Speakers

Carmalitha Gumbs, MBA, MHA

Head of Marketing, Branding & Communications

Tom Sass

Vice President of Medicare Group Sales & Management

Bright Osajie

Assistant Product Manager, Medicare-Medicaid Product

Melissa Duke

Executive Director, Stars Strategy Banner Medicare Advantage

Craig W. Fisher

Director, Product Development & Growth Initiatives

Dave Krupa

Vice President of Marketing and Retail Sales

Lisa Franklin, MS

Director of Individual Medicare Business (P&L) and Product & Marketing Strategy (Government Programs)

Matt Tamke

Executive Director and General Manager, Supplemental Benefits Administration

Justin Skerbetz

Chief Marketing, Strategy, & Revenue Officer | Healthcare Transformation Leader

Mary Easley

Team Lead, Strategic Enterprise Account Executive

Speaker Details

Heather Smith

Vice President, Retail Market Sales

Geisinger Health Plan

Heather has been in Insurance and Financial Sales for her entire career. Having been in the Medicare Sales arena for over 15 years, she has found her true passion working within the senior population. She enjoys working for regional plans that have a unique offering within the communities they serve. She is responsible for all Medicare Sales distribution channels, as well as the Individual Commercial Market, and Community Programs. Helping others achieve their goals, uncover potential, and find those “aha moments” will always be the most rewarding part of her role.

Heather has been married for over 30 years and has one teenage daughter who attends the University of Tennessee (Go Vols). She enjoys time at home with family and her plethora of pets, as well as retreat time to the Caribbean to relax and recharge.

Martina Lee Strickland

Chief Growth Officer

Clever Care Health Plan

Martina Lee Strickland is a seasoned healthcare executive with over fifteen years of experience in sales management, growth development and marketing. Currently serving as the Chief Growth Officer at Clever Care Health Plan in California, she oversees sales, product and marketing, driving a 120% YOY growth rate in 2024. Since her tenure, Strickland build Clever Care as the third- fastest-growing Medicare Advantage plans in 2024, moving from ten-fastest growth MAPD plans. Martina's extensive background includes roles such as VP of Wellcare Medicare Sales for California and Hawaii markets where she led market membership growth efforts and achieved substantial revenue gains. At Anthem, as VP 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. She spent ten years at UnitedHealthcare and her accomplishments incudes being recognized as Top Sales Directors, Championship club and Gem Awards winners.

She currently served as Board of Director with Boys and Girls Club of Foothills in California.

Martina holds a master’s degree in advertising from Syracuse University. Previously, she worked in multicultural advertising agencies in New York and California.

Scott Norman

Vice President, Medicare

Priority Health

Scott Norman is Vice President of Medicare at Priority Health. He oversees the company's Medicare program, including strategic direction, marketing, sales, operations, compliance, revenue, and medical management for our nationally recognized, innovative Medicare products.

Norman has nearly 25 years of experience in health care including 15 years of health plan executive leadership experience. Most recently Scott served as vice president of business development and Medicare operations for Physicians Health Plan, a division of Sparrow Health System. Norman was responsible for network development, strategic planning, sales, marketing and product development. In that role, Scott led the successful launch of a new Medicare Advantage plan that was one of the fastest growing Medicare Advantage plans in the country in 2020.

Prior to his role at Physicians Health Plan, Norman had a seven-year tenure at Priority Health serving as vice president of both Medicare and sales and client services. His areas of expertise include consumer-driven health care, new business development and sales development strategy.

Norman is President, Michigan Association of Health Underwriters and is a graduate of Michigan State University.

Carmalitha Gumbs, MBA, MHA

Head of Marketing, Branding & Communications

Sonder Health Plans

Carmalitha Gumbs is a healthcare industry leader dedicated to increasing access to quality services for seniors. She has launched a range of wellness programs for Atlanta area seniors, including pop up dental clinics, salons and farmers markets and other initiatives. Her efforts have emphasized the importance of health education among adults aged 55 and older. And she is successfully helping metro area seniors take more ownership over their health, prioritize prevention, and choose a deeper commitment to their wellness over steady decline.

