With over 25 years in sales leadership, Larry is an expert on sales, marketing & retention in the Medicare field. He has worked for both large state-wide plans as well as smaller regional plans. He takes pride in helping others reach their goals and enjoys working in an industry that assists people access health care.
Larry is married with three daughters who have all received their bachelor’s degrees. Larry is a UCLA graduate who loves college athletics and eating. He is a self-certified grill master.
A dynamic marketing and communications executive with many successes in Fortune 500; hyper-growth companies; national and international advocacy nonprofits, Jim brings substantial medical practice and health agency experience to empowering health plans, providers, and health insurance agents with mass communications solutions that cost-effectively meet members where they are. Read his recent “Achieve More with Trusted Voices: Low-Cost and High-Yield Member Engagement” perspective just published by RISE.
Telephone Town Hall Meeting (TTHM) is a leading provider of efficient communications services for diverse organizations seeking actionable outcomes from advocacy and education outreach to diverse populations.
Trusted for providing best-in-class customer service (with rigorous confidentiality and robust protection of client intellectual properties, as well as personal health information), TTHM exquisitely understands Federal Communication Commission regulations and preferences, and aptly manages opt-in and opt-out contact lists for many clients. The company annually completes more than 1,000 communications campaigns for leading health plans and providers in 19 states; for Federal, State, County and City elected officials; and advocacy groups nationwide.
With resolute focus on bringing trusted voices precisely where members are, Jim has the skills and decades of relevant experience – both vital to helping clients reduce operating expenses; improve retention while fueling membership growth; and to enhance quality measures.
Patrick Davis Senior Director for Business Development
Telephone Town Hall Meeting
In his role as Healthcare Sales Director at Telephone Town Hall Meeting (TTHM), Patrick connects Medicare Advantage member experience personnel with intuitive virtual forum technology, which TTHM uniquely offers to the healthcare industry.
The TTHM method of communicating with Medicare Advantage members has been refined over decades of helping elected officials, associations, municipalities, labor unions, government agencies and non-profit corporations communicate with their members. Patrick has become our MA market specialist, working with providers and medical groups to onboard, educate and retain members throughout the year. Learn more about the work TTHM does in the healthcare space at tthm.com/health.
Patrick Davis is a nationally recognized senior strategic communication advisor. For over thirty years, Patrick has been advising corporations, campaigns, candidates, and coalitions in the areas of public affairs, politics, communications, marketing, and member/public relations.
Dr. Shannon Decker is principal at VBC One, a consulting firm assisting physician groups, health plans and vendors maximize the performance of their value based contracts and offerings. Dr. Decker has more than 20 years experience in health care and most recently led teams in risk, quality, data and analytics, telehealth, COVID response and delegation compliance. Of her more than 20 years of experience in healthcare--15 include working with risk adjustment, quality and Medicare. Dr. Decker has a PhD. in Interdisciplinary Studies, dual MBA degrees--in Finance and in Marketing, as well as an M.Ed. in Secondary Education and a M.Ed. in Administration and Leadership. Dr. Decker is on the faculty at Arizona State University and is also an associate professor of Higher Education & Adult Learning (HEAL) and chief methodologist for Walden and Capella Universities where she chairs and oversees the dissertations of doctoral students. An author of two books and several peer-reviewed articles, and a prolific national public speaker, her interests include the study of human behavior and how theories on motivation and learning may be brought to bear on population health management.
Hector Gonzalez Director of Medicare Growth Opportunities
Florida Blue
With over 29 years in the healthcare industry, Hector’s experience leading and transforming teams has led to success in all that he does. His extensive knowledge allows him to understand the business and the customers’ needs resulting in an increase in sales growth and retention year over year. Hector is currently leading several teams focused on Medicare Tele-Sales and retention while consistently looking at innovating and improving existing processes. Hector fosters an environment of excellence among his employees including developing their skillsets to grow and continue their career path. He is a dynamic and passionate speaker and has built a brand around himself as a great leader and collaborator.
