East Boston Neighborhood Health Center President and CEO Manny Lopes will leave the Health Center to become Executive Vice President of Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts.
Lopes made the decision to accept the position with Blue Cross Blue Shield and leave the Health Center on Wednesday at 4p.m.
Lopes, who joined the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation board in 2016, later succeeds Philip W. Johnston as chair of the foundation’s board in 2019. As chair he worked to make the foundation a state and national leader on health and human services policy.
Anyone involved in EBNHC knows that Lopes is a dedicated leader and one of the most recognizable figures in and around town.
So it came as no surprise when Lopes took over the helm as President and CEO of EBNHC after his mentor Jack Cradock retired in 2012.
Lopes’ ascension is a story that embodies EBNHC’s mission and commitment to the community.
More than two decades ago, Lopes joined the health center as an 18-year-old researcher, working with the late Dr. Jim Taylor on a blood pressure study. In the ensuing years, Lopes went on to hold positions in the Human Resource and Operations Departments. Lopes later served as the Health Center’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer, providing organizational vision and leadership with an eye for technology and collaborative innovation.
Lopes has served as CEO of East Boston Neighborhood Health Center since 2012 and as its president since 2015.
In 2018, Lopes added another career milestone to his resume when former Boston Mayor Martin Walsh announced the appointment of Lopes as the Chair of Boston’s Board of Health. The Board of Health is the seven-member governing body that oversees the work of the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). Lopes succeeds Francis Doyle, who stepped down in October from the Board to assume a leadership role within the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Lopes attended Lesley University School of Management and has a master’s degree in business administration from Northeastern University’s Graduate School of Business.
In 2010, Lopes assumed the role of Deputy Chief Executive Officer and began working closely with former EBNHC President and CEO Jack Cradock as part of the Health Center’s strategic succession plan.
Pick up next week’s newspaper for the complete story and interview with Lopes.