ATLANTA — Mike Hester, the CEO of Liberty Regional Medical Center, has been elected to the Georgia Hospital Association’s Center for Rural Health Board of Trustees.

He will serve as the southeast regional representative.

Hester has served as CEO of Liberty Regional since November, coming to the hospital from Optim Healthcare – Tattnall in Reidsville, where he also served as CEO. In this position, he facilitated a transaction with National Surgical Healthcare.

Hester, who has more than 15 years of experience in health-care finance, served as chief financial officer of Liberty Regional in 2014. He has also served as CFO at Optim Healthcare in Savannah, Dodge County Hospital in Eastman and Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center in Hartsville, South Carolina.

“Mike Hester is an outstanding leader with an extraordinary work ethic and has positively influenced many rural health-care communities,” GHA Executive Vice President Chuck Adams said. “We look forward to his service on our board.”

Hester earned a Master of Business Administration with a finance concentration from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Florida.

The Center for Rural Health is a not-for-profit association for charitable, scientific and educational purposes and to develop policies and positions to benefit rural health in Georgia. The center is organized through the Georgia Hospital Association.