July 9, 2019 - After nearly 41 years as Reliance Health’s Chief Executive Officer, David Burnett will retire by the end of this month.
Dave has been with Reliance Health since 1978 when we were known as The Leisure Center. At the time he served as the agency’s only employee, running day to day operations and providing support to people who had been discharged from Norwich Hospital. Nearly 41 years later we are serving over 1,000 people annually with the support of 250 employees. Dave attributes much of his success as a leadership to his mentor and Reliance Health founder, John Morosky.
Prior to hiring Dave, Reliance Health was run by one part-time staff and several volunteers. Within a few months of being hired Dave applied for a Federal grant, initiating the first of many growth opportunities that we have experienced in our 42-year history. Since that time The Leisure Center, which later became Reliance House before our evolution to Reliance Health, has been recognized by The Hartford Courant as a Top Workplace for seven years with Dave receiving the award for Top Leader of a mid-sized company in Connecticut in 2013. Dave attributes this recognition to the staff he works with, “I am so impressed by the people who work at Reliance Health. Daily experiences lead me to believe that we are incredibly fortunate to attract and hold good employees. We learn how to support and love each other not only because of our strengths and abilities, but also because of our struggles and inabilities. We all have hidden abilities. The secret is to live and work in an environment that encourages each of us to discover these talents. It is a privilege to have held the role of Chief Executive Officer of this organization for so many years, and to work alongside such an extraordinary group of individuals.”
From the beginning, Dave has embodied Reliance Health’s values of respect, teamwork, choice, growth, diversity, and integrity. Carrie Dyer, who will replace Dave as Chief Executive Officer in the beginning of August, recognizes the effect Dave has had on the agency’s culture, “Dave has always concentrated on building genuine relationships and nurturing those bonds to lead to beneficial outcomes. He has faith in the abilities of others and encourages growth. He believes in second chances. He overflows with compassion and leads with his heart. He sincerely cares about the lives of the individuals at Reliance Health, both those served as well as staff, and is loved in return.”
With Dave’s leadership, we have established ourselves as a community leader in mental health education, advocacy, and service delivery. Carrie intends to ensure that Dave’s legacy carries on, “Dave has created a culture of growth and love and we intend to continue to build on that foundation as we look to the future”.
To say Dave will be missed is an understatement as none of us have had the experience of being here without him. To honor his time with Reliance Health we will be hosting a retirement celebration at Three Rivers Community College, in the Multipurpose Room on August 1 from 3pm – 7pm. Hors d’oeuvres will be served and a brief presentation will take place around 5:30. Feel free to stop in or stay for the duration of the event.
