The MASHSMD Lifetime Excellence Award for Dedication (LEAD) is given to one or more recipients who have contributed throughout their professional career to the field of healthcare marketing, communications, business development, and/or public relations. Recipients receive this award at the MASHSMD annual conference and are forever recognized on the organization’s website. This award honors outstanding leaders who have contributed to the field of health care strategy, including marketers, strategic planners, business developers, and communications/PR leaders—individuals who are truly exemplars of the strategy professions and can demonstrate a career of stellar achievement. Eligibility
CriteriaNominees’ career achievements will be judged by the MASHSMD Board on the following criteria:
Nomination ProcessTo nominate a colleague for the LEAD Award, please send their name, a brief explanation about how they have met or exceeded the criteria for the award, and any other pertinent nomination information to Lacey Reichwald ([email protected]).
Ed Bennett Receives MASHSMD’s 2025 LEAD AwardEd Bennett saw the potential of the internet long before most people knew what it was. He understood how it could transform communication and had the courage to build a career around it. That early insight changed the course of healthcare marketing. On May 14, at the 2025 MASHSMD Annual Conference in Dewey Beach, Ed was honored with the LEAD Award, the organization’s highest individual recognition. Longtime colleague David Brond presented the award during a ceremony attended by healthcare marketing and strategy professionals from across the Mid-Atlantic region.
The LEAD Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated Leadership, Excellence, Achievement, and Dedication throughout their careers. It is awarded to those who have made a lasting impact on healthcare marketing, communications, and strategic development. Ed Bennett’s work fits every part of that description. His career has been defined by vision, action, and results that continue to shape the field. A Career Built on Seeing What Was Next Ed joined the internet movement in 1993 and quickly understood its significance. By 1994, he had left a job repairing microfilm machines to become one of the Baltimore area's first “web consultants”. He spent the next five years helping local organizations build websites and integrate digital tools into their operations. That experience led him to healthcare. He joined the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), where he spent 17 years building digital programs that were often ahead of their time. At UMMS, Ed:
He is also well known for creating the Hospital Social Network List, which became a go-to resource as healthcare organizations began to explore social media. The list helped hospitals track which platforms others were using and offered a model for getting started. A Mentor and a Builder In his acceptance speech, Ed thanked two former UMMS colleagues, David Brond and Chris Linsley, for supporting his early digital work. He also thanked his wife for believing in his decision to build a career around the internet when it was still a largely unfamiliar concept. After leaving UMMS in 2016, Ed launched MarTech.Health, a free vendor directory for healthcare marketers. The site features profiles, reviews, and resources to help marketing and communications professionals find the right partners for their work. Like many of his projects, it was created to help others do their jobs better. Throughout his career, Ed has remained generous with his time and knowledge. He is known across the industry for his ability to explain complex topics clearly and his willingness to support others, whether they are just starting out or looking to make their next leap forward. MASHSMD is proud to recognize Ed Bennett with the 2025 LEAD Award. His leadership and innovation helped move healthcare forward, and his kindness and commitment have helped others do the same. Congratulations, Ed. Past WinnersDiane Caslow (2024)
Her professional career has been primarily in strategic planning for what is now the MedStar Health system in the Baltimore-Washington region. She started as a planning analyst at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital and was promoted to Director of Planning and Marketing. She had a short stint at St. Joseph Medical Center as the Vice President of Planning, Marketing and Public Relations before returning to Good Samaritan Hospital as it was preparing to merge into Helix Health. She became the first Vice President of Planning for Helix Health. Three years later, Helix Health merged with Medlantic Health to form MedStar Health. Diane was promoted to the Vice President of Strategic and Business Planning and served in that role for 24 years. In her role, she led the strategic planning, business planning, consumer insights and market research, and community health functions for the system. Retiring from MedStar Health, she has been focusing on her “Third Act” or the “Rethrivement” phase of her career. Her career journey has also been one of a commitment to professional development:
An additional commitment of Diane's has been one of community board service:
As a journalism student in college, Eric found himself in hospital settings quite frequently for personal reasons. As a result of this time observing interactions between frontline staff, doctors and patients, he chose to begin his healthcare career at High Point Regional Hospital in North Carolina before even finishing his degree. In his professional work, he tries to remember that there is a patient somewhere that we are trying to get well, to get back to their family and there is a noble mission in that — not everyone has that in their work, and getting to do so is fulfilling and rewarding. “We may not spend enough time talking about or focusing on the overall purpose of why we are here. At the end of the day, we all have jobs and roles, and make a living because there is a patient suffering. The most important lesson I’ve learned in my career is how to partner well with other stakeholders, like physicians, administrators, front line staff, politicians, community organizations, and community leaders. Having good conversations is critical to doing his job,” says Fletcher. When asked what professional accomplishment he is most proud of, he said, “On the marketing side, when you land on the right brand for an organization, that feels great. You can see it within the organization when certain people embrace it and take hold of it and start incorporating it into their actions. It becomes theirs, they are waving the banner, not because Marketing asked them to do it, they believe the message. On the marketing side, that is ultimately one of the best feelings.” “On the strategy side, being able to work with physicians who have gotten to that point in their career that they are tired of dealing with HIPAA compliance, and billing compliance, and with HR, and all these things that they must deal with in their practice. And they come to us, and they say: I just want to practice medicine, what can you do for me? I see them after some time and they say: ‘This is so much better than before, I can now do what I went to school to do, what I learned to do, what I was meant to do, without having to worry about all the other things.’ That is a very rewarding part of the job.” Eric is passionate about serving others and has volunteered throughout his career in various organizations, including Moss Free Clinic, Living Water Clinic, Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce, Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area and youth baseball, among others. He believes that the regional SHSMD programs are critical to the healthcare industry as a vehicle to bring hospital systems together with the vendors and agencies that service the industry. Originally involved in the Carolinas Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society (CPHRMS), he also led the merger of the Virginia and Maryland SHSMD chapters as the first President of the Mid-Atlantic Society of Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (MASHSMD). Eric received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and earned a master’s in business administration from Elon University. His professional leadership roles have included:
His accreditations include:
“Through her experience, leadership roles, writing, and speaking engagements, Jean has always been a strong advocate for bringing the patient's voice to internal and external communication and marketing discussions,” said Brond. Jean is widely regarded as a national expert in developing and implementing brand management programs, marketing plans, physician engagement strategies, department assessments, crisis communication plans, and marketing training for staff and physicians. She has held senior leadership roles and served as a consultant for various organizations, including academic medical centers, multi-hospital systems, physician groups, and community hospitals in rural and urban settings. Her senior leadership roles have included:
Jean received her bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from Hunter College, earned a master’s in public administration from Western Michigan University, and completed the Executive Management of Healthcare Leadership Program at the University of Michigan.
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After graduating from Boston University with an Occupational Therapy degree, Diane began her first career as an occupational therapist in pediatrics at what is now the Kennedy-Kreiger Institute, part of the Johns Hopkins Health System. She worked in adult day care, home care and as a hand therapist while then pursuing a master’s in public administration with a concentration in health policy at the University of Baltimore.
Jean is a visionary marketing and public relations leader blending consulting and corporate experience. Over her 25+ years in health care marketing and communications on the provider and consultant side, she has built lasting relationships in—and deep knowledge of—all aspects of the healthcare and hospital industry.Our Supporters
