2019 Speaking Faculty

Mike Adams has been with Dean Foods Company since May 2013 and serves as the Vice President, Benefits & HR Systems. Dean Foods is a Fortune 250 company with 16,000 employees in 43 states and the largest processor and direct-to-store distributor of milk in the United States. He is responsible for Corporate Benefits (health & welfare, qualified & non-qualified retirement), Leave Administration and HR Information Systems.

Adams is a recognized industry expert and disruptor in the area of employer-sponsored healthcare. He leads employers’ efforts as they transform healthcare to be evidence-based, high quality, efficient, transparent and sustainable while delivering significant value and better outcomes to the most diverse employee populations.

Prior to Dean Foods, Adams was Director of the Global Human Resource Solutions Practice at PwC in the Texas market. He advised clients in the areas of human capital strategy, human resource programs design & delivery, vendor selection/ implementation/governance/management, benefit plan strategy/design/delivery, and controlling healthcare costs through lifestyle, condition & disease management programs.

Prior to PwC, he served in the HR field over 30 years and held a number of HR Leadership positions across various industries and business cycles, including Technology, Healthcare, Oil Field Services, Banking and Business Services.

He holds a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Texas at Arlington. He serves on the board of directors for the Dallas/Fort With Business Group on Health and is a trustee for a large multi-employer health & welfare and pension fund. He is also a member of Southwest Benefits Association where he served on the board of directors in years past.

John is the Vice President, Human Resources & Learning for BioBridge Global. BioBridge Global (BBG) is a nonprofit company that oversees and supports the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, QualTex Laboratories, GenCure, and The Blood and Tissue Center Foundation. In his role, John has responsibility for Human Resources, Learning & Development, and enterprise strategy development and coordination. Under his leadership, BioBridge Global was named as one of four finalists for the 2019 Plan Sponsor of the Year award through PLANSPONSOR magazine reflective of the substitution of outdated 403(b) and 401(a) plans and implementation of a new 401(k) retirement plan.

He also owns an HR software design firm and in the course of his work, two patent applications for software programs have been filed. Prior to his work with BBG, he held senior management positions in operations and human resources at several firms including Texas Biomedical Research Institute, Accenture and ILEX Oncology, Inc. (since acquired by Sanofi, a diversified global healthcare leader).

He is active with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and is a member of the San Antonio Human Resource Management Association where he served as the president of the Association in 1990. He is a member of Kappa Gamma Pi, the National Catholic College Graduate Honor Society, Delta Mu Delta, a National Business Administration Honor Society and Delta Sigma Pi, a National Professional Business Fraternity. John is a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow and an Eagle Scout. He has served as a volunteer for numerous community organizations including serving as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Montessori School of San Antonio and Scoutmaster for a local Boy Scout troop. John is a graduate of the FBI Citizen’s Academy and is a member of InfraGard, a public-private partnership between U.S. businesses and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

John earned an Associate of Arts degree from New Mexico Military Institute, a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from New Mexico State University, and a Master of Business Administration degree with highest honors from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.

Marilyn earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Nevada (Reno), and taught high school for one year, an experience that sent her promptly back to school to complete the Accounting/Finance program at Montana State University (Billings). She then became a Certified Public Accountant, and followed that with the CMA, CGMA, and CFM designations.

Upon earning her CPA, Marilyn turned immediately to the business world and held financial management positions for a utility company, gold mining company and a public accounting firm. In 2001, she narrowed her focus to health care financial management, becoming Controller for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana. In 2007, Marilyn became the CFO for EBMS, a regional TPA focusing on self-funded plans.

In late 2014, Marilyn became the Administrator of the State of Montana Employee Group Health Plan, when actuarial projections showed health plan reserves would be -$9 million by December 2017. Marilyn and her team implemented Reference Based Contracting with all the Montana hospitals; negotiated a transparent pass-through pharmacy benefit; and managed vendors for improved performance. In December 2017, plan reserves were at $112 million.

In July 2018, Marilyn left the state plan and took over as Special Projects Coordinator for State Insurance Commissioner, with the goal of peeling back the cloak of secrecy covering the never-ending, inexplicable costs of prescription pharmaceuticals. To date legislation and lawsuits have followed her research and data analysis with more to come.

Larry Boress is President and CEO of the Midwest Business Group on Health, one of the nation’s leading non-profit business coalitions. MBGH serves as a resource for employers seeking to get more value from their health benefit dollars and greater engagement of their workforces in improving their own health. He joined the coalition in 1991 and became its president in 2006. Founded in 1980, the Chicago-based MBGH is composed of over 100 major, self-funded, public and private employers having headquarters or employee populations in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Mr. Boress leads a number of community health improvement initiatives, including those on patient safety, to reduce unnecessary early deliveries, smoking cessation and helping patients avoid adverse events.

Prior to joining MBGH in 1991, he spent 17 years at the Illinois State Medical Society. During that time, he assisted physicians in their practices and represented the medical profession in its relationships with hospitals, regulatory agencies and affiliated professional organizations.

Andi Campbell is a workplace behavior expert with an emphasis in strategic talent management. As the SVP of People and Culture for LAZ Parking, she leads human resources for LAZ’s 13,000+ employees across the U.S. Prior to joining LAZ in 2012, Andi was the VP of Learning & Development for LPL Financial. She was listed as one of the "Top 40 Young Trainers" by Training Magazine in 2012 and a “Game Changer� by Workforce Magazine in 2014, as well as having received acclaim in CLO, ELearning and Parking Magazines for her work with people strategies. She speaks at many events, conferences and organizations about her cutting-edge work with people and culture initiatives at LAZ Parking. Andi was a featured speaker at TEDx Hartford in 2017 (“Bringing Humans Back to Work�) and a speaker at DisruptHR 1.0 in Hartford in 2018 (“HR on the Frontline of the Self-Care Revolution�). In addition to having a master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, she is a yoga teacher, a certified intuitive coach, a black belt in karate and is best known for giving hugs, not handshakes!