Her initiatives have demonstrated the importance of the business community’s investment in local seniors and their health. She has orchestrated critical partnerships to not only amplify the services and resources that organizations are able to provide locally, but also she drives awareness among the business community of Atlanta’s seniors’ unique needs.

She has leveraged her background in social work and government affairs to strengthen public- private ties for the benefit of local communities, and model effective programming for aging populations. But most importantly, she continues to enrich the individual lives of the seniors that she helps, making the members of one of our city’s most vulnerable populations feel protected, supported and appreciated.

Carmalitha is also a dedicated public servant who serves as a Councilmember in the City of South Fulton. The pandemic has not dampened her commitment to community service, as she has routinely helped to ensure that seniors have access to food and other supplies while they sheltered in place.

She is the winner of multiple awards and routinely is a featured guest speaker, sharing her knowledge with other professionals. Just recently, Carmalitha was featured in Atlanta's Top 500 Influential Leaders for 2021. Also, she was recognized by former State Representative Sharon Beasley Teague for her outstanding public service and her vital role and leadership in ensuring the welfare of the citizens of Georgia.

Kate Miller

Director, Medicare Strategy

Healthfirst

Kate has been in the health insurance industry over 22 years and has been with Healthfirst for 3 years. She has previously been employed by national for-profit carriers such as Humana and WellCare. At her former employers, her concentration has been in markets located in the Southeastern and Western part of the nation.

She has spent the last 3 years as the Medicare Product Strategy Director for Healthfirst. In her role, Kate is responsible for long term Medicare Product vision with a special concentration in Rx and Dental Benefits. Kate is responsible for service area expansion including any product portfolio expansion.

Healthfirst has a 4.5 Star rated health plan on its main contract located in New York City. Healthfirst insures over 2.1 million members and over 190,000 DSNP members in The New York City Area. Healthfirst’s product portfolio includes both, Medicare and Medicaid products.

Tom Sass

Vice President of Medicare Group Sales & Management

Highmark, Inc.

Tom Sass is Vice President of Medicare Group Sales & Management, Highmark Inc. In this role, he oversees the strategy and execution of sales management to employer groups across PA, NY, WV, and DE.

Sass joined the health plan in 2012 as general manager, state product and advanced through several positions throughout his tenure, including director, commercial accounts, and vice present, consumer markets.

Sass received both a Master of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from University at Buffalo. He also completed a Data Analytics 360 Certificate from the eCornell Program at Cornell University.

A sales and product management executive with more than two decades’ experience, Sass is a member of the National Association of Health Underwriters and Senior Markets Executive Group for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Jeff Nathe

Director, Medicare Sales and Retention

Mercy Care Advantage/Aetna

Jeff Nathe has over 30 years of experience in the Medicare Advantage industry, beginning in direct sales and moving into sales management. He has worked the last 15 years in Sales and Member Retention with a Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plan in Arizona. This allows him to be involved in all aspects of the sales cycle, from marketing to retaining membership in a very mature and highly competitive marketplace.

Gary Melis

Clinical Pharmacist

Network Health

Gary Melis is a Clinical Pharmacist for the past six years at Network Health, a local insurance provider in Northeast and Southeast Wisconsin. He is currently one of two pharmacists involved making MTM calls in-house. His responsibilities also involve NCQA, pharmacy appeals, P&T Committee, Member and Provider relations.

Gary’s also has experience as pharmacy manager for a national long term care company, pharmacy manager for retail pharmacy chain, and Pharmacy Director for a National Health Care provider. He has also been a pharmacy instructor at local medical college family practice clinic.

Jim Milanowski

CEO

Genesee Health Plan

Jim Milanowski has over 22 years’ experience in the management of mental health, substance abuse, behavioral health managed care and medical care coverage programs. Mr. Milanowski currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Genesee Health Plan (GHP), administering a community based indigent health care plan. The health plan has covered over 70,000 Genesee County residents since 2001. Since the start of enrollment into Affordable Care Act in 2013, GHP has conducted outreach and enrollment sessions with over 15,000 Genesee County residents. The health plan received the 2015 Pinnacle Award from the Michigan Association of Health Plans for this effort.

