Driving Culture through Communication and Engagement

What happens when your staff of healthcare heroes are on the front line of a pandemic? How do you communicate with them?

Effective internal communications is critical to business success. Internal communications to health care workers during a pandemic is even more critical. Christopher Finley, Senior Market Director for Marketing Communications at LewisGale Regional Health System, will talk about the vital role internal communications plays in building a strong company culture and employee belonging, even in difficult times.

A 26-year practitioner, Finley leads the marketing communications function for LewisGale’s southwest Virginia market including four hospitals, two freestanding ERs, two regional cancer centers, and affiliations with both employed and independent physicians.

Previously, he served as Executive Director for the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce overseeing financial management, membership engagement, tourism marketing, community development, and special events. His career experience also includes overseeing all aspects of communications and community relations for BAE Systems in Radford. Additionally, Finley has served as an adjunct professor for the School of Communication at Radford University since 2004.

Finley currently serves on the board for the United Way of Roanoke Valley and is a director for Lees-McRae College’s Alumni Board. He is a Past-President of the Blue Ridge Chapter Public Relations Society of America as well as a director-at-large for the Radford Chamber of Commerce. He also served on the Marketing and Communication Council for Virginia's Blue Ridge and as PR Chairman for the Roanoke Regional Homebuilders Association.

His career highlights include achieving the Certified Career Development Specialist designation, being selected in the “Top 20 under 40,” a profile of top 20 emerging leaders, being nominated as “Business Person of the Year” by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, and being nominated “Advertising Person of the Year” by the Roanoke Advertising Federation, and is the recipient of over 20 Blue Ridge Chapter PRSA Summit Awards.

Finley holds a M.S. in Communications from Radford University and a B.A. in Communications from Lees-McRae College. He lives in Salem with his wife Laura and together they have three children.

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