Bradford Campbell, partner at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, advises financial service providers and plan sponsors on ERISA Title I issues, including fiduciary conduct and prohibited transactions. A nationally-recognized figure in employer-sponsored retirement plans, Brad is the former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits and head of the Employee Benefits Security Administration. As ERISA's former “top cop� and primary federal regulator, he provides his clients with insight and knowledge across a broad range of ERISA-plan related issues. He also serves as an expert witness in ERISA litigation. Brad has been listed as one of the 100 Most Influential Persons in Defined Contribution by 401kWire and has been listed as one of the top 15 ERISA attorneys in the country by a poll of the National Association of Plan Advisors. In addition, he testified before four Congressional Committees regarding the effects of the Department of Labor fiduciary regulation.

Susan Campbell, Ph.D., health and wellness strategy leader for American Airlines, enhances personal and community well-being by learning from and developing close working relationships with unionized health and aeromedical leaders. She also promotes wellness across company platforms. During her tenure, American Airlines has built prevention and acute care into occupational health in 11 on-site clinics and has transitioned all clinics to external vendors.

Before joining American Airlines, she was managing director at her consulting firm, Campbell Consulting.

From 1994 to 1999, Campbell worked as the U.S. Department of Defense department head, where she developed and evaluated wellness programs. From 1999 to 2013, she served in various roles at the Cooper Institute, including vice president for education and strategic initiatives and chief mission officer.

Campbell has an Bachelor of Science in parks and recreation from East Carolina University, a Master of Education in counseling from Boston University, and a Ph.D. of Philosophy in human services from Capella University in Minneapolis.

Andrea Cockrell is the Administrative Services Manager for the City of Plano, where since 2012 she has been responsible for the City’s compensation, benefits, and training areas in Human Resources. Andrea also serves as the current Board president for the Texas Business Group on Health. A Certified Public Accountant and graduate of Texas A&M; University, she joined the City of Plano in 2010 as the Controller. Prior to joining the City, Andrea was an audit manager for Grant Thornton LLP, and has significant experience in internal controls, evaluation of processes, financial reporting and analysis.

Dr. Conard is a practicing family physician passionate about transforming healthcare to provide more convenience, increase access, significantly improve quality, and lower cost. He believes that challenges can be best met with innovation, technology, and accountability, and that "greater convenience, increased access, higher quality, and lower costs" are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the surest path to reduced costs lies in a better model of care that embraces preventative care, early detection, excellence in management of known conditions, and improved behaviors.

As a Medical Director for corporations and benefit coalitions, his experience in medicine, corporate leadership, and healthcare allows him to create the strategic plan and serve as the accountability "agent", leveraging this deep understanding as an integrator of effective interventions. His work in patient engagement has led to the development of a new model for chronic care management, building knowledge and skills, resulting in better health outcomes.

Dr. Conard believes that every company has a unique culture and needs that create opportunities to achieve significant improvement in health and lower costs.

Derek Curlee is Vice President of Business Development for Airrosti Rehab Centers, a healthcare provider group that reduces costs for patients and health plans. He brings twelve years of experience in healthcare sales, management, and practice operations, and since 2012, has led Emerging Market expansion and sales leadership for Airrosti. Through collaboration with carriers, brokers, employers, and health systems, Derek is passionate about developing strategies to lower treatment costs and most importantly educate on a solution to pain.

Airrosti employs and trains providers who specialize in delivering high quality, outcome-based musculoskeletal care that significantly reduces recovery times for patients and prevents unnecessary MRIs, pharmaceuticals, injections, and surgeries.

Linda Davis is an independent health care consultant with extensive experience working with employers, their coalitions, provider systems, health plans, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and health information technology vendors. Her career progressed from nursing to clinical management, network and product development in managed care. In her consulting work she has worked with a variety of stakeholders in both the medical and pharmacy supply chains. Her focus has been strategic development of leading-edge programs, services, and products to transform care delivery and payment.

Allison founded De Paoli Professional Services in 2015 to provide outstanding enrollment communication solutions to small and midsize businesses by utilizing best in class technology alongside best in class people to help ensure that employees receive information in the best manner for them.

De Paoli began her insurance career in the Greater Washington DC area and shortly thereafter moved to Florida to work in the family benefits business as Vice President of Operations. After moving to San Antonio in 2000, she began working as an Aflac associate quickly becoming a top 1% sales producer.

After a successful career as an associate and producer, Allison decided to put her knowledge and expertise to work with her own firm, De Paoli Professional Services, allowing her to deliver first class enhanced benefits as well as effective enrollment, implementation and communication strategies.

Mary is the founding President of Vital Incite. Her role is to help employers understand how to leverage a variety of solutions to provide meaningful healthcare coverage, promote wellbeing and mitigate cost. Mary is motivated by a genuine desire to make a lasting difference in the evolving world of healthcare. Having spent 23 years on the provider side of the healthcare industry, Mary has the unique ability to see the big picture in healthcare and develop outside-the-box strategies and solutions. She has specific expertise in wellness solutions, onsite clinic integration, disease and utilization management and the medical home model of patient care.

Before launching Vital Incite, Mary held a number of leadership roles in healthcare. Those other positions include CEO of Innovative Therapy Services; Regional Director of Rehab at Stryker Corporation; and President of Innovative Medical Management, a consulting company that served a variety of physician groups, including urgent care centers, specialty practices, and primary care providers. Also, she served as the Director of Employee Health Management for American Health Network, a physician practice with more than 250 providers in two states.

Mary serves on several boards and is involved with many organizations including the American Diabetes Association, National Wellness Institute, The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC), American College of Preventative Medicine, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and the Indiana Employer’s Forum.