As a strong advocate, his expertise includes working to reduce racial disparities, uncompensated care, and the impact of chronic disease. During his leadership, Genesee Health Plan has received the national quality award from URAC for Best Practices in Patient Empowerment and Protection, the Greater Flint Labor Council's Community Partnership Award and the Robert M. Pestronk Excellence in Public Health Award. He is a founding member of the Health Net Collaborative, and a member of the Greater Flint Health Coalition Access, Dental and Medical Group Visit Committees. He is the Treasurer of the Michigan Association of County Health Plans and is on the Board of Directors for the Genesee Community Health Center. Mr. Milanowski received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Spring Arbor University and his Master's of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from Eastern Michigan University. He is a limited-licensed psychologist in the state of Michigan, and has extensive counseling experience with adult, child, and adolescent populations.

Mina Chang, PhD, FACHE

Senior Policy Adviser

Ohio Department of Aging

Dr. Mina Chang brings over 25 years of distinguished leadership in health and human services across diverse governmental sectors and national markets. Currently, as the Senior Policy Advisor to the Director at the Ohio Department of Aging, she drives impactful policy changes to benefit 2.8 million older Ohioans. Previously, as the Deputy Director, she was at the forefront of transforming eldercare and healthy aging in Ohio, leading business intelligence and compliance strategies to ensure innovation and service excellence.

In her role as VP of Quality at Bethesda, a national long-term care provider, she led COVID response efforts and managed a workforce of 3,000 across 400 programs in 13 states. As Assistant Health Commissioner for NYC, she spearheaded teams to expand health insurance services for 8 million residents, successfully onboarding 85,000 new members during ACA open enrollment.

A respected industry speaker, Dr. Chang has advised influential organizations such as MACPAC, SAMHSA, and CHCS. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management and an MPA from Ohio State University. As a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Dr. Chang is dedicated to advancing excellence in public policy and healthcare leadership.

Casman Mosby

Director of Marketing and Sales

MetroHealth

Casman Mosby, The Queen of Community and Family Relations. A native of Orlando Fl, Casman has made it her life’s mission to strengthen the bonds of multi-generational connections. From community food drives to senior focused outreach, and even Adopt Kid Birthday Initiatives for children in need.

No matter how tough the challenge, Casman shows up, not for the accolades, though those moments are very humbling but shows up for those who need it the most, which are the disenfranchised in the community, or as she would call them my Babies....seniors included. Casman Mosby is all about the family unit...primarily because she herself is a proud mother of three beautiful daughters Alaysia, Ayanna, and Trinity.

Her life experience in the community encouraged her to start the non-profit organization Promise Seeds Initiatives International and the Royal International Group (Transitional Housing). Casman’s current profession is the Director of Marketing and Sales with Metro Health, which covers the Orlando and Volusia county area in Florida.

With over 25 years In Healthcare, the past 6 being in Medicare sales, and the past 3 in Real Estate all have strengthened Casman’s muscle in truly being the Queen in her field. She has been named the Community Ambassador for Medicare, a Relentless Coach, and simply a woman who is about her business and elevating those within/beyond her arms reach. She has a heart of gold, and the community’s endorsement to back it up.

Casman’s passion is in educating the community on resources in their own backyard. She believes with the right guidance you can generate leads, favorable outcomes, and get your next sale by building relationships! Building relationships is a strong pillar in everything she does. She would not be where she is today, without the continued support of her community partners.

In summation, Casman Mosby prides herself in family and engaging the community. When you love on the people, they may not give you a yes right way, but yes is surely soon to come when you are placed there for a purpose. Don’t give up.

Bruce Bonello

Director, Broker Relations

MyCare Medical

Bruce Bonello joins us with over 20+ years of health insurance leadership (and everything between) experience. He got his start, accidentally, at UnitedHealth serving those not yet qualified for Medicare. After a few short years, HealthCare reform was introduced and Bruce found himself with the need to reinvent himself. Close friends and mentors suggested learning Medicare. Although Bruce was somewhat intimidated- he explored and, frankly, was fascinated by the lack of genuine educational resources that the senior market offered- despite the immense amount of ‘noise’ out there.

