32BJ Health Fund’s Cora Opsahl and Johns Hopkins University’s Ge Bai named external board members
WASHINGTON – June 16, 2025 – The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions announced its slate of new officers for the Board of Governors at its 2025 Strategic Leadership Summit. Officers are elected by their board peers based on proven leadership and commitment to the National Alliance and coalition movement to advance and strengthen the efforts of employers and other purchasers to improve health, equity and value for America’s working families.
Executive Committee
Bret Jackson, President and CEO of the Economic Alliance for Michigan will complete his second year as Chair; Phil Belcher, Chief Executive Officer, HealthCareTN was named Vice Chair; Michael Howard, President and CEO, Alabama Employers Health Consortium was named Secretary/Treasurer.
Laurel Pickering, President and CEO, Gateway Business Health Coalition, and Trevor Putnoky, President and CEO, Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine, were newly elected as At-large Representatives for the Executive Committee.
Additional Board representatives include:
- Cheryl Larson, President and CEO, Midwest Business Group on Health (newly elected)
- Marianne Fazen, PhD, Executive Director, DFW Business Group on Health
- Amanda Greene, Director of Operations, Lehigh Valley Business Coalition on Healthcare
- Jon Rankin, President and CEO, North Carolina Business Coalition on Health
- Chris Skisak, PhD, Executive Director, Houston Business Coalition on Health
- Chris Syverson, CEO, Nevada Business Group on Health
- Karen van Caulil, PhD, President and CEO, Florida Alliance for Healthcare Value
“The influence of the National Alliance is dependent on its coalition members and these individuals bring a wealth of experience, leadership, and passion to our mission,” said Shawn Gremminger, National Alliance President and CEO. “We look forward to their participation and leadership as we continue our work together to drive meaningful improvements in health and value across the country and appreciate the valuable contribution they will make to our organization in the years’ ahead.”
External Board
Newly elected as external board members are Ge Bai, PhD, CPA, Professor of Accounting at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and Cora Opsahl, Director, Health Fund, 32BJ Labor Industry Cooperation Trust Funds. Continuing as external board members are James Gelfand, JD, CEO of The ERISA Industry Committee, and Hemi Tewarson, JD, Executive Director of the National Academy for State Health Policy.
About National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions
For more than 30 years, the National Alliance has brought together business coalitions and their employer and purchaser members to drive high-quality healthcare that enhances patient experience, promotes health equity, and improves outcomes while lowering costs. Its members represent public and private sectors, nonprofits, and labor unions that provide health benefits to over 90 million Americans—more than half of the employer-sponsored insurance market—spending over $850 billion annually. To learn more, visit nationalalliancehealth.org and connect on LinkedIn.
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