In her current role at Vital Incite, Mary is focused on delivering data-driven strategies to employers, designed to decrease medical spend waste and efficiently guide the reinvestment of those resources into meaningful programs that ultimately result in improved employee health. Mary and the Vital Incite team currently manage population health programs for more than 140 employers throughout the US, from Alaska to Florida, providing strategies covering more than 250,000 employee lives.

Mary received her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Michigan and her MS in Physical Therapy from the University of Indianapolis.

Jim Knutson has been Risk Manager and Human Resources Director of Aircraft Gear Corporation in Rockford, Illinois, a manufacturer of components for the aviation and auto industries, since 1989. He is responsible for all corporate risk management, compensation and benefit programs. Jim is a member of Catalyst For Payment Reform, the Business Advisory Group to the Joint Commission For the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, a member of The Midwest Business Group on Health and served on its Board, a member of the Winnebago County, Illinois Crime Commission and a board member and treasurer of The Healthcare Incentives Improvement Institute. Jim received his bachelors degree from Marquette University and his law degree from Northern Illinois University.

Jim has been a member of the Advisory Council of Emcap, Berkley’s rent-a-captive program domiciled in Bermuda. He has also been on the State of Illinois Insurance Commission Working Group to revise the standard application for medical insurance and a member of the steering committee of The Illinois State Chamber of Commerce Health Council. He has testified before the joint state legislative committee on exchanges and presented before diverse groups including The Institute of Medicine, Captive Live conferences, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation sponsored events.

Wendy is an Associate Director in Strategic Risk Solutions Washington, D.C. office, serving as the Employee Benefits Practice Leader within the organization. Her responsibilities include supporting consulting sources with analyses, underwriting, development and formation of captives assuming medical stop loss or employee benefits risk within their captive. In addition, her responsibilities include the program management and oversight of the group medical stop loss captive insurance business. Wendy has nearly 20 years’ experience in the insurance industry with a primary focus on the formation, implementation, administration and management of self-insured group captives and programs within the Property and Casualty and Employee Benefits sectors. Additionally, Wendy served as Director of Operations for a large privately held Medical Stop Loss Managing General Underwriter. She is a member of the Self Insurance Institute of America and is a licensed Health, Life & Annuities producer.

Mr. Evans is presently under contract with Tri-County Schools Insurance Group as an Advisor to the Tri-County Schools Insurance Group Executive Board. The scope of services include planning, developing, recommending regulations and operating procedures for the organization. Mr. Evans assists in the coordination and development of the annual budget and assist with financial accountability of all TCSIG funds. He participates with all member districts, employee groups, the governing board and all outside groups. Additionally, he researches, interprets and communicates answers to exceptional claims, oversees all vendor contracts, and remains current in all developments within the related healthcare market place with particular interest in the management of Pharmacy benefits. He also advises the executive board regarding all vendors and regularly reviews contract compliance.

Prior to contracting with Tri-County Schools Insurance Group, Mr. Evans practiced law in California since 1977. He is admitted to practice in California and is also admitted in the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Mr. Evans had a diverse civil trial attorney practice since 1977 including; representing public schools; joint powers agencies and small state agencies, environmental law, toxic torts, construction litigation, products liability, aviation law, California Education Code litigation, real estate law, and alternative dispute resolution.

Marianne Fazen is President and CEO of the Texas Business Group on Health, a statewide coalition representing the interests of Texas employers in healthcare purchasing and policy issues. She also serves as Executive Director of the Dallas-Fort Worth Business Group on Health, a regional employer-led coalition of 155 employers and other healthcare stakeholders committed to improving healthcare quality, efficiency, and patient outcomes in North Texas. Both coalitions advocate a value-driven approach to employer-sponsored healthcare and rapid transformation of the fragmented healthcare delivery system into integrated and accountable, patient-centered systems of care.

Ms. Fazen also serves on the Board of Directors (Past Chair) of URAC, a national managed care accreditation organization, and on the Executive Committee of the North Texas Accountable Healthcare Partnership, a regional multi-stakeholder collaborative initiative focused on healthcare system transformation in North Texas. She served for 17 years (1998-2015) on the Board of Governors of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions representing 50 regional employer coalitions across the country, including a term as Board Chair from 2004 to 2006.

Ms. Fazen has an undergraduate degree in Medical Technology from University of Wisconsin and a Doctorate in Communications Science & Human Development from University of Texas at Dallas.

As Director of Operations, Tom is responsible for expanding the SkyMedicus network of healthcare providers and facilities internationally, as well as developing a domestic network. Additionally he is working with healthcare brokers, third party administrators, major corporations and employer coalitions to enable their clients to take advantage of the high quality, cost efficient healthcare services on a global scale.

His career began, at Grady Memorial Hospital, a 1,000 bed tertiary teaching hospital affiliated with Emory University School of Medicine, where he served 14 years as its Associate Executive Director. Following Grady, he was Executive Director at R.T. Jones Medical Center in Canton, GA, a rural hospital that was struggling financially. He successfully moved the hospital to a sound financial footing, completed an eight million dollar renovation/expansion of the facility, and recruited needed physicians to the community; he left the facility well funded and respected in the community.

He was recruited by Blue Cross Blue Shield Georgia to develop HMO Georgia, a for profit, managed care subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield Georgia, serving as its Chief Operating Officer, he secured the Certificate of Authority, developed the provider network throughout Georgia and established the marketing/sales plan. HMO Georgia ramped up rapidly and moved to a profitable status over a short number of years. He went on after this to develop and operate other managed care organizations in Georgia.

He was also a Partner and CEO of Prime Living, Inc., a real estate development company, developing and managing assisted living communities in Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee.

Tom holds a degree in Business Administration from Georgia Southern College and a Masters in Health Administration from Georgia State University. Tom served his administrative residency at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center, in Chicago, Illinois.