While Bruce had previously spent a good number of years, in a leadership role, he knew he needed to start back at ‘ground zero’ so began his Medicare journey in “TeleSales” before making his way to the field. He sought to understand the unique complexities and challenges that our seniors have and wanted to make more of an impact so he decided he would reshift his focus to the HealthPlan/Carrier side. He spent just over eight years serving various roles at Blue Cross before assuming the role of Director of Medicare Sales, for Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Bruce decided to escape the harsh winters, of Upstate NY, and relocated to Tampa Bay after being offered his ‘dream job’ of Senior Vice President of Sales for a large brokerage firm. Ultimately, it was not a great fit as that organization focused on profit in lieu of helping seniors source solutions that would be most beneficial to them. Bruce left that role and took some time to think about what he wanted to do next when a recruiter, from MyCare Medical, reached out. While he did not necessarily see himself in the MSO/Primary Care space… he was excited at the chance to bring his knowledge and experience, in the Medicare Space, full circle. He enjoys this role immensely and believes this ‘full-circle’ experience will help him do the most good in providing seniors solutions to fit both their current and future needs.

Andrew Bell

Managing Director

ProspHire

Andrew is the Medicare Practice and the Stars Capability Leader at ProspHire, a national management consulting firm exclusively dedicated to healthcare. A leader in the Medicare and Stars space, specializing in delivery and advisory, Andrew focuses on health plan capability assessments, quality improvement, operational effectiveness initiatives, membership growth strategies and value-add activities for MCOs. One of his key areas of expertise is in the Medicare Stars Program where he takes a lead role in guiding health plans through the program, ensuring they meet and exceed quality standards. He has a passion for staying at the forefront of breaking news and trends related to managed care, particularly in context to the Medicare Stars Program. Being an emerging thought leader in the field, he actively engages with new developments and industry changes, positioning himself and ProspHire as leaders in healthcare consulting.

Henry W. Osowski

Managing Partner

Strategic Health Group

Hank Osowski, a Founding Member of Strategic Health Group, is an experienced health care executive and strategist who has provided leadership to commercial, Medicare and Medicaid health plans for more than 30 years. He currently is the Managing Director of Strategic Health Group, a new boutique strategic and financial advisory firm dedicated to bringing seasoned leadership to enable health care organizations to succeed in a challenging and changing environment. He is an expert in Medicare Advantage and Medicaid long-term care strategies.

Formerly, as Senior Vice President Corporate Development, he was a key member of the senior leadership team that the company from a near death experience to an exceptionally strong financial position. He led SCAN Group's efforts to expand into seven additional California counties. Hank also led SCAN's entry into Arizona and served as the initial President of SCAN Health Plan Arizona and SCAN Long Term Care. The service area expansions represent approximately a quarter of SCANs membership and added nearly $450 million to SCANs revenue. He also led the organization’s strategic planning efforts and initiated an innovation development regimen to seek improvements in care coordination practices and future care outcome protocols.

Prior to SCAN, Hank served as a Principal in a national health care consulting organization providing a range of strategic, financial and development services for health plans, physician groups and hospitals. He began his California career as a member of the senior management team responsible for the turnaround and financial survival of Blue Cross of California. In this capacity, Hank led the financial turnaround of the Individual and Small Group Division and provided leadership to the organization’s strategic planning efforts.

Earlier he served as Vice President International Operations for American Family Life Assurance Corporation where he directed the activities of the company’s Canadian and European operations. In this role he directed the development of start-up operations in the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, as well as the financial turnaround of the company’s Canadian operations. Earlier, Hank also served as Director of Insurance Consulting Services for Coopers and Lybrand, a predecessor to PriceWaterhouse Coopers.

