Tracy Salemme Church '79
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
Tracy is a member of Sacred Heart’s Advisory Council, where she serves as chair of the Planning Committee. She has had a decades-long career as a senior executive in health care— currently as Hartford HealthCare’s executive vice president and chief administrative officer— volunteers extensively in her community, and has raised a family of four with her husband, Ed.
The oldest of four children herself, Tracy was just a freshman in high school when her father died. The leadership role that she had to assume in her family informed her professional life and created a strong sense of the importance of caring for others. Through it all, Tracy has been inspired by Mother Clelia’s attributes of strength, compassion, and service.
"Sacred Heart shaped me in so many ways, large and small. The idea of Excelsior and striving ever higher has had a particular impact on me. As I reflect on my family and my career, I would say living Excelsior really is the cornerstone of so much—probably everything—that has guided me on my path since I graduated from the Academy. I was the first in my family to attend college. While still in school and working on Capitol Hill for one of Connecticut's Congressmen, I met Ed, also a staffer, when our offices played each other in the Congressional Softball League. We married the following summer and, a year later, moved to Albuquerque, NM, where our two older children, Tyler and Samantha, were born and raised. It was there that my career as an HR practitioner began.
I believe my calling is to help people who help people, and most of my career has been in the health care field. I have worked as a human resources (HR) professional for a national long-term care company, and then as HR vice president for a faith-based hospital system. Eight years ago, I returned to Connecticut to become the senior HR executive at Hartford HealthCare.
I am inspired daily by Mother Clelia's attributes of strength and compassion, by her positive influence on her community, and by her focus on selfless service to lift up those less fortunate. The ideals of both Mother Clelia and the Academy inspire us all to build a better world.
As I reflect on the community and volunteer organizations with which my husband and I have been and continue to be involved, it's no surprise that we focus on ways to advance education. In addition to serving on Sacred Heart’s Advisory Council, I chair the Susan G. Komen New England Affiliate Board. I am a board member for Hartford Youth Scholars, an academic immersion and preparatory program to help Hartford students get into and through college, and the Urquhart Memorial Foundation, an organization providing scholarships to deserving students from Philadelphia. There's nothing better than the feeling you have when you see the impact made by an organization you support or are involved with, and knowing you helped to make something positive happen for others. That’s how we make change happen—with a thousand tiny steps, we move mountains."
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