Cynthia Rutherford named director of employee wellness
Cynthia Rutherford, former human resources wellness coordinator at the University of Virginia, has been named director of employee wellness in the Department of Human Resources at Virginia Tech.
In this newly created position, Rutherford will report to the executive director for total compensation in the Office of Human Resources and will develop and implement educational and service programs that promote the health and wellness of Virginia Tech employees. She will serve as the university’s chief advocate for employee wellness initiatives, including providing opportunities for physical activities, flu shots and disease prevention programs, health risk appraisals, targeted nutrition education, and programs from the commonwealth’s CommonHealth initiative.
As the wellness coordinator at the University of Virginia from 2008 to 2009, Rutherford implemented and managed comprehensive wellness and health education programs for approximately 24,000 university employees.
Rutherford also served as director of wellness at Workplace Options in Raleigh, N.C., from 2007 to 2008, and was director of wellness for Northwest Wellness Partners in Fife, Wash. She also served as women’s heart health coordinator and wellness screening coordinator at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Wash., from 2003 to 2007 and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation specialist and diabetes educator at Capital Medical Center in Olympia from 1997 to 2001.
Rutherford received her bachelor’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University and a master’s degree from California University of Pennsylvania.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