Throughout his career, he has been a frequent speaker on critical issues and challenges facing the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In 2011, Hank spoke to the Managed Medicaid Congress about principles for structuring effective long term care programs, to the Medicare Market Innovations conference about opportunities for strengthening a plan’s five star quality rating and offered his strategic projections for the future of Medicare. He also spoke to a diverse health care and technology audience at the Healthcare Unbound conference about leveraging the power of technology to improve the quality of health outcomes and care interventions.

Alicia Lopez

Operations Oversight Manager

Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island

Alicia Lopez is the Operations Oversight Manager for Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island where she has been for over 10 years. She is skilled in the development of interdepartmental processes, call center operations, regulatory reporting, Plan Benefit Design, CMS audits and other areas specifically in the dual plans space.

Alicia holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from the University of Rhode Island where she graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Family and Community are a huge part of Alicia’s life; she keeps herself busy volunteering at her church where she holds different roles, as well as volunteering for FOHA (Friends of Homeless Animals).

Bright Osajie

Assistant Product Manager, Medicare-Medicaid Product

Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island

A Massachusetts native and resident, Bright Osajie grew up in the Hyde Park area of Boston with a younger brother and was raised by a single mother of Nigerian heritage. He attended Milton Academy for High School and then went to attend the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Public Health. After working for a few years as a Quality Improvement Associate at the New England Quality Care Alliance, he attended the Boston University School of Public Health to obtain his Master of Public Health with a concentration in Healthcare Management. Shortly after receiving his Master’s degree, Bright was hired at Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island as an Accountable Entity Program Specialist, before being promoted to Assistant Product Manager for the Medicare-Medicaid Product. In his free time, Bright enjoys listening to his vast music collection, vlogging, and going out to dinner, concerts, the movies and other fun events with his friends.

Guillermo Velez

Health Equity Administrator

Banner University Health Plans

Guillermo Velez is the Health Equity Administrator for Banner University Health Plans. In this role, Gil oversees Health Equity, Cultural Competency, and Community engagement. Gil joined Banner in August 2018. Gil has over 30 years of clinical and administrative experience in behavioral health and child welfare systems in Arizona and New York City.

Prior to joining Banner Health Plans, Guillermo was the Vice President of CPLC’s Integrated Health and Human Services division. He had oversight of outpatient mental health programs, partial hospitalization program, domestic violence shelter, men’s residential substance use facility, SMI clinic and a state-wide parenting program.

Guillermo completed the Hispanic Leadership Institute program in 2018 and Valley Leadership Catalyze program in 2022, increasing his expertise and advocacy on leadership issues affecting minority communities in Arizona.

Mr. Velez is a strong advocate of education and has provided clinical supervision for MSW interns and serves on the Grand Canyon University Social Work Advisory Board.

Melissa Duke

Executive Director, Stars Strategy Banner Medicare Advantage

Banner Health Plans

Missy Skelton Duke is the Executive Director of Medicare Stars Strategy at Banner Health. In this role, she builds the strategic vision and strategies that optimize Banner Health Plans’ Medicare Advantage Star Rating. In this role, she drives alignment across complex provider networks, provider aggregators, population health services organizations, and health plan departments to provide the highest quality health care and service to their Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and Dual-Eligible members. Prior to this role, Missy served as the Executive Director of Population Health Pharmacy Solutions and Ambulatory Pharmacy Services and Senior Director of Specialty and Home Delivery Pharmacy Services at Banner Health. She has also served as the Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager for Intermountain Healthcare, where she was responsible for the growth and development of clinical services, collaborative pharmacy practice agreements, and professional development and competency assessment.
Missy has been active in pharmacy advocacy issues throughout her entire pharmacy career. She has served in numerous pharmacy leadership and advocacy roles at the state and national level, most recently serving as APhA Speaker of the House of Delegates.
She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University Of New Mexico College Of Pharmacy in 2008, and a Master of Science degree in Health Policy and Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research from the University of Utah. She completed a 24-month residency program in Health-System Pharmacy Administration from Intermountain Healthcare in June of 2010.

