COVINGTON, Ga. — Piedmont Newton Hospital recently welcomed four new members to its board of directors. 

Serra P. Hall, Debra J. Lary, the Rev. Eric W. Lee Sr. and Dan Murphy officially began service on the board in November.

The Piedmont Newton Hospital board of directors includes mostly volunteer, non-clinical community members. 

The board works to make sure the hospital’s resources are applied in a way that promotes community benefit and better health. However, it does not manage the Newton hospital's operations or finances, said hospital spokeswoman Sarah Teach. 

David Kent, CEO of Piedmont Newton Hospital, said, “We are pleased to welcome Serra, Debra, Rev. Lee and Dan to the Piedmont Newton family. 

“These individuals bring a unique set of skills and diverse perspectives to the table,” Kent said in a news release. “Undoubtedly, each is a great addition to our board.”

Lee has served as senior pastor for Springfield Baptist Church since May 1999. The church has more than 10,000 members and serves the communities of Newton and Rockdale through more than 40 ministries such as the Food Ministry, Nursing Home Ministry, Recovery at Work Substance Abuse Ministry, and Transitional Prison Ministry.

Lee graduated from Morehouse College with a degree in history. He then attended the Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville, Tennessee, where he concentrated in Ethics, Religion and Society and earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from the Gordon-Conwell Theological School in 2019. 

He is a member of the Morehouse College National Alumni Association, a member of the Executive Council of the Hampton University Minister’s Conference, and was inducted into the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. International Board of Preachers in 2018.

Murphy is president and CEO of Bridgestone Golf. He first joined the company in 2004 as executive vice president of sales and marketing before leaving the company in 2015 and returning in 2018 as CEO. 

Prior to joining Bridgestone, he worked for Maxfli Golf, TaylorMade Golf and Dunlop Sports. 

With a background in sales and marketing, Murphy brings extensive experience in developing consumer brands into industry leaders. 

Murphy is a graduate of Wake Forest University. He is active in the Covington/Newton County Chamber of Commerce, serves as a board member for The First Tee, and is a past board member of the Arts Association in Newton County. 

Hall is vice president of Project Development for the Newton County Industrial Development Authority. 

She joined the Newton County Office of Economic Development in 2012 and her primary focus areas are recruitment and retention support for industrial, commercial and hospitality businesses within Newton County. 

As the recruitment leader for Newton County, Hall has worked closely with companies such as McKinley Paper Inc., Facebook Newton Data Center and Lidl Inc., as well as Nisshinbo Automotive, FiberVisions and General Mills as they have expanded in the community. 

In addition to recruiting businesses to the area, Hall is actively engaged in workforce development and job creation. 

She attended the University of Georgia where she studied Recreation/Leisure Studies and Business Management at the Terry College of Business.

Lary serves as Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator for the Newton College and Career Academy and works to advance career technology education. 

She also serves as the Entrepreneurial Business Incubator coordinator and the Work-Based Learning coordinator for the Newton College and Career Academy, as well as the Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) department chair and content specialist. 

Prior to joining the Newton College and Career Academy, Lary taught Business and Computer Science at Newton High School. 

Lary earned a Bachelor of Computer Science degree from Spelman College and a Master of Education in Business and Education Specialist in Leadership degrees from the University of West Georgia.

For more information about Piedmont Newton Hospital, visit www.piedmont.org/Newton.