Jesse Gavin serves as the Wellness Team Lead for Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, TX. Since the implementation of the full program in 2014, BCM has won numerous awards including being named the nation’s 5th Healthiest Employer by Healthiest Employers LLC in 2016 and a 2018 WELCOA Well Workplace - Silver award winner.

Aside from his role at Baylor College of Medicine Jesse volunteers his time in the community for both the wellness sector and different organizations. He served as Co-Chair for the Houston Corporate Wellness Group in 2015 and routinely works with the American Heart Association, MS Society and Houston Business Group on Health. Jesse is also very involved with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo, Vice President of the Come and Taste It Cooking Team.

Over the years, Jesse has had the privilege of speaking at multiple conferences. The main scope of Jesse’s speaking engagements involve creating healthy workplace cultures and creating programs for the new workforce, which includes millennials. Jesse’s current research interests are the changes in corporate structure to fit a modern lifestyle, millennials, and engagement.

Suzannah Gill brings a breadth of benefits consulting experience to EPIC’s Atlanta Employee Benefits Consulting team in her role as Benefits Strategy Consultant. With a background as an ERISA attorney at a prominent Atlanta law firm, representing clients in Employee Benefits, she has unique expertise and industry perspective. In her role as a benefits consultant, she has worked with employers across a broad spectrum of sizes and industries, serving as Vice President of Benefits at a boutique consulting firm and Senior Benefits Consultant for Mercer Health & Benefits prior to joining EPIC.

As a Benefits Strategy Consultant, Suzannah provides client service leadership, including overall strategy and relationship management, delivering meaningful economic impact and sustainable solutions that best meet her clients’ needs. She is responsive and results-oriented, and strives to help her clients navigate through the complexities of employee benefits, so they can focus on managing and growing their businesses.

In 2018, Suzannah was named one of Employee Benefit Advisor’s 20 Rising Stars in Benefits Advising, featured in BenefitsPro Magazine as a “Face of Change� in the industry, and selected as a member of the prestigious Health Rosetta Advisor program. She is a regular writer and speaker in industry publications and conferences, including the International Symposium of Certified Employee Benefits Specialists, SHRM, the Institute for Healthcare Consumerism, NAAAHR, EBA’s Workplace Renaissance, BenefitsPro Magazine, Employee Benefits Advisor, and Employee Benefits News.

Gabrielle Harmening is the Senior Manager of Enterprise Worksite Wellness for Health Care Service Corporation. In her current role, Gabrielle oversees a team of subject matter experts in health promotion that provide guidance and support to organizations in the design and implementation of worksite wellness programs. She has worked in health promotion and wellness for 30 years.

Drawing upon her years of experience in the field, Gabrielle understands all types of work environments and how best to facilitate, design and deliver programs to increase member engagement and drive overall population health management. She holds Masters of Science in Exercise Physiology and Health Promotion from Oklahoma State University and a Bachelors of Arts in English and Communications from Houston Baptist University.

She is credentialed through the American College of Sports Medicine and the International Association of Workplace Health Promotion. She is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and Change Management Specialist. Most recently, Gabrielle completed her certification and training as a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist. She served as the past Chair for the Tobacco Coalition for the state Oklahoma and is a presenter and facilitator for the American Lung Association Freedom From Smoking Program. She is a former member of the Board of the American Heart Association for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma.

David’s career started at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee in claim’s management. He went on to serve as the Director of Operations for the State of Tennessee Employee Health Plans; Benefit Manager for Nissan Motor Manufacturing; benefits consultant; Insurance Director for Rutherford County, TN and now as Director of Benefits for Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS).

While at MNPS he established a network of primary care clinics to serve their employees, retirees and their dependents. These clinics, staffed by Family Nurse Practitioners are Medical Homes and serve as the main conduit for medical interventions with our covered population. In 2017, he opened MNPS’ first integrated health and wellness facility, combining primary care, behavioral health, health coaching, fitness, physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture and pharmacy. This facility also includes a café and conference area and is designed to be a community center for educators, assisting them to develop professionally and personally. In addition, to help drive individual and group health improvements, he implemented a data warehouse that combines medical, pharmacy, dental and vision claims, medical records, payroll, health risk assessments and evaluation data.

He serves on the board of the State and Local Government Benefit Association and of the National Association of Worksite Health Centers.

With nearly 30 years of employee benefits, compensation and HR operations, Karin has a passion for total-person wellbeing. Living and working in the hyper competitive Silicon Valley environment she is experienced in making great things happen with a limited budget and has a knack for utilizing creative approaches to drive successful outcomes.

When Karin joined Samsung Semiconductor in 2014 she was responsible for creating the Samsung wellness program from the ground up. The program has grown in leaps and bounds from basic email communications and fitness center promotion to over 200 wellness-related events and activities per year including, stress management, financial learning, fitness & nutrition, and social wellbeing. The wellness program plays a key role in the organization’s Great Place to Work initiatives. Karin leads a core team of colleagues who support the program, including 2 registered dietitians and 4 full-time fitness center staff. In partnership with the team, the Wellness Program has developed several chronic disease related educational series designed to help employees understand their conditions and how to manage their nutrition and exercise to improve their lives. Karin is also part of the Samsung Regional Wellness Task Force for the U.S. working on implementing a shared wellness portal for all U.S. employees.

Karin has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management – Human Resources from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in Human Resources from University of San Francisco. She is an active member of the American Heart Association’s Workplace Wellness Group in Silicon Valley. Karin is also a key contributor on the Samsung Corporate Social Responsibility team and finds great fulfillment and purpose in their efforts to build a stronger community.

Dr. Killilea has built 2 large PBMs from scratch. In addition, his focus is maximizing value in health benefit plans for employer groups, health systems, and health trusts. Currently in his 12th year with USI, Dr. Killilea and his team have been delivering innovative strategies and results in health plan/employer PBM/carrier contracting and strategic planning for biotechnology, assessment of pharmacy and medical plan performance, and benefit design strategies. They have serviced over 120 groups with validated fiscal success for every plan sponsor served.

