VERONA DORCH: AN APPRECIATION

A. Verona Dorch, energy sector leader, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel at Providence Health, sadly passed away in Seattle in late February 2021. By Jodi Bartle

DORCH, WHO JOINED PROVIDENCE IN MID-2020 amid the global Covid crisis, had been applauded for the seamless navigation of her new role, despite the challenges the pandemic posed. Katina Thornock, VP, Senior Litigation Counsel at Providence, spoke of Dorch in the highest terms. “Verona was an insightful and dedicated colleague, leader, and friend. Her commitment to the mission of Providence and the Department of Legal Affairs and its caregivers was evident by her thoughtful and courageous leadership and demonstrated commitment to innovation and diversity, equity, and inclusion. While Verona’s time with Providence was all too short, her impact is felt to this day, and we are blessed by her service to our organization and our mission and values.”

Prior to her role at Providence, Dorch was at the legal helm of Peabody Energy for four years, and was previously at Harsco Corporation in Pennsylvania over a nineyear tenure. She also had experience in corporate and securities law following a multi-year secondment in Tokyo, Japan with Sumitomo Chemical and top-tier law firms.

LEGAL DEPARTMENTS

Dorch’s professional abilities and leadership experience over her career did not go unnoticed. She was named among the Most Powerful Women in Business 2017 by Black Enterprise magazine and shortlisted by the Financial Times for Most Innovative Legal Team and Most Innovative General Counsel in 2016. Savoy magazine named Dorch as one of the Most Influential Women in Corporate America in 2016 and she was recognized as a Pennsylvania Diverse Attorney of the Year in 2013. She was also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and

was involved in board memberships with the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Public School Foundation and the YMCA.

One way that Dorch’s legacy has been honored is through the Verona Dorch Memorial Fund, created to raise money for Girls Inc. of St Louis, an organization running professional and educational programs in St Louis. The donor advisor committee of the fund includes April Miller Boise, Eaton’s CLO; Rana Jewel Wright, GC of Harris Associates; and Vanessa Allen Sutherland, EVP and CLO of Norfolk Southern Corporation.

“Verona died young and had a lot more to give and to do, and so we wanted to ensure that she was remembered for her incredible commitment to the profession and to the community. She really was a legend. We want everyone to remember her name and her story for years to come, to continue her legacy for her children and for the broader community. We hope that young Black and brown girls will be inspired by her story and will be encouraged to live their own dreams,” says April Miller Boise.

The fund has so far raised more than $55,000, which

will be used each year to support a programming scholarship for five high school girls (to be known as the Verona Dorch Scholars) to participate in the Girls, Inc. St. Louis programs. The scholars will work together to identify a problem in their community and a potential solution, to help them develop teambuilding, community advocacy and engagement skills. There will also be opportunities for the scholars to engage in mentoring and career discussions with Black women GCs, enabling the GCs to learn more about the scholars and their hopes and dreams, and to answer questions related to potential careers.

Verona died young and had a lot more to give and to do, and so we wanted to ensure that she was remembered for her incredible commitment to the profession and to the community.” — April Miller Boise

The fund has so far raised more than $55,000, which will be used each year to support a programming scholarship for five high school girls (to be known as the Verona Dorch Scholars) to participate in the Girls, Inc. St. Louis programs.