Caring, Candlelight and Community:
Celebrating Our Healthcare Legacy
Please join us on Saturday, March 14, for this year’s Caring, Candlelight and Community celebration at the Keene Country Club. The reception will begin at 6:00 pm, with dinner and the program to follow at 7:00 pm.
During this special event, we will honor two extraordinary individuals who have made an impact on our community’s health and wellness: Cherie Holmes, MD and Rob Therrien.
This year’s Tribute celebration will benefit the Our Community, Our Future Fund, which supports our not-for-profit Medical Center's capital campaign. Through the campaign, Cheshire will expand Cancer Care with the addition of a second linear accelerator, expand Surgical Services by increasing the size and number of its surgical suites, and provide greater access to Advanced Outpatient Medicine, beginning with Gastroenterology and additional cancer treatment spaces.
Purchase your tickets for the in-person event at the Keene Country Club or sign up for the live stream.
Our honorees
Cherie Holmes, MD
Cherie Holmes, MD, M.Sc. pursued a career in medicine thanks to the example set by her mother - a nurse - and a desire to help others. Follower her undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College, Cherie graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine. She then returned to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center to complete an internship in general surgery before joining the Harvard Combined Orthopedic Residency Program. She subsequently completed two specialty fellowships, Orthopedic Traumatology and Sports Medicine. Cherie fulfilled a scholarship commitment to the United States Navy, serving first as an orthopedic staff surgeon at the National Naval Medical Center and volunteering to serve on the hospital ship USNS Comfort during Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield. Returning to New England, she was drawn to Keene due to its multi-specialty group and team approach to care. At Cheshire Medical Center, she held a number of roles, including but not limited to Chair, Department of Surgery; Chief, Department of Orthopedic Surgery; Medical Director, Acute Care and Ambulatory Services; Chief Medical Officer; and Designated Institutional Official and Medical Director of Graduate Medical Education for the Family Medicine Residency Program. Upon her June 2025 retirement, Cherie moved to Portsmouth, New Hampshire where she is enjoying spending more time gardening and hoping to volunteer for the Black Heritage Trail. She continues to serve Cheshire's Family Medicine Residency Program. We are deeply grateful for the impact she has had on healthcare in the Greater Monadnock region and beyond. Thank you, Cherie!
Rob Therrien
Robert (Rob) Therrien, Jr. believes in giving back to his community. His sense of civic responsibility manifested early; at age 13 he earned his Eagle Scout badge after organizing and running the Town of Swanzey's Bicentennial Celebration. Rob earned his Professional Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Detroit, which he put to work in his family's multi-generational roofing business, The Melanson Company - Tecta America, of which he is currently president. His technical roofing expertise and involvement with the National Roofing Contractors Association was tapped following September 11, when he traveled to and was involved with the re-roofing the Pentagon. As part of Rob's work with the Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress, he was instrumental in ensuring the adoption of every Ronald McDonald House in New England, ensuring those facilities can focus their resources on care needs rather than roofing concerns. Rob has served on many local boards and committees, including but not limited to Historical Society of Cheshire County; United Way; Takodah YMCA; Keene Downtown Housing Corp.; and the Cheshire Health Foundation. A long-time member of Rotary Club of Keene, he has been on multiple humanitarian aid trips to El Salvador, where he helped build casitas, and worked in hospitals and senior housing communities with local Interact students. When he is not running his business or serving the community in some capacity, Rob enjoys golfing, fishing, hunting and spending time with his wife, Lianne, their five children and 17 grandchildren. Thank you, Rob, for your tireless and generous commitment to serving your community!