In the mid-90s Dr. Killilea was an officer of a NYSE-traded company which built a large PBM that innovated in cost management, clinical programs, and value-based manufacturer contracting. After that, he designed and built, from the ground up (with a great team), the PBM, RegenceRx, which served 4 million BCBS lives in four states. Concurrent with the development of the independent PBM for Regence, evidence-based strategies for assessing drug value (essential for creation of a common 4 state formulary) were created and deployed. From this, the national standard (AMCP) for evidence-based assessment of drug therapy evolved. In addition, his group managed a portfolio of rebate contracts (for other health plans) covering over 8 million lives.

In addition to benefit cost management, Dr. Killilea has extensive experience in clinical program development and fiscal assessment of medical and pharmacy management strategies. His group at RegenceRx (along with other Regence states) created the evidence-based assessment methods adopted nationally for assessment of value of pharmaceutics. Applying objective value-based rational for clinical management has been a critical component of all programs developed and deployed over the past 25 years. Having led numerous data warehouse/analytics projects, analysis, modeling, and reporting were critical to success in these areas.

He earned a B.S. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from UC San Diego and a Pharm.D. from UC San Francisco. Subsequent to that, he completed a residency at the VA Stanford (CA). Dr. Killilea has published many articles in the areas of clinical research, pharmacotherapeutics, and health benefits as well as presenting nationally and internationally.

Jack G. London, D.D. is the President/CEO and founder of London Medical Management, Inc., and PatientPAL.org. Since 1995 Patient PAL has become one of the nation’s leading patient advocacy services helping over 3,000,000 members across the country. London Medical Management, Inc. specialized in Large Claim Negotiations, Wellness Plan Development and Coaching, provider network analysis and building and managing proprietary networks.

Jack is frequently asked to be a featured speaker at Healthcare Industry Seminars and has authored many articles on medical management, Wellness initiatives and Patient Advocacy. In addition to his healthcare career, Jack is a former Television and Radio Talk Show Host and published Author of “21 Keys to Your Success�.

Jack is a founding member of the first College of Pharmacy in Las Vegas and a member of the American Cancer society and former publicity board chairman for Habitat for Humanity.

London Medical Management, Inc. has two office locations. Their corporate office is in Las Vegas and their 24 hour/7 day per week call center is located in Branson, Missouri.

Sally has been employed at Hallmark’s corporate headquarters in Kansas City, MO for nearly 35 years. She assumed her current role in 2009 in an effort to strengthen the wellness program and promote a culture of wellness for Hallmark employees.

Hallmark’s wellness program, Hallmark Health, was recognized for its excellence in the corporate wellness industry with a Leadership Award by Corporate Wellness Magazine in 2012 and as a 2016 Healthy KC Gold Level Wellness Program by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Sally was recognized in 2016 by the Corporate Health and Wellness Association as an Outstanding Well Being Partner and Academic Advisor. She is a frequent speaker and facilitator at wellness conferences.

Sally holds a BS degree in Home Economics-Food Systems Management from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an MBA in Management from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri. She has served on many industry advisory boards and currently serves as a board member for two non-profit organizations supporting causes that are very important to her:

• Rose Brooks Center, the Midwest’s largest domestic violence program that seeks to break the cycle of domestic violence and keep women and children safe.
• After the Harvest, a produce rescue program that prevents hunger by acquiring fresh produce that would otherwise go to waste and distributing it to agencies serving hungry people in Kansas and Missouri.

David Mair is the newest member of the International Hospital Corporation executive team, joining the company as Senior Vice President responsible for business development and international patient programs in 2018. He brings a rich experience to IHC from more than 30 years working with people seeking medical care solutions outside their home communities.

David is a recognized international health medical care risk management, benefits and insurance executive. He is the founding partner of Soter Healthcare, Inc., a global health care firm that designs and delivers global medical care, risk management and insurance solutions for individuals and organizations. At Soter Healthcare, David designed benefit plans and direct contract arrangements for employer groups taking advantage of a global network of hospitals. He brings the blend of international destination healthcare experience, cost control, financial relief, and access to medical centers of excellence to his current role with IHC.

David Mair has a deep background in international risk management, benefits and insurance. He began his executive career with the United States Olympic Committee, where he designed and directed of the USOC’s health insurance program for America’s Olympic athletes for more than a decade. During his tenure, he was responsible for assisting athletes locate and access medical care around the world. He was involved with the insurance plan for athletes in seven Olympic Games and more than 100 international championship events.

Following his departure from the USOC in July 2002, Mr. Mair was President of Risk Excellence, a strategic risk and leadership consultancy with an emphasis on governmental and nonprofit entities, and later Area Vice President at Arthur J. Gallagher & Company. Prior to forming Soter Healthcare, he served as Director of Client Relations and Chief of Operations for MEDEX Global Group (now United Healthcare International).

David Mair is a Former President of the Risk and Insurance Management Society and served five years on its Executive Council. He also served two terms as president and 7 years on the Board of Directors of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center (NORMAC). NORMAC, located in Washington, DC, provides risk management education and support services to over 20,000 nonprofit and small public entities nationwide.

Mr. Mair is a widely sought out speaker and trainer, as well as a published author. He has testified before Congress, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and over a dozen state legislatures, and his comments have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Business Insurance, Forbes, CFO Magazine, the Christian Science Monitor, and on National Public Radio. He has spoken in over two dozen countries and to on risk management issues.

Mr. Mair received a Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, from Oklahoma Baptist University in 1980 and a Master of Science degree in Sports Administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1987. He currently resides in Frisco, TX.