Charles Baker

Vice President, Compliance Solutions

ATTAC Consulting Group

Charles Baker is a distinguished leader in the healthcare industry, known for his strategic expertise in health plan compliance and operational excellence. As the Director of Health Plan Performance and Medicare Compliance Officer at Priority Health, Charles led the transformation of the Medicare Advantage Compliance Program. Overseeing a membership exceeding 260,000 beneficiaries, his commitment to compliance and quality excellence resulted in Priority Health’s attainment of a 5-star rating — the only Medicare plan to achieve this distinction in Michigan for 2023. Charles’ expertise extends across diverse healthcare environments. His role as the Practice Leader at Trinity Health underscored his ability to translate healthcare guidelines into practical strategies. In his tenure with Allina Health, Charles played an instrumental role in revenue enhancement through innovative program initiatives and streamlined operational management. He holds a Master of Healthcare Administration and a Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota, as well as a Bachelor of Social Work from Eastern Michigan University. He earned certification as a LEAN Practitioner from Johns Hopkins Medical Center. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Charles is deeply engaged in community initiatives. He serves on the city council for the City of Rockford, Michigan, and contributed his expertise as a former Adjunct Professor at the University of Detroit Mercy in Population Health and Epidemiology. He volunteers as a Health Equity Council Member at the Kent County YMCA and has held past board positions at Urban Roots Community Market and the Merriam Park Block Nursing Association.

Craig W. Fisher

Director, Product Development & Growth Initiatives

Jefferson Health Plans

Craig Fisher is an enterprise product leader and current director at Jefferson Health Plans who oversees Medicare Advantage and Individual & Family plans as it relates to product strategy & design, implementation and management. Also, Craig manages and ushers strategic direction and execution to achieve the enterprises overarching targets and goals. Upon alignment and execution, provides leadership across both portfolios for all implementation and go to market efforts. Prior to joining Jefferson Health Plans, Craig managed the Cross Segment Product Strategy Team while also leading enterprise roadmap efforts at Highmark Health. These programs and products aligned care journeys, member experiences with digital and non-digital solutions which created synergies to drive member satisfaction, better care outcomes, and an ROI on key benefits. These roadmap workstreams spanned commercial fully insured, ASO, Federal ACA, and MA plans. During Craig’s time at Highmark, he held several leadership roles in Medicare product development and strategy in order to design and build market competitive products to achieve enterprise enrollment targets and support all aspects of CMS bid development and new contract filing. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Craig stays busy with his wife and two young children attending sporting events, golfing, and hosting cook outs with friends and family.

Dave Krupa

Vice President of Marketing and Retail Sales

Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina

Dave has worked with multiple health plans on the east coast in a variety of sales and marketing positions including the last 13 years at Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina where his current role is Vice President of Marketing and Retail Sales. In this position he is responsible for lead generation marketing, telesales, retail and mobile distribution channels, market research, communications, and sales enablement technology. He has extensive experience in direct-to- consumer markets for both Medicare and ACA Individual Product lines of business and has also worked with broker distribution channels. He has broad experience in building and executing acquisition, engagement, retention and recapture programs.

Dave currently resides in South Carolina but is a native of Connecticut as well as a graduate of the University of Connecticut and huge fan of UCONN basketball!

