HERO is a Member Driven Organization
Emeritus Board Members
David Anderson
David Ballard
Andrew Crighton
Marleece Estella
Tom Fariss
Vicki George
Josh Glynn
Ron Goetzel
Bill Greer
Jack Groppel
John Harris
Kristine Holbrook
Fikry Isaac
Dan Krick
Sue Lewis
Ron Loeppke
Hank Orme
LaVaughn Palma-Davis
Jennifer Posa
Nico Pronk
Margaret Sabin
Betty-Jo Saenz
David Sensibaugh
Seth Serxner
Dave Schweppe
Anita Shaughnessy
Bob Soroosh
Jeff Warren
Laurie Whitsel
Sue Willette
Shelly Wolff
Lilly Wyttenbach
Mark Dundon, Co-Founder
Bill Whitmer, Co-Founder
Jerry Noyce, President and CEO
Paul Terry, President and CEO
Advisory Group Members
- David Ballard, PsyD, MBA, GhostNote Consulting
- Betsy Davis, MS, Former National Security Executive
- Jack Dennerlein, PhD, Harvard Chan School’s Center for Work, Health, and Wellbeing
- Marleece Estella, SVP of Health & Chief Medical Officer, bp
- Paul Fronstin, PhD, Employee Benefit Research Institute
- Ron Goetzel, PhD, Johns Hopkins Institute for Health and Productivity Studies
- Jim Klein, American Benefits Council
- Kelly McDevitt, Integrated Benefits Institute
- Nico Pronk, PhD, HealthPartners
- Seth Serxner, PhD, MPH, Independent Consultant
- Laurie Whitsel, PhD, FAHA, American Heart Association
- Shelly Wolff, MBA, Independent Consultant
Board of Directors
The HERO Board of Directors provides the oversight and direction that has made HERO successful and helped us become a leading non-profit health management organization in the country. Our board is made up of corporate executives and individuals from a cross-section of employee health management organizations.
Each board member is a recognized thought leader in their respective area of our industry. HERO is proud to be guided by this distinguished group of professionals.
Dexter Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH
President, Blue Zones Wellbeing Institute
Chair, HERO Board of Directors
Dr. Dexter Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH is the Chief Health Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Officer at Adventist Health; and President of the Blue Zones Wellbeing Institute. Prior to Adventist Health, he was Chief Medical Officer of Zipongo. Dr. Shurney has also served as the Chief Medical Director /Executive Director for Global Health Benefits and Corporate Wellness for Cummins, Inc., and Chief Medical Director of the Employee Health Plan for Vanderbilt University and Medical Center where Dr. Shurney held joint faculty appointments. He has an extensive background in health care management and policy and is the immediate Past-President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. He is co-author of the book “Integrating Wellness into Your Disease Management Programs” which is a “how- to” guide for employers that wish to innovate their approach to chronic condition management. Dr. Shurney is board-certified in general preventive medicine and public health and serves on numerous boards. Other positions that Dr. Shurney has held include Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Healthways, Senior Health Policy Strategist in the Division of Government Affairs for the biotechnology company Amgen Inc., Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of medical affairs for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and Editor of the Journal of Managed Care Physicians.
Joni Troester
Senior Assistant Vice President and Deputy CHRO
The University of Iowa
Immediate Past Chair, HERO Board of Directors
In her current role as Senior Assistant Vice President at the University of Iowa, Joni provides leadership for a broad offering of human resources services for faculty and staff with an emphasis on talent, total rewards employee experience, and data/analytics. She leads a team of staff members responsible for talent acquisition, compensation, health and welfare plans, retirement plans, well-being programs, workers’ compensation services, and data management.
Joni has experience in many areas of human resources with a focus on strategic planning, development, and implementation of system-wide service delivery models, and data analytics. In her work, she is focused on integrating the concepts of total rewards in support of the employee experience and overarching people strategy for the University of Iowa.
Joni earned degrees from the University of Iowa with a BS and MA in Exercise Science; and received her MBA from the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa. She is a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist and Senior Professional in Human Resources
Tamara (Tami) Simon, JD
Secretary, HERO Board of Directors
Tami Simon is a nationally recognized health, wellness, and workforce strategy leader. Recently named one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Benefit Consulting by Employee Benefit Adviser, Tami is Segal’s first global corporate consulting business leader. In this role, Tami and her team provide entrusted HR, employee benefits, and insurance advice to large and midsize employers in various industries.
Tami is an accomplished and highly sought-after public speaker and has testified before the US Congress and Federal Government agencies. She has served as a faculty member for numerous programs, including those of the Harvard Business School, American Law Institute, American Benefits Council, ERISA Industry Committee, Society for Human Resource Management, and the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists.
Tami has authored numerous articles in nationally recognized industry publications such as the Benefits Law Journal, Employee Relations Law Journal and Employee Benefits Journal. She has also been quoted by leading news outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg BNA, The Atlantic, Business Week, CFO Magazine, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, MSN Money, US News & World Report, Washington Business Journal, and Yahoo Finance.