Roger McMichael currently serves as the Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs for Carmel Clay Schools, in Carmel, Indiana. He has 45 years of experience working within public education, 25 of those years being at Carmel Clay Schools. He began his career in education teaching art and moved into business administration after completing his MBA. As Associate Superintendent, Mr. McMichael is responsible for all aspects of the district’s Business Affairs including Finance, Human Resources, Benefits, Facilities, Transportation, Technology, and Food Services. Mr. McMichael graduated with both his Bachelor of Science degree in Education and MBA from Indiana University. He is married and has four children.

Creagh Milford, DO MPH, FACOI is a physician executive who serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Healthcare Highways, a healthcare innovation company based in Dallas, Texas. He has a passion for improving healthcare, specializing in population health management, healthcare informatics, analytics, and innovation.

Dr. Milford has held several C-suite positions. Recently, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of FullWell, a population health management services company, which was sold in 2017. Previously, Dr. Milford served as the system-wide division president of population health services of Mercy Health. He served as Assistant Chief Medical Information Officer for Massachusetts General Physician Organization (MGPO) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a Harvard teaching hospital. He also served as Associate Medical Director for Population Health Management at Partners Healthcare, a Boston-based health system founded by MGH and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Milford remains engaged in national health policy. He was nominated as a Fellow of the National Academies of Medicine, where he participated on the Board on Population Health. He has also held positions within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, focusing on federal policy for value-based purchasing and health IT.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his D.O. degree from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University. Following a residency at the University of Chicago-North Shore and a fellowship in Health Management and Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital, he earned a master’s degree in Health Management and Policy from the Harvard School of Public Health, where he continues to serve as a guest lecturer.

Responsibility for the Disability Department, and in house claim management, STD, LTD ADA and FMLA, and Workers Compensation claims oversite, for 10,000 US employees In addition, she has strategic input for Canadian disability programs. Hilary also manages 5 employee medical clinics in the US, with 30,000 encounters annually. Additional, she manages the US EAP program, and is a member of the Prevention of Critical Incident Team, where she serves as the medical consultant. At Pitney Bowes, Hilary has been the Director, Employee HR Service Center, and the Director, Voluntary Benefits.

Prior to joining Pitney Bowes in late 1999, Hilary was with Physicians Health Services, then Health Net, now United Healthcare, in Shelton, CT, since 1985. During her 14 years at PHS, Hilary had a series of management responsibilities for the greater Stamford area. As General Manager of the Stamford office, Hilary supervised the staff providing physician service and recruiting new doctors to the PHS network. In PHS’ corporate headquarters in Shelton, CT Hilary served as Director of Health Promotion and Disease Management. In addition, she played a key role in product development and was a Senior National Accounts Manager. Prior to PHS, Hilary worked in the clinical arena at CT hospitals.

Hilary received her bachelor’s degree in nursing with a minor in psychology from Mount Saint Mary College and her master’s degree in health care services from Iona College. She is also a graduate of the University of Missouri, Kansas City, HMO Executive Program. Most recently she completed MBA at Quinnipiac University in Hamden Connecticut, where she received the award for the highest achievement in health care management.

Jason Parrott is Senior Manager of Global Healthcare & Well Being Strategy of The Boeing Company. Jason oversees the healthcare strategic direction of the Chicago-based $101.1 billion aerospace company. With roughly 150,000 employees across the United States and in more than 65 countries, Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and top U.S. exporter. It is the leading manufacturer of commercial airplanes, military aircraft, and space and security systems, and a provider of global services; it supports airlines, U.S. and allied government customers in more than 150 nations.

Jason joined Boeing in October 2012. Before that, Jason joined AT&T; in 1994, and held progressive roles over 18 years in Human Resources. He is Chairman of the Board for Midwest Business Group on Health, and board member of Employer Health Innovation Roundtable, Integrated Benefits Institute, and Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute. Jason earned an M.B.A. and M.S. in Management and Organizational Behavior from Benedictine University, and Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois State University.

An Actuary by trade, Riddhi has eight years of pension and international benefits consulting experience that she brought to AT&T; in December 2015. Using the communication, analytical and client services experience from consulting, she’s applied those skills in developing new health & welfare benefits proposals, including accompanying financial analysis, that support corporate and business unit strategies and delivering those proposals to leadership, that touch AT&T;’s one million employees, retirees and their dependents.

Riddhi graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with bachelor’s degrees in both mathematics and economics. She is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA) and an Enrolled Actuary (EA).

Riddhi resides in Dallas, and enjoys traveling, exploring new cities both inside and outside the US. At home, she enjoys practicing yoga, volunteering and trying new restaurants.

As the Director of Employee Health and Wellness for Quest Diagnostics, Thomas Pela is responsible for the strategy and administration for Quest’s 61,000-member group health plan. With the goal of improving population health, simplifying member experience, and reducing waste in the healthcare system, Tom has executed many best-in-class programs in support of these goals. In 2017, the trend for the Quest health plan was – 1%, and Tom and team continue to pilot innovative ways to engage its members around their health.

Thomas earned a BA degree in psychology from Montclair State University, and has spent 20 years in human resources and employee benefits related roles.

As Chief Operating Officer at Union Pacific Railroad Employees Health Systems (UPREHS), Kevin Potts works to ensure the smooth day-to-day operations of the company. His various assignments encompass educating unions about the benefits of UPREHS, working with employees and providers and implementing quality assurance training and strategies. Additionally, Mr. Potts is responsible for an approximate $120 million dollar budget with oversight of claims operations, customer service, enrollment and medical management departments within the UPREHS structure. Mr. Potts also executes special tasks as assigned by the organization's Board of Trustees.

Mr. Potts is well qualified for this role, having served as regional director of managed care for HealthSouth Corporation, a national provider of rehabilitation, surgery, and radiology services. He has also worked for United HealthCare Corporation as regional director of sales, responsible for thirteen western states, and as director of marketing and sales for Premier Medical Network, a Utah-based preferred provider organization. Mr. Potts began his career in health care as a paramedic in the Ogden, Utah area.

