Executive Biographies
 Patricia A. Hemingway Hall As president and chief executive officer of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), Patricia Hemingway Hall oversees the operations of the nation’s largest non-investor-owned health insurer and fourth largest overall. HCSC, which operates the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, serves more than 13 million members and has more than 16,000 employees. HCSC also operates MEDecision, TMG Health, and Dearborn National, which includes Fort Dearborn Life Insurance Company, Fort Dearborn Life Insurance Company of New York, and Colorado Bankers Life Insurance Company. Read full profile |
 Martin G. Foster Marty Foster oversees HCSC's Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, Marketing, Enterprise Health Care Management and Dearborn National. He joined the company in 2003 as divisional senior vice president of Texas Division Marketing and Sales and most recently served as Texas Division president, where he was responsible for all Plan operations in the state. Previously, Marty held leadership positions for more than 20 years with other national health insurers, where he was responsible for developing and implementing sales and marketing strategies for Texas and throughout the Southwest. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in risk management and insurance from Florida State University. |
|
|
 Colleen F. Reitan Colleen Reitan is responsible for HCSC Finance, Actuarial and Internal Operations, including the Information Technology Group, Subscriber Services Division, Enterprise Information Strategy and Management, and Government Services. Before assuming her current position with HCSC, she served as president and chief operating officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, the state's largest health insurer with 2.9 million members. She has more than 25 years of experience in health care. Colleen has a master's degree in health care administration from the University of Minnesota and an undergraduate degree in urban studies and economics. |
|
|
 Karen M. Atwood Karen Atwood is responsible for all Illinois Division operations, including consumer and group sales and marketing, provider network contracting and management, provider relations, medical policy, medical and disease management, government relations and public affairs. Previously, she headed Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois' National Accounts Division. Karen joined BCBSIL in 1979. She has served as HCSC’s chief underwriter and in various capacities in financial operations, cost and budgets, and financial reporting. Karen received her master’s degree in business administration from DePaul University and her bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana. She is a certified public accountant. |
|
|
 Kenneth S. Avner As senior vice president and chief financial officer, Ken Avner is responsible for Health Care Service Corporation’s financial reporting, budgets, cost accounting, tax, receivables, disbursements, underwriting, travel, administrative services and procurement. He also oversees decision-making processes related to product pricing, experience analysis and financial strategy. Ken joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois in 1986 as an actuary, with pricing responsibilities for HMO products and the PPO that had just been launched. He was named chief actuary in 1999. Prior to joining the company, Ken was a consultant with Tillinghast and Towers Perrin. He earned an undergraduate degree at Brown University and holds graduate degrees from Brown University and the University of Minnesota. Ken is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a member of the American Academy of Actuaries, a Chartered Life Underwriter and a Chartered Financial Consultant. |
|
|
 Deborah Dorman-Rodriguez As senior vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary, Deborah Dorman-Rodriguez is responsible for the management of Health Care Service Corporation's Legal Division, including supervision of litigation functions, acting as liaison to regulatory agencies, and providing legal advice and consultation regarding all legal issues affecting the company, including the areas of compliance, corporate transactions and risk management. Dorman-Rodriguez joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico in 2000 as vice president and general counsel. She was formerly with the law firm of Simons, Cuddy & Friedman of Santa Fe, N.M., where she represented health insurers, physician groups and other health care organizations. Dorman-Rodriguez earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from California State University and a law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law. |
|
|
 Nazneen Razi As senior vice president and chief human resources officer, Nazneen Razi provides leadership and direction for Human Resources operations, programs and initiatives. Her responsibilities include staffing and selection, performance management and development, compensation and benefits, workforce relations, labor relations, and employee services. She also oversees corporate diversity and corporate real estate development. Prior to joining HCSC in 2011, Razi was responsible for setting HR strategy for Jones Lang LaSalle, a 40,000-employee, $3 billion global real estate services company with operations in 60 countries. Previously, she was responsible for key business and HR decisions for Comdisco, a Fortune 500 global technology services company. Razi has more than 20 years of HR leadership experience in large, diverse and complex organizations. She has four degrees, including a Ph.D. in organizational development and an M.B.A. in operations management and organizational behavior from Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill. |
|
|
 Paul B. Handel, M.D. Dr. Paul Handel is responsible for overseeing the company’s medical policy and strategy and physician service strategy, as well as driving its comprehensive wellness effort. Previously, he was vice president and chief medical officer of the Texas Division. Dr. Handel, a board certified urologist and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, has had a long, distinguished career in the medical field. A former member of HCSC’s Texas Affiliate Board, he has had a successful private practice in Houston and was a clinical professor of surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center Medical School in Houston. He is a graduate of the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. Dr. Handel is a member of the Texas Medical Association's board of trustees. |
|
|
 Bert E. Marshall Bert Marshall is responsible for all Oklahoma Division operations, including sales and account management, network management, health care management, medical policy, external affairs, and property and casualty. Previously, he served as vice president, Property and Casualty/External Operations. Bert joined BCBSOK in 1996. Prior to Blue Cross, he was vice president and director of operations for an Oklahoma insurance company, with responsibility for its group accident and workers’ compensation program. Bert earned an economics degree from the University of Oklahoma and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association and Oklahoma County Bar Association. |
|
|
 J. Darren Rodgers Darren Rodgers is responsible for overseeing the operations in the Texas Division and Southwest Region, which includes the New Mexico and Oklahoma Divisions. In Texas, his responsibilities include sales and account management, health care management and medical policy. In addition, the New Mexico and Oklahoma presidents report to Darren. Previously, he served as divisional senior vice president of Texas Health Care Management, which included responsibility for provider network management, utilization management, pharmacy and BCBSTX’s external relations through government, community and public affairs areas. Darren also serves as president of the Caring for Children Foundation of Texas. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia, a master’s degree from Duke University, an M.B.A. from Tulane University and a master’s degree in dispute resolution from Southern Methodist University. |
|
|
 Craig Nordyke As President and CEO, Craig Nordyke oversees Dearborn National, whose lines of business include group life, group dental and group disability insurance, dental administration, as well as worksite and individual benefits. Mr. Nordyke previously held the position of Divisional Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Dearborn National. He joined the organization in 2008 as Vice President and Chief Actuary. Mr. Nordyke has more than 35 years of experience in the life insurance industry and has spent more than 30 years in various executive and management roles. Before joining Dearborn National, he served as Vice President and Actuary at TIAA-CREF in North Carolina. Prior to TIAA-CREF, he was Vice President and Senior Actuary at MetLife and Executive Vice President and Chief Actuary at Paragon Life. Mr. Nordyke received a bachelor's degree in actuarial science from Drake University in Iowa. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. |
|
|
 Kurt Shipley Kurt Shipley is responsible for all New Mexico Division operations for private and government business, including financial management, product development, marketing, managed care network operations and provider contracting, health care management functions, public affairs and government relations. Before becoming interim executive director in February 2012, he served as vice president, New Mexico Programs and Network Management, and he continues to be the Division's lead executive for the New Mexico Medical Insurance Pool, the Indian Health Service contract, the Medicaid Salud contract, Provider Network and the Data Analysis and Reporting team. Prior to joining Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, Shipley worked at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Colorado and was responsible for internal and external financial reporting. He is a certified public accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Brigham Young University. |
|
|
