PR contact: Luke Margolis
973-829-4665EmailMORRISTOWN, NJ – MAY 28, 2025 – Atlantic Health System is pleased to share upcoming changes to the leadership of its Board of Trustees. Laura Ann Kelly, Esq., a founding member of the Morristown-based law firm, Donnelly, Minter & Kelly, LLC, will step into the role of Board Chair for the growing health care system at the end of this month, as Robert E. McCracken transitions to the role of Immediate Past Chair. Longstanding trustee, Richard W. Herbst, will assume the role of Vice Chair.
An Atlantic Health System trustee since 2014, Ms. Kelly has served as Vice Chair for the Board since 2022 and as Chair of the Governance Committee for the last five years, overseeing trustee recruitment, education and engagement and providing strategic guidance for Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) and charitable giving initiatives. She formerly served as a governing board member for Chilton Medical Center and sat on its community advisory board from 2009 to 2017. Her commitment to patients and caregivers across New Jersey also inspired her to serve as Vice Chair of the Morris Area Chapter of the American Red Cross and as a Trustee of the Center for Hope, Hospice and Palliative Care.
“Our patients and team members are fortunate to have a leader as dedicated and experienced as Laura Ann Kelly at the helm of our Board of Trustees,” said Brian Gragnolati, president and CEO, Atlantic Health System. “For over a decade, it has been my honor to work alongside her to improve the well-being of our broad community. Her insight and sound counsel will strengthen the strategic direction and alignment of our health system for years to come.”
Ms. Kelly’s law practice focuses on trust and estate planning for high-net-worth individuals, along with administration and succession planning for closely-held businesses. Her expertise in counseling clients on philanthropic goals and nonprofit corporate governance has been invaluable during her tenure on the Atlantic Health Board. In 2025, and for every year in the last decade, both she and her firm have been recognized by multiple organizations in the legal field that evaluate and commend excellence in practice.
Ms. Kelly is a member of the American and New Jersey State Bar Associations. She earned her J.D. from George Washington University and her undergraduate degree in Government and Spanish from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She and her husband, Bill, are the proud parents of twin daughters and longtime residents of Montville.
Ms. Kelly’s predecessor, Robert E. McCracken, will transition to the role of Immediate Past Chair at the end of May, after four successful years as Chair. A board member since 2011, McCracken has advanced Atlantic Health’s mission to build healthier communities through longstanding service as Governance Chair and as Chair of the Board’s Executive Committee. Formerly Board Chair of Newton Memorial Hospital and the Newton Medical Center Advisory Board, McCracken is former owner and President of Smith-McCracken and Wood Funeral Homes. He sits on the Board of Directors of Provident Financial Services, Inc. and is a member of its Audit, Compensation & Human Capital Committee, as well as its Governance & Nominating Committee.
Since December 2024, Ms. Kelly and Mr. McCracken have led Atlantic Health’s CEO Search Committee, after current President and CEO, Brian Gragnolati, shared his intention to retire upon the appointment of his successor. As Board Chair at the time of the announcement, Mr. McCracken spoke for the Board and the entire Atlantic Health System team, expressing deep gratitude for Gragnolati’s influence as the system’s “north star for the last decade.”
Gragnolati reflected fondly on his tenure, stating, “Leading this remarkable team has filled me with pride beyond my greatest expectations. The years have flown by, and I cannot imagine a better place for the finale of my lifelong career guiding health care organizations. I will always be grateful to have had the opportunity to lead and care for the Atlantic Health team. The patients and families who entrust us with their care, our devoted Board of Trustees, and generous friends and neighbors – each member of this community will stay with me as I move on to enjoy more time with my growing family.”
Longstanding trustee, Richard W. Herbst, will assume the role of Vice Chair. President of the private investment firm, Roundtable Investment Partners, LLC, Mr. Herbst has chaired the Board's Audit & Compliance Committee since 2019. He has contributed broadly to the health system’s mission as a proactive member of its Executive and Finance & Investment Committees, calling upon his expertise as the former Managing Director of JPMorgan, where he served as Chair of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group and the Global Head of the Financial Institutions and Governments Group.
As Ms. Kelly transitions to the Board Chair role, one of her first duties will be welcoming the system’s new Chief Executive Officer. Expressing enthusiasm for her expanding leadership responsibilities, she noted her excitement and gratitude for the “opportunity to step into Bob McCracken’s very big shoes in ensuring extraordinary care for patients and families across our rapidly growing region.” She extended her “profound thanks to Bob for his tireless leadership as Board Chair and previously as Governance Chair,” and shared her optimism for what she sees as “tremendous potential for healthier communities across New Jersey, thanks to the outstanding talent and compassion of the Atlantic Health System team.”
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 21,000 team members and more than 6,800 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 14 counties and 7.5 million people.
The not-for-profit system offers more than 550 sites of care, including its eight hospitals: Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Newton Medical Center in Newton, NJ, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ and CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, NJ.
The system includes Atlantic Medical Group, part of a physician enterprise that makes up one of the largest multispecialty practices in New Jersey with more than 1,700 physicians and advance practice providers. Joined with Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners they form part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.
Atlantic Health System provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 30 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Health Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.
Atlantic Health System leads the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, a partnership of six regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability, has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University, is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers, and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.