Ezio Sabatino

Chief Influence Officer

Sabatino Marketing, LLC

With an impressive three decades of experience, Ezio Sabatino is a passionate marketing leader who has excelled in all facets of integrated marketing and communications, consistently driving increased revenue and expanding market share.
Currently serving as the Chief Influence Officer at Sabatino Marketing, LLC, Ezio is closely affiliated with the Cialdini Institute. In this capacity, he leverages his extensive knowledge to coach, mentor, and train individuals and businesses of all sizes in ethical influence and persuasion, drawing on the groundbreaking work of Dr. Robert Cialdini.
As one of only 667 individuals worldwide certified by Dr. Cialdini for this expertise, Ezio holds certifications in Ethical Influence and Ethical Online Influence from the Cialdini Institute and serves as a Founding Member of the Institute.
Ezio also specializing in marketing and sales consulting within the Individual Insurance space (Medicare Advantage, DSNP, Medicare Supplement, ACA), Ezio has spearheaded acquisition, onboarding, and retention efforts through the strategic planning and implementation of marketing lead generation and retention programs.
From 2002 to 2023, Ezio has held influential marketing leadership roles, including as Interim Director of Marketing at Access Health CT, the state’s official insurance marketplace, and Director of Marketing Acquisition & Retention for Individual Products, as well as Director of Marketing Communications for Senior Markets at EmblemHealth and ConnectiCare. Notably, at ConnectiCare, he achieved a remarkable 38% growth in brand awareness and led marketing campaigns that secured #1 market share positions in ACA, Medicare Advantage, and Small Business Insurance.
Prior to his role at ConnectiCare, Ezio played a key role in elevating commercial health products to market prominence during his tenure at PHS Health Plans, a Health Net Company, from 1991 to 2001.
Ezio holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing with a minor in psychology from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. As a lifelong resident of Stratford, CT, he, and his wife, Lysa, are proud parents of three children and two grandchildren. Beyond his professional endeavors, Ezio loves dogs (especially rottweilers and boxers), is a shareholder and fan of the Green Bay Packers, and loves a good Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel show.

Lisa Franklin, MS

Director of Individual Medicare Business (P&L) and Product & Marketing Strategy (Government Programs)

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

Lisa Franklin is currently the Business Owner of Individual Medicare and Director of Product and Marketing Strategy focused on driving the Individual Medicare businesses to financial sustainability, leading the product lifecycle (strategy, design, management, and optimization), and development of robust marketing strategies around member retention and engagement. She
drives the business to consistently assess and make improvements in the levers (cost of care, revenue, quality, and administrative costs) that ensure plans can continue to offer low premiums, supplemental benefits, and an overall great member experience. She leads the overall product vision and strategy, while continuously optimizing Individual Medicare Advantage plans (including Dual Special Needs), Medicare Supplemental, and Group Medicare Advantage plans in the Maryland, District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia areas. She manages a team that leads cross- functional discussions to meet milestones on the product roadmap driving towards short and long- term strategic goals. She also leads a team of marketing professionals focused on executing key messages through various channels (print, digital, phone, and more) for all government programs. Lisa previously worked at Johns Hopkins Healthcare in Maryland as Product Development Manager for Medicare Advantage plans. She has over 8 years of experience leading the Medicare Advantage Bid process at multiple organizations with a passion for ensuring that data is the driving force for every element of the product lifecycle. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and corgis, Turbo and Jetta, as well as spinning and shopping.

Arun Mehta

Vice President, Marketing & Analytics

Insurance Science DM

Arun Mehta is a marketing leader with over 13 years of experience in omni-channel marketing, machine learning and data science for the insurance industry. Having held marketing and data science leadership roles at organizations such as McKinsey, Accenture, and Guidewell; Arun and his team have significant experience in helping Medicare organizations maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of multi-million-dollar marketing budgets.
Arun's strategic vision and leadership have been instrumental in consistently surpassing expectations in the ever-evolving landscape of data analytics and marketing.

Matt Tamke

Executive Director and General Manager, Supplemental Benefits Administration

CVS Health

Matt is the Executive Director for CVS Benefits at CVS Health, where he oversees operations, product strategy, and business development for the company’s supplemental benefit programs. With a robust background in the retail and healthcare sectors, Matt brings over two decades of leadership experience to his role, having held various key positions in merchandising, product development, strategy, and operations. His extensive expertise in driving innovation and operational excellence has been instrumental in transforming benefit offerings and enhancing customer experiences.

Mark Aspenson

CEO

Avery Telehealth

Mark Aspenson, CEO of Avery Telehealth, which is part of the Avery Group, a privately held multimillion dollar healthcare company that started in 2003 and based in Scottsdale, AZ. Mark is an expert in the areas of readmissions, care transition planning and telehealth. He has been published in HFM Magazine and often speaks nationally on these topics.