Mr. Potts is the immediate past chair of the Board of Trustees of HCA St. Mark’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. He is the past chair of Utah Health Data Committee. He is on the Executive Committee for the United Way of Salt Lake City. He is the past president of the Board of Trustees of Catholic Community Services. He is a former board member of the University of Wyoming National Ambassadors. Mr. Potts is the past chair of the Lewis and Clark Region of the American Red Cross Blood Services. He is also the past chair of the Salt Lake Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, a former board member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Utah. He was a member of the Utah Health Policy Commission's Technical Advisory Group on Small Business Health Care Issues (Leavitt administration), and is active in other community organizations.

As the Principal and Managing Partner of Axial Benefits Group, Mr. Rodgers brings his extensive background in health and welfare plans to Axial's clients.

He has been pioneering Healthcare Purchasing Coalitions since 2009 specializing in assisting medium and large corporations, many of whom have multi-state locations, with the development of effective health care programs. Specifically, he has designed, implemented and managed 5 successful healthcare purchasing coalitions helping hundreds of companies lower costs and stabilized renewals.

Prior to co-founding Axial Benefits Group, Mr. Rodgers founded its predecessor company, Atlantic Benefits, in 2003. He also founded The Staffing Exchange (TSE) in 2012, a successful healthcare purchasing coalition dedicated specifically for the Staffing industry. He has had over 22 years of experience and held senior consulting positions at Hays Companies, William Gallagher Associates and Marsh & McLennan.

Mr. Rodgers is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts School of Engineering. He is a former Massachusetts high school wrestling state champion and collegiate wrestler. He is an avid national speaker on the Affordable Care Act and has become known as one of the nations experts on the topic of its compliance. He is the former Chairman of the Boston Board of Directors for the March of Dimes and has been involved with the development of corporate programs for the both Friends of Boston's Homeless charity and various local Habitat for Humanity Chapters. He lives in Concord, MA with his wife and family, where he is also a town meeting member.

Olivia Ross is an Associate Director with the Pacific Business Group on Health responsible for the operation and expansion of the Employers Centers of Excellence Network (ECEN). The ECEN is a national, multi-employer initiative that identifies and provides employees access to high quality surgical care through prospective bundled rates. Before joining PBGH, Olivia spent four years managing several projects at Northwestern University. Her work with the Chicago Pediatric Patient Safety Consortium and the Transplantation Outcomes Research Collaborative focused on risk assessment, improving clinician communication and teamwork. Olivia holds an MPH from UCLA and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Rob Sanchez is on a mission to help enterprises build successful wellness programs that influence employees to participate in healthy lifestyle behavioral changing programs. Trained as a registered nurse, Rob has a unique background in healthcare, remote patient monitoring, strategic planning, and business development for multibillion-dollar brands which provides his clients with unique advantages to establish success wellness programs.

Rob holds a Bachelor’s in science of Nursing from the University of Texas at EL Paso and a Master’s in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Dr. Short is the National Clinical Leader for Strategic Benefit Advisors (SBA) and Brown & Brown. Her passion and her focus is working with employers to develop innovative strategies and solutions that engage and support employees and their families in making good choices to avoid the cost and consequences of poor health. She founded and runs the Innovation Hub at Brown and Brown which is focused on the application of digital health and other innovative solutions to improving health outcomes and healthcare costs, as well as improving human performance. Dr. Short has a focus on making the healthcare system work better, and has relationships with as well as in depth knowledge of many of the innovative health companies in the marketplace that are trying to solve key issues facing employers and members. She is also a member of the National Business Group on Health (NBGH) Innovation Forum.

Dr. Short has a background in internal medicine, occupational and preventive medicine, and 25 years of experience providing clinical leadership in designing, implementing and measuring population health programs and strategies. Previous to Brown and Brown Dr. Short was a partner at Mercer where she built the population health practice for the South and spent six years consulting to national and global employers on strategies to improve population health including evaluating, implementing, and measuring the impact of network strategies such as Centers of Excellence and direct contracting. She has worked with many jumbo employers including Lowe’s, Bank of New York Mellon, Dollar General, and PepsiCo. Her expertise also includes analytics, epidemiology, managed care plan administration and medical management, clinical and behavioral health strategy and program management, and outcomes measurement strategy and execution.

Prior to Mercer, Dr. Short worked at Healthways (now Sharecare), and previously spent over thirteen years working as a medical director for both UnitedHealthcare and Anthem, including serving as Corporate Medical Director for BCBSGA, a 2.5 million member plan. Previously, Dr. Short was an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in clinical practice. Dr. Short has been involved in several studies related to quality and cost of care in areas including disparities of care, performance of centers of excellence networks, and drug safety and has published previously in journals such as Cancer and JAMA.

Dr. Short earned her undergraduate degree at Harvard, her MD from Tufts University School of Medicine, did her internal medicine residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and trained in occupational and preventive medicine at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City where she also received a Master’s degree in Community Medicine.

Ryan Sledge has a passion for improving the health of individuals and populations. He currently serves as Director of Corporate Onsite and Wellness Operations for OhioHealth Employer Services, a division of OhioHealth, the largest healthcare system in Central Ohio. In this capacity, Ryan is responsible for providing operational leadership and strategic direction of employer-facing wellness offerings, onsite medical clinic practices, campus student health centers, and other services in Columbus, Ohio and surrounding regions. During his tenure at OhioHealth, Ryan has also been responsible for creating a sustainable culture of health for OhioHealth’s own 30,000 associates, physicians, and volunteers.

Ryan has over 13 years of experience in healthcare, public health and health promotion, working with employer and community populations. He is dedicated to finding creative solutions promoting better health for all.

Ryan’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science, a Master of Public Health degree from Michigan State University, and a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Michigan.

