May 27, 2025
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Executive director at HFNLC to retire in May

Vasseur joined the health care foundation in 2007 as founding leader

By Lake County Journal staff report

Ernest Vasseur, of the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County, chats with Unmi Song, of the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation at the Community Memorial Foundation's leadership luncheon at Ruth Lake Country Club on Friday, Feb. 28, 2014. (Bill Ackerman photo)

GRAYSLAKE – Ernest Vasseur, founding executive director of the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County, announced he will retire effective May 31.

Vasseur joined the foundation in 2007. His 15 years at the helm of HFNLC caps a career spanning more than three decades of service to humanitarian and philanthropic organizations working to improve health and increase access to health care.

“Ernest is a great consensus builder, and he’s been instrumental in guiding the board through the process of finding and supporting effective organizations and programs,” Luis A. Berrones, board chair and 19th Judicial Circuit Court associate judge, said in a news release. “His institutional knowledge and connections in the community are invaluable. I know that I speak for the entire board when I say he is going to be greatly missed.”

Among the most significant initiatives of Vasseur’s tenure are expanded mental health services, the establishment of the Round Lake Area Student Health and Wellness Center, the launch of Antioch Area Healthcare Accessibility Alliance and the introduction of community health workers to Lake County. The foundation also played a key role in bringing Erie Family Health Centers to the county.

“This is an amazing community, rich in resources – human, financial, natural and institutional,” Vasseur said. “It’s been an honor and a gift to do this work, and I’m grateful to have had such wonderful colleagues and partners on the board, on staff and among our grantees.

“Together, we’ve made a foundation that is more than an ivory tower. We’ve engaged with the community we serve. By staying engaged and continuing to adapt, I’m confident HFNLC will continue to play an important role in improving our community’s health in the years to come.”

In January 2022, the foundation launched a national search for a new executive director. Kittleman and Associates will assist with the search. To apply, visit https://apply.kittlemansearch.com/Webport/Jobs/Details/c1705565-2df5-4e2a-9118-5d4d1a8f5926.

“To the new director, I would say, ‘Roll up your sleeves, keep an open mind and allow the community to teach you,’” Vasseur said. “It’s the best way to ensure the foundation will evolve along with the community and its needs.”