Mark was recognized as one of the top 35 entrepreneurs 35 and under. He is cofounder of the Summit Group for top performers. Mark is an active member of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), and America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

Justin Skerbetz

Chief Marketing, Strategy, & Revenue Officer | Healthcare Transformation Leader

Insightin Health

Justin Skerbetz is a visionary healthcare transformation executive who has spent two decades breaking through conventional barriers to enhance healthcare experiences for millions of members. As Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Insightin Health, he has orchestrated revenue growth while pioneering AI-driven engagement strategies that fundamentally reimagine how health plans connect with their members.

Prior to Insightin Health, Justin's leadership catalyzed remarkable results at local, regional and national health plans, where his innovative approach to member engagement consistently shattered growth targets while strengthening operational foundations. His groundbreaking work earned him the Healthcare Innovation Awards for advancing health equity through personalized member experiences.

Justin's unique expertise lies at the intersection of predictive analytics, behavioral science, and healthcare operations—a combination that has enabled him to develop engagement frameworks that activate members at twice the industry standard rates. He has repeatedly demonstrated that by understanding the human factors behind healthcare decisions, organizations can create profoundly more effective member journeys.

A thought leader in healthcare transformation, Justin brings an unparalleled perspective on how strategic innovation can reshape healthcare delivery while delivering measurable business results.

Wil Ritchie

Vice President, Business Development

Bloom

Wil Ritchie is a seasoned business development leader with over 15 years of experience in the Medicare space. As Vice President of Business Development at Bloom, he partners with Medicare health plans to strengthen acquisition, onboarding, and engagement strategies-always with a focus on the full member experience. Prior to joining Bloom, Wil held leadership roles at Wunderman Thompson Health, where he helped Medicare and ACA carriers drive profitable growth by leading the development and optimization of marketing and member engagement strategies.

Jennifer Brooks-Kaluza

Head of Government Solutions

Lynx

Jenn Brooks-Kaluza is the Head of Government Solutions at Lynx (Lynx-fh.com), an innovative fintech leader redefining how payers design and deliver healthcare benefits while driving member engagement. Jenn is a healthcare leader with deep expertise in Medicare and Medicaid, specializing in dual-eligibles and complex populations. With nearly two decades in payer operations and strategic program development, she understands how payers can enhance benefits, improve outcomes, and expand access to care. She has led initiatives in supplemental benefit design, member retention, and product implementation, helping payers optimize engagement and improve health and benefits strategies. Bringing her deep understanding of government-sponsored healthcare to Lynx, Jenn is helping shape Lynx solutions that modernize payments, streamline benefit delivery, and drive financial engagement for payers and their members.

Joe Firnstahl

Chief Product Officer

Lynx

Joe Firnstahl is the Chief Product Officer at Lynx (Lynx-fh.com), an innovative fintech leader redefining how payers design and deliver healthcare benefits while driving member engagement.

Joe brings a career of experience focused on the intersection of healthcare and finance. His previous experience includes UnitedHealth Group, where Joe led Product for the financial health accounts business. During his career, Joe has led the development, launch, and management of innovative consumer payment solutions aimed at helping to address client and member needs in Commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid markets. Joe oversaw the healthcare industry’s largest HSA business and led expansion through distribution partnerships in the retirement industry. Using a consumer-first approach to product development, he has launched leading consumer applications in banking, finance, and e- commerce.

Mary Easley

Team Lead, Strategic Enterprise Account Executive

Freshpaint

Mary Easley is a Team Lead, Strategic Enterprise Account Executive at Freshpaint, where she partners with leading payers to implement HIPAAcompliant analytics and digital marketing solutions. Since joining Freshpaint in March 2023, Mary has guided over 60 of the nation's largest top health systems and payers through the latest HHS web tracker guidance—helping them balance performance-driven marketing with rigorous privacy requirements.

Kelley Rutledge

Business Development Manager

Medline Industries

Kelley Rutledge is a seasoned operations executive with over 25 years of experience leading government programs in New York and New Jersey. Since 2024, Kelley has served as a Business Development Manager at Medline Industries, Inc., where she leverages her extensive experience with government programs to drive business and product development for the Health Plan division. Her focus at Medline is on strategic partnerships related to supplemental benefits.