Jerry Benson, PhD., Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at James Madison University, has been elected to the RMH Board of Directors.

Benson, who also is a professor of graduate psychology at JMU, co-founded the JMU-RMH Collaborative with RMH President and CEO Jim Krauss in 2007.

Benson’s career at JMU spans more than 30 years. He has held a number of administrative positions, including dean of the College of Education and Psychology and dean of the College of Integrated Science and Technology.

“RMH and JMU are two primary entities in our community,” said Benson. “Our goal in launching the JMU-RMH Collaborative was to look at innovative ways of leveraging this partnership to serve the community as a whole. I have been very involved in health and technology programs, and my interest is in blending the two. It was a privilege to be invited to serve on the RMH Board and to give back to the community in this way.”

Benson holds a bachelor of arts in psychology from Concord College and a master of arts in psychology from George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. He received his doctorate in transactional ecological psychology from George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.

“I look forward to having Dr. Benson help lead our organization,” said Krauss. “Dr. Benson has long been a strong supporter of RMH through the formal collaboration efforts between our two organizations. His interest in improving the healthcare of the community is evident in his key role in establishing the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services, sponsored by JMU. His clinical background enables him to understand and promote patient care.”

Benson lives in Harrisonburg with his wife, Martha Ross, PhD., department head of Early, Elementary and Reading Education at JMU. The couple has two grown daughters, Virginia and Amanda.