the Antelope Valley, Dr. Menzel has proven effectiveness as a strategic business partner. In her short time at AVMC she has lead a financial turnaround. This included working with Moody’s Corporation and Investor’s Service, which issued an updated credit rating and revised the hospital’s outlook from negative to stable.

According to Mike Wall, CEO, "This highly significant increase in rating reflects AVMC’s strong market position as a provider of unique and higher acuity services in a market with challenging demographics and high reliance on supplemental funding. The revision in the outlook to stable is driven by a change in the governance structure, increased stability, and supports a stronger cash flow achieved in fiscal 2017 which will continue into 2018. We are very fortunate to have a person of this high caliber whose business intelligence, long-range planning, process design, cultural acumen and growth-structure knowledge are superior."

Her other many achievements include being instrumental in the passage of Measure H on the November ballot, putting together a joint venture for outpatient surgery, and major improvements in financial stability, as well as guidance on values and culture at AVMC.

Dr. Menzel is completing a second Master of Science degree in finance from Harvard University. She has earned both a Ph.D. and Master of Science degrees in organizational management and leadership and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and finance. She lectures at numerous universities, such as UCLA and San Jose State University, and is committed to guest lectures and appearances throughout the state.