Ana Handshuh, Principal at CAT5 Strategies, is a government programs executive with expertise in creating and implementing corporate programs for the healthcare industry. Her background includes Quality, Core Measures, Care Management, Benefit Design and Bid Submission, Accreditation, Regulatory Compliance, Revenue Management, Communications, Community-based Care Management Programs and Technology Integration. Ms. Handshuh currently serves on the Board of the Resource Initiative and Society for Education (RISE), the preeminent national professional association dedicated to managed and accountable care financing and delivery. She is a sought after speaker on the national healthcare circuit in the areas of Quality, Star Ratings, Care Management, Member and Provider Engagement, and Revenue Management. Her recent consultancy roles have included assisting organizations create programs to address the unmet care management needs in the highest risk strata of membership, document their processes and procedures, achieve accreditation status, design and submit government program bids, institute corporate-wide programs and create communications strategies and materials. She possesses sophisticated business acumen with the ability to build consensus with cross-functional groups to accomplish corporate goals. Ms. Handshuh served as the Vice President of Managed Care Services at Central Florida Inpatient Medicine (CFIM). In this role, she provided leadership and strategy on CFIM projects and collaborations with physicians, risk entities, hospital health care systems, and health plans. CFIM is the largest Hospitalist group in Central Florida, with 70 providers discharging over 50,000 patients annually from multiple hospitals across two health care delivery systems and 24 skilled nursing facilities. At CFIM Ms. Handshuh previously served as the Vice President of Operations. Prior to those assignments, she worked with Precision Healthcare Systems as their Vice President of Quality Improvement. In that capacity, she led the IPA’s Quality efforts and collaborated with payers on implementing programs to move the needle on Quality and Star Rating initiatives. Ms. Handshuh also served as the Director of Corporate Program Development at Physicians United Plan. In this role, she led the Quality Management and Corporate Communications departments and spearheaded the development of innovative integrated technology solutions to drive business excellence and Star Rating achievement initiatives. For the past fifteen years Ms. Handshuh has taken an active role in redefining and implementing changes that have led to improvements and greater efficiency within Government programs and healthcare delivery. Prior to joining Physicians United Plan Ms. Handshuh was the founder of I-Six Creative. Under Ms. Handshuh’s vision and leadership, I-Six Creative provided expertise in the areas of managed Medicare benefit design, MSO/IPA operations, provider network strategy, new market launches, technology integration, corporate communications and quality improvement.
Christopher Javor National Director of Medicare Advantage
The AmeriHealth Caritas Family of Companies
Christopher Javor is a seasoned professional who currently holds the position of National Sales Director, New Business leading the Healthcare Sales Strategy for Medicare/Medicaid and ACA Plans at AmeriHealth Caritas. With an impressive career spanning over 19 years, Christopher has amassed extensive expertise in the healthcare industry and government programs, specifically concentrating on Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial health insurance.
His profound understanding of the intricacies of the healthcare landscape allows him to contribute significantly to AmeriHealth Caritas' marketing efforts, product development initiatives, and overall business strategy. Christopher's comprehensive knowledge of the industry's dynamics equips him with the ability to identify and capitalize on emerging opportunities, ensuring the delivery of optimal healthcare solutions to the company's diverse portfolio of clients.
Lawrence Kosick is the President and co-founder of GetSetUp, a digital literacy & digital health platform for older adults. He was inspired at a young age by the wisdom and potential of the older residents at his father's assisted living facility. Based on this inspiration, he co-founded GetSetUp, a virtual platform empowering older adults to discover and learn everything they need to live happy, healthy, more independent lives and address the Social Determinants of Health. Previously, Lawrence oversaw Business Development and Partnerships for IFTTT, led Sight Machine's APAC operations, and was VP of Global Partnerships at Yahoo. Based in the Bay Area for the last 25 years, he is an avid cyclist and trail runner.
Aaron Laverick Senior Director Product Management & Development
Highmark
Aaron Laverick is a seasoned healthcare leader with over 20 years of experience, specializing in Medicare programs. As the Senior Director of Product Management & Development at Highmark, he leads efforts in product strategy, innovation, and initiative implementation across various market segments. Aaron's extensive background includes key roles at Gateway Health and Highmark, where he manages Medicare Advantage, D-SNP portfolios, and other health plan products. His expertise spans regulatory requirements, product lifecycle, and vendor and operational management.