Tami is on the board of directors for Emeriti Retirement Health Solutions, the advisory board of the ERISA Industry Committee as well as BNA Tax Management’s Compensation Planning Journal. Before joining, Tami worked for Mercer, the law firm of McDermott, Will & Emery, Hewitt Associates, and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office; she also served as a judicial intern for the Iowa District Court. Tami received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and her law degree, with distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law, where she was an associate editor of the Law Review. She is a member of the Illinois Bar.
Ryan Sledge, MPH, MBA
Vice President, Workforce Health & Safety
HCA Healthcare
Vice Chair, HERO Board of Directors
Ryan Sledge, MBA, MPH, is the Vice President of Workforce Health & Safety at HCA Healthcare. Ryan partners across teams—both clinical and non-clinical including human resources, infection prevention, HCI, and performance improvement—to ensure caregivers receive great care so that they can focus their passion and energy on providing great care. In his previous role as Director of Worksite Operations and Product Development for OhioHealth, he was for creating a sustainable culture of health for OhioHealth’s 29,000 employees, as well as the employers served by the program in the Columbus region. He has over 10 years of experience in wellness and health management working with employer and community populations, including stints at HealthFitness, Trinity Health, and Beaumont Health. Ryan also serves as co-chair of the HERO Healthcare Summit Planning Committee. Ryan’s academic background includes a BS in exercise science, an MPH degree from Michigan State University, and an MBA degree from the University of Michigan.
Karen Moseley
President & CEO
HERO
Karen Moseley is President & CEO of the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), a national think tank dedicated to advancing best practices in workplace health and well-being. In collaboration with HERO members, Karen and thenHERO team provide leadership in research and education by connecting science and practice to demonstrate the value of a health and well-being employer ecosystem.
Prior to being appointed President of HERO, Karen served as the organization’s Vice President of Education and Director of Operations. In these positions, she was instrumental in growing HERO membership, increasing member engagement, and continuously improving educational programming and supporting HERO’s robust research agenda. Karen also managed HERO’s grant-funded projects, which include a multi-stakeholder collaboration to support employer involvement in community health initiatives and another to identify common measures of community health, both funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Having worked in the non-profit sector for nearly 30 years, Karen has managed the development and dissemination of a number of publications and educational conferences. She is the 2021 recipient of the Leader in Workplace Wellness Award presented by the Global Wellness Summit. Karen received her Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
To stay healthy, Karen enjoys yoga, testing new healthy recipes, and soaking up the great outdoors. Karen and her husband, T.J., are proud parents of two adult children and reside in Wake Forest, NC.
Maggie Biscarr, MSW
Global Sustainability / Health & Wellness Executive
Maggie Biscarr is a global sustainability/health and wellness executive, with experience in both the NGO and corporate sectors, developing and directing programs and partnerships designed to serve vulnerable populations. After an early career in the non-profit sector, Maggie made a move to PepsiCo, where she directed a global partnership strategy for PepsiCo’s Global Public Policy shop.
Prior to her role at PepsiCo, Maggie led the development of AARP Foundation’s SNAP and nutrition incentive portfolios, including Fruit and Vegetable incentive and food Rx programs. Most notably, she developed and ran Fresh Savings, an innovative public-private partnership with UnitedHealthcare, Kroger, farmers markets, and USDA that provided monetary incentives for SNAP consumers to incentivize the purchase and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Maggie’s other primary functions while at AARP Foundation were in grantmaking and cause marketing – she played a key role in the development and management of AARP’s Drive to End Hunger program with NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports. In her early career, Maggie’s direct service experience included a stint working in the DC foster care system, providing behavioral health services for at-risk youth, and serving as a behavioral therapist for children with autism.
In addition to serving on HERO’s board of directors, Maggie holds a board seat on the DC Central Kitchen board to support social enterprise, food security, and job creation in the city where she lives. Maggie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Mercer University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from The University of Georgia.
Janis Davis-Street, M.S., M.A., Ed.D., CHES
Manager, Global Public Health & Special Projects
Health and Medical
Chevron
Janis Davis-Street, MS, MA, EdD, CHES, manages the Global Public Health and Special Projects group of Chevron’s Health & Medical department. This group manages public health programs for the workforce and communities where they operate, provides health education and preventive programs in support of Chevron’s culture of health and safety, and uses epidemiological tools to evaluate health issues. Janis’ qualifications include a doctorate in health education and master’s degrees in nutrition and organizational leadership. She is credentialed as a certified health education specialist, holds a certificate in public health informatics, and managed Chevron’s global wellness portfolio from 2009- 2020. Prior to Chevron, Janis spent 15+ years as a nutritionist at NASA. Her interests include human performance, organizational learning, health disparities, workforce well-being, education outreach, and the prevention of chronic diseases. She has co-authored a middle school textbook – Space Nutrition – and several publications on corporate wellness, nutrition, and spaceflight.