Tom Sondergeld, CHRP is currently the Vice President of Global HRIS, Benefits & Mobility for Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA). Tom has directed employee benefits for over 20 years. He led a successful implementation of both Hewitt Associates/Aon Corporation and Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s wellness programs and on site Health Centers/Services. His role at Aon Corporation also included the first successful roll out of a Corporate Private Exchange to company employees and the opening of four (4) on-site health clinics. In his current role at WBA, he is responsible for the overall HRIS Technology, healthcare & global mobility strategy for the over 357,000 global team members. He is also charged with developing an integrated disability model for the organization. Tom has spoken at many local and national events on topics ranging from HR Software solutions, Human Resources process improvement, benefit outsourcing, benefit plan design, wellness integration, and on-site health centers in the workplace. Tom holds a Bachelor in Psychology and a Masters in Healthcare Administration. He is an active member of many HR groups with SHRM, HRMAC and SHRP among them and serves on the Board of Directors for Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH).

Nicole Stec is the Senior Well-Being Manager for Banner Health and a national speaker on employer well-being strategy, on-site clinics and wellness programs. For the past ten years, Nicole has worked in community and corporate health settings, designing and implementing population health management strategies for organizations, including healthcare systems, small businesses, the U.S. military and local governments. Nicole previously led the expansion and success of the City of Mesa’s (Arizona) award-winning wellness strategy that increased healthy behaviors of City employees from 36% to 60%, had a 93% satisfaction rate and achieved cost savings of $2.1M over three years.

In her current role, Nicole is responsible for designing and implementing Banner Health’s new employee well-being strategy, moving the organization from their historical annual biometric screening activity to a holistic program that includes programming and services addressing physical, emotional, social and financial health. In the development of this strategy, Nicole is implementing a high-tech wellness platform and an enhanced incentive strategy to engage Banner team members.

Nicole is a graduate of the University of Southern California (B.S.), the University of Phoenix (MBA) and is currently completing her Master of Public Health (MPH) with the University of South Florida. She also holds many certifications, including being a Certified Wellness Practitioner (National Wellness Institute) and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (National Strength and Conditioning Association).

Richard is a graduate of Ball State University where he was president of his fraternity and the Student Governing Board. He began his benefit career with Blue Cross Blue Shield and left there after ten years to forge a business in the consulting arena. Richard has specialized in doing business with Indiana public school corporations, public libraries and other public employee groups, and counts a considerable number of those as long-term clients. His community work includes membership on the School Board of Trustees at Brownsburg Community School Corporation and service on a number of other business advisory boards.

Todd Whitthorne is Chief Inspiration Officer of Naturally Slim, a company committed to dramatically improving the healthcare trends of individuals and employers nationally. In this role, he guides the company’s product development, marketing and sales, and client consulting strategies in health and corporate wellness. Todd is a nationally recognized health and wellness speaker who routinely delivers keynote presentations on a variety of topics to audiences of all sizes. He is also the author of Fit Happens!...Simple Steps for a Healthier, More Productive Life!

After graduating from UCLA with a BS in Kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise physiology, Todd began a broadcasting career that took him from Washington DC to Phoenix and Dallas. He has won both Emmy and Katie awards, and since 2005 has served as the television host for the Dallas Marathon. Prior to joining Naturally Slim, Todd spent 14 years as President and CEO of Cooper Concepts, a division of The Cooper Aerobics Center where he assisted organizations in developing strategies to improve health and productivity and decrease healthcare related costs.

Todd has run the Boston Marathon, rafted Class V rapids in Costa Rica and reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. He and his wife Kathy have two grown children, Lauren and Andrew, along with twin grandsons, Henry and Hudson.

Glenn Williams, Jr. MD is the Medical Director of Corporate Onsite and Wellness for OhioHealth Employer Services. In this role he helps employers develop and sustain onsite clinics and wellness programs best suited for their employee population. Prior to this role he was the Medical Director of the OhioHealth Urgent Care network for three years. He is a Family Physician by training and worked in a primary care setting for ten years prior to moving to urgent care. He graduated from The Ohio State University with both his medical degree and a degree in Nutrition. He has a special interest and passion for health, nutrition and fitness.

Transforming the way health care is delivered. Dr. Andy Ziskind, Senior Executive Officer (SEO) of Southwestern Health Resources, is driving a monumental shift to advance quality, value, and clinical outcomes. This benefits patients, physicians, and payors in North Texas, and makes Southwestern Health Resources a national leader in value-based care.

As SEO, Dr. Ziskind is leading innovations to leverage integrated population health management that support physician-driven decisions and dynamic patient engagement. Built on transformative opportunities to restore the essence of physician-patient relationship, these strategies also provide solutions that amplify robust collaborations between UT Southwestern Medical Center, Texas Health Resources, and thousands of primary care physicians and specialists in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease, Dr. Ziskind’s broad range of experience includes analytics-driven change management, hospital and health system physician alignment, and clinical transformation to achieve top cost and quality outcomes. He has been responsible for developing and leading innovative primary care and specialty delivery systems that span both academic medical centers and community hospitals. His diverse experience also includes devising accountable care solutions, implementing payment reform procedures, and creating population health management initiatives.

Prior to joining Southwestern Health Resources, he was Senior Vice President at Premier, a leading health care improvement company uniting an alliance of approximately 4,000 hospitals and health systems in the United States, along with approximately 165,000 other providers and organizations. As a member of the senior leadership team, he was responsible for its academic health system alliance. Dr. Ziskind also held senior executive roles at Huron Consulting Group and Accenture. In 2013, he was recognized as one of the top 25 most influential consultants by Consulting magazine.

In addition, he served as Group President of BJC Healthcare, one of the largest nonprofit health care integrated delivery organizations in the nation, President of Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, and Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs at the University of Washington. His background also includes establishing the University of Maryland’s Cardiac Network. It was the first capitated network of its kind in the United States, and provided comprehensive professional and facility care for 200,000 CareFirst members.

Dr. Ziskind completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease and a residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He earned his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, a master’s degree in business administration from Loyola College of Maryland, and a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College.