Martina Lee Strickland is a distinguished healthcare executive with over fifteen years of experience in sales management, growth development, and marketing. Currently serving as Chief Growth Officer at Clever Care Health Plan in California, she oversees sales, product development, and marketing, driving a remarkable 116% year-over-year growth rate in 2024. Since her tenure, she has established Clever Care as the second-fastest-growing Medicare Advantage startup in 2023. Martina’s extensive background includes roles such as Vice President of Medicare Sales for California and Hawaii markets for Wellcare, where she led market membership growth efforts and achieved substantial revenue gains. At Anthem, as Vice President of Growth Development for the West and East Regions, she built and scaled the Medicare Growth team, resulting in a 357% increase in Medicare AEP enrollments in 2019. During her ten-year tenure at UnitedHealthcare, Martina was recognized as Top Sales Director and received the Championship Club and Gem Awards.
In addition to her professional achievements, Martina serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills in California. She holds a master’s degree in advertising from Syracuse University and has prior experience working in multicultural advertising agencies in New York and Los Angeles.
Rob joined Deft Research in 2022 as Vice President of Client Services. Rob has worked in the healthcare and Medicare space since 2009, taking on progressive leadership roles at insurance carriers and FMOs. He has had career stops at eHealthInsurance, Tufts Health Plan and Independence Blue Cross. Most recently he served as Vice President of Medicare Sales at Fidelity Investments where he oversaw the sales and service strategy of the firm’s Medicare business. Rob graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts.
Dr. Christie McMullen is a seasoned educator turned entrepreneur, dedicated to infusing work with genuine fun. With 25 years of experience and expertise in educational leadership, she's impacted organizations like FAMP, ReMax, Aetna, Solaris, and RISE, enhancing human interactions.
With a master's and doctorate in Educational Leadership, Dr. McMullen connects with individuals across industries, from CEOs to educators to salespeople. As a coach, networking specialist, and keynote speaker, she offers transformative experiences, using her AIM approach: Analyze, Improve, Move towards extraordinary relationships.
Dr. McMullen's coaching is personalized, tailored to diverse needs, whether in the corporate world or personal relationships. She helps humans overcome mediocrity and unlock the potential for extraordinary connections.
Gary is a clinical pharmacist at Network Health, a local health insurance provider in Northeast and Southeast Wisconsin. He is currently one of three pharmacists involved in making MTM calls in-house. His responsibilities also involve NCQA, pharmacy appeals, P&T Committee, as well as member and provider relations.
Gary also has experience as pharmacy manager for a national long term care company, as pharmacy manager for a retail pharmacy chain, and as pharmacy director for a national health care provider. In addition, he has been a pharmacy instructor at a local medical college family practice clinic.
Margaret (“Maggie”) Mood brings over 25 years of Medicare-focused success to her role as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. She’s experienced in all aspects of Medicare product sales and market growth: launching Medicare products, expanding regional access, leading sales teams to top performance, and cultivating warm, productive relationships among our community and business partners. She was one of the key players in Mass Advantage's successful debut in 2021. Mass Advantage is a local, Massachusetts-based Medicare Advantage, which is closely associated with UMass Memorial Health, the largest Provider System in Central Massachusetts.
Prior to joining Mass Advantage, Maggie orchestrated and facilitated all Medicare marketing strategies and sales channels at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
In addition to leading numerous sales teams to the top performance year after year, Maggie is deeply committed to mentorship and supports fellow professionals in their own career paths.
Maggie holds an MBA in Business Administration with a focus on health care.
Andrew Napierala Vice President, Medicare & Individual Market Sales
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
Andrew Napierala joined the Lifetime Healthcare Companies (the parent company of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Univera Healthcare, and LifeTime Benefit Solutions) in May 2022 in the role of Vice President, Medicare & Individual Market Sales. His areas of focus include Medicare (General Enrollment), Group Medicare, and Individual Under-65 product lines, with oversight of the various distribution channels for these lines of business encompassing field sales, retail sites, telesales, external brokers and other strategic partnerships.
Previously, Andrew served as Sales Manager for Highmark BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York’s Consumer Markets team, providing coverage options for Medicare and Individual Under-65 members, as well as specialized programs for Group Medicare, State and Federal employees. During his tenure with Highmark, Medicare membership increased by more than 160% while the company’s “New-to-Medicare” conversion improved by 250% over the same period, yielding revenue growth in excess of $350 million.
Andrew has considerable experience in consumer sales, having spent much of his career in the financial services industry, including sales and management roles with HSBC, MassMutual, and The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. A 2001 graduate of Clarkson University, he is currently earning an M.B.A. from St. Bonaventure University with a focus in Strategic Marketing.
Andrew is a board member with several non-profit organizations across Upstate New York including the Amherst Generations Foundation, The Clarkson University Honors Program Advisory Council, and CDS Life Transition’s Wolf Foundation. He currently resides in Williamsville, NY with his wife, Brittany, and daughters Nora and Nina.
Joel has worked in technology and healthcare for decades serving Big Pharma, health plans, and hospital systems and prior to founding Engagys, leading professional services and product teams for Welltok (formerly Silverlink). His roles have included population health campaign design and deployment, call center operations, CRM design and deployment, corporate strategy, corporate marketing, mergers and acquisitions, business process transformation and software development oversight—all in healthcare. He has worked with health plans and PBMs to address business challenges related to member-centric data management, adherence, gaps in care, and chronic condition management. Joel’s clients have included both Fortune 100 and startup companies, and he worked for Johnson and Johnson and Ernst & Young early in his career.
Todd Rau is the Director of Medicare for Indiana University Health Plans and leads the Medicare Advantage line of business for the past 5 years. IU Health Plans is an extension of Indiana University Health, Indiana’s only hospital system to be nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report for 20 consecutive years.
Rau has 29 years of experience in insurance and began his career as a broker, focusing on commercial group, individual and Medicare health sales. In 2007 he became the Regional Sales Manager for Anthem BCBS individual broker sales, and quickly transitioned to the role of Broker Sales Director for Medicare Products.
While at IU Health Plans, Rau introduced the first $0 premium plans and multiple supplemental benefit additions. A Greenwood, Indiana native, he received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
Joseph Schneier has been at the forefront of innovations in global and domestic education, government, healthcare, and insurance technology for over 20 years. He has built companies and products related to behavioral change with complex populations, co-founded and exited two companies, and is a Fellow at Columbia University’s MBA Entrepreneurial Program.
Since 2012, Mr. Schneier’s primary focus has been on the older adult population. Joseph founded three companies in this space — Cognotion (now operating as Cinematic Health Education): a growth stage company that trains CNAs, Home Health Aides, and Personal Care Assistants; Bellage (with James Firman, the former CEO of the National Council on Aging): a company working with Area Agencies on Aging on longevity initiatives; and Circle (formerly Trusty.care): an AI data management and customer relationship SaaS platform that makes it easier for health plans, value-based care providers, and brokers to get rewarded for better serving their members. Circle bridges the gap by empowering partners with the right technology and insights and facilitating a more inclusive and accessible healthcare environment.
Mr. Schneier has spoken at TedMed, Lake Nona, and JP Morgan Healthcare. He is a mentor at New York University, Wharton, Cornell, Techstars, and is a Columbia University Fellow. Mr. Schneier sits on the board of The Sam and Devorah Foundation for Transgender youth, Superbia Credit Union (an LGBTQ credit union), Stonewall Community Development Corporation (a non-profit focused on LGBTQ senior housing), and is a member of the LGBTQ+ Biden Council and the LGBTQ+ Queens District Attorney Council.
Shelley Segal is the founder of Segal Medicare Experts and a Medicare Advantage industry veteran whose experience is in Medicare Advantage program leadership, compliance and day-to-day operations. Shelley is a nationally recognized compliance and regulation expert, and is a resource specialist for strategic planning, program development, compliance management and business process engineering in the managed care industry.
Shelley Segal is strongly committed to serving the specific needs of her clients, has developed effective solutions based on decades of experience in the health plan and regulatory environments, and provides actionable insights and recommendations for optimizing performance in Medicare Part C and D functional areas.
Before founding Segal Medicare Experts in 2021, Shelley was Co-Founder and Principal with Medicare Compliance Solutions, providing Medicare consulting and solutions for over 10 years. Shelley also held a variety of executive positions, which include Chief Operations Officer with Gorman Health Group, Compliance Director for SCAN Health Plan, and National Director of Medicare Compliance with Health Net.
Britt is a seasoned executive with an extensive leadership background in sales, marketing, and operations, spanning over four decades in prominent healthcare and technology companies. Notably, he has contributed to the growth and improved performance of organizations such as Centene Corporation, Molina, Highmark, Inc., and, most recently, Clever Care Health Plan.
Throughout his career, Britt has cultivated a deep understanding of payer and member needs across various lines of business, coupled with a profound knowledge of health plan operations. In the early 2000s, he briefly transitioned to the technology sector, serving as VP of Business Development and Sales Operations for New Era of Networks (NEON), a pioneering company specializing in systems integration technology, eventually acquired by Sybase. There, he assumed a marketing leadership role in its e-business division.
In August of 2023, Britt embarked on a new career in consulting by establishing Alternative Growth Strategies LLC. His company specializes in providing Sales and Business Development strategy, process execution, and interim leadership support for health plans and technology companies selling into health plans.
Britt's attention is currently focused on two key technology relationships. He serves as the SVP of Business Development at Insightin Health Inc., a healthcare technology company that delivers hyper-personalized experiences through its highly secure SaaS-based platform, inGAGE™. This platform offers precision insights and tailored data-driven recommendations, enabling health plans to simplify the healthcare journey for consumers and improve member care planning, outcomes, and engagement. Additionally, Britt's company acts as a preferred distribution partner and provides sales leadership for EvolveNXT, a leading Broker Commissions and channel management system that streamlines agent onboarding and commission payment processes, among other core functionalities.
Britt's depth of knowledge and experience in the healthcare industry, coupled with his early foundation in technology, are invaluable assets that will undoubtedly benefit his clients in the coming years.
Jason Vallejos is the EVP & CSO for Syndicated Insurance Agency, a Limited Liability Company founded in 2003. Syndicated is a multi-line general agency offering all lines of coverage including Life, Health, Property & Casualty insurance with a strong focus on Medicare Plan sales as a National Field Marketing Organization. As Executive Vice President, Jason is head of sales, marketing and training for all sub-agencies working with Syndicated and fosters win-win relationships with professional partners including medical groups & Independent Physician Associations.
Syndicated’s approach to marketing is to work in collaboration with professional advisors such as healthcare providers, CPA’s, business, and estate planning attorneys to help develop long-term protection plans and growth for his clients. As the industry and the needs of our community change, Jason continues rigorous educational standards in Senior Health Care, Life, Long-Term Care and Business Insurance.
At a young age, Jason volunteered with various charities and organizations including the American Red Cross. In 1994 Jason assisted the victims of the Northridge Earthquake with claims filing, shelter, food, and clothing, as an American Red Cross volunteer. This is where Jason first understood the necessity of insurance and the value it brings to communities during disasters. Later, as a healthcare business analyst, Jason developed a passion for helping seniors with their healthcare needs while learning the operational and analytical support that runs a major carrier. Through this diverse career background, Jason acquired business knowledge, actuarial analysis, insurance, networking and managed care experience. Jason Vallejos was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and resides in the Ventura County area.
Jason has a passion for people and is driven by a set of core values including integrity, excellence and innovation, focusing on client satisfaction and retention, teamwork, continuous improvement, mentoring, growth and success. Jason is an accomplished and results driven top performing leader known for his industry knowledge, organizational and leadership abilities and his focus on win-win solutions for his clients and partners.
Elizabeth Villatoro is the Chief Growth Officer for Syndicated Insurance Agency, a Limited Liability Company founded in 2003. Syndicated is a multi-line general agency offering all lines of coverage including Life, Health, Property & Casualty insurance with a strong focus on Medicare Plan sales as a National Field Marketing Organization. Syndicated’s approach to marketing is to work in collaboration with healthcare providers, medical groups, carriers and professional advisors such as CPA’s, business, and estate planning attorneys to help develop long-term protection plans and growth for clients.
As Chief Growth Officer, Elizabeth streamlined internal processes, emphasized goal setting, business planning, agency acquisitions and scaled Syndicated’s Medicare team of agents, resulting in 282% growth rate in 2022 as publish in the July-August 2023 issue of the Harvard Business Review. Syndicated has continued to grow consistently at an annual rate of 121% year-over-year.
Lisa Zaval, PhD: With 10+ years working as an applied behavioral scientist, Lisa applies data and academic findings from behavioral economics, social psychology, and consumer behavior to help solve practical business challenges. Her research has been widely cited and published in leading academic journals, including Psychological Science and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the New York Times. Lisa earned a doctorate degree in judgment and decision-making psychology from Columbia University and has completed post-doctoral training at the Center for Decision Sciences at Columbia Business School.