Gerardo D. Durand, MD, MPH
Occupational Medicine and Clinical Services Director
3M
Gerardo Durand, MD, MPH, is Director at 3M Occupational Medicine and 3M Clinical Services. He is responsible for the health services to nonmanufacturing employees, provides medical direction to the Safety and Industrial Business Group and Consumer Business Group manufacturing locations in the United States, and leads the 3M medical team in Latin America. Dr. Durand also leads the deployment of the 3M Health, Safety, and Well-Being standard to generate healthy workspaces, compile meaningful population health indicators, and integrate occupational and non-occupational interventions.
Dr. Durand is originally from Peru, and received his medical degree at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. He is board-certified in internal medicine, occupational and environmental medicine, and holds a master’s degree in public health from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Roshi Fisher, MBA, MPH
Vice President, Director of Clinical Practice Operations
Lockton
Roshi is a trusted advisor to clients with her strong focus on strategic consulting, client leadership, and business operations. She has extensive experience designing, implementing, and evaluating U.S. and global well-being programs. She excels in leveraging data to support strategic planning with data-driven solutions. At Lockton, Roshi leads the strategic direction of clinical practice operations, ensuring the seamless coordination and delivery of high-impact client solutions. Her expertise spans clinical consulting, informatics, and healthcare cost mitigation, driving value through innovative strategies that enhance client outcomes.
Roshi has a B.S. in Biobehavioral Health from Penn State University, a Master in Public Health with a concentration in Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences from the University of Louisville and a Master in Business Administration from Penn State University. She also has a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University and a Certificate in Management Consulting from Penn State University.
Steven Noeldner, PhD, MS
Partner & Senior Consultant, Total Health Management
MERCER
Steven has been with Mercer for more than 17 years and has more than 30 years of experience in the well-being and health promotion field. He specializes in strategy development, execution of health and well-being initiatives, and measurement and evaluation. Prior to joining Mercer, Steven amassed broad health management industry experience, including managing clinical cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs, hospital administration, university teaching, research, corporate health management, and President and COO of a health promotion vendor. Steven’s leadership within HERO has been significant and longstanding: currently serves as the Chair of HERO’s Research Committee, and former co-chair of the Research Studies Subcommittee; co-author of the HERO Health & Well-being Best Practices Scorecard in Collaboration with Mercer©; has published in peer-reviewed journals on behalf of HERO research; and a frequent speaker at Forum and Think Tanks, as well as other industry conferences representing the HERO Scorecard.
Krystal Sexton, PhD
Americas Regional Lead, Human Performance, and Care
Shell Oil Company
Krystal is the scientific liaison to the business, demonstrating the impacts of positive and organizational psychology, cognitive and social neuroscience, and the science of inclusion on business outcomes. She obtained an MS in biostatistics, PhD in epidemiology from the University of Texas School of Public Health, and completed postdoctoral fellowships at both MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine. Krystal has presented on Shell’s program at numerous HERO Forums and Think Tanks.
Erin Seaverson, MPH
Senior Director of Health Research
WebMD Health Services
Treasurer, HERO Board of Directors
Erin Seaverson is the Senior Director of Health Research at WebMD Health Services, steering WebMD’s health and well-being research agenda. Erin works closely with employers and health plans to provide meaningful data that informs and guides program strategy and demonstrates the value of investing in well-being for their populations. She serves as research consultant and principal investigator on strategic initiatives, program evaluation, and outcomes studies. Erin has published numerous peer-reviewed, scientific research studies and her work in research and reporting helps to define best practices for the industry. Her research* was recognized as Paper of the Year in 2019 by the American Journal of Health Promotion and as one of the 25 most important studies in workplace health promotion for its contributions to the industry.
Throughout a career that spans more than 20 years, Erin has built a reputation for distilling complex data into meaningful and actional insights. Before joining WebMD Health Services, she worked at StayWell, a leading health and well-being organization acquired by WebMD in 2020. She worked as a cancer epidemiologist for the State of Minnesota and with the Newborn Hearing Screening Surveillance Program for the State of Massachusetts.
Erin earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise and health science from Alma College and her Master of Public Health degree in epidemiology from the University of Massachusetts. She has also studied at the University of North London in London, England.
Erin resides in Tampa, Florida with her husband, Marc, and daughter, Ruby. She has a deep love for endurance running and strength training, finds peace in the great outdoors, and believes in giving back to her community through volunteerism.
Martha E. Shepherd, DO, MPH, FAAFP, DipABLM
Associate Professor Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics Medical Director
Vanderbilt Health at MNPS
Martha E. Shepherd, DO, MPH, FAAFP, DipABLM is the Chief Medical Officer for the Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Teacher Health Plan and the Medical Director for Vanderbilt Health at MNPS, a network of five employer-based clinics dedicated to delivering whole-person care to Nashville’s school district employees. She is an associate professor of clinical medicine and pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the division of general internal medicine and public health. She is triple board-certified in family medicine, integrative medicine and lifestyle medicine and holds a Master of Public Health from Dartmouth.
Dr. Shepherd completed medical school at Kansas City University, followed by a family medicine internship at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, residency at the University of Tennessee, and a fellowship in integrative medicine at The University of Arizona. She is certified to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) through the Mindfulness Center at Brown University School of Public Health and is a 200-hour RYT yoga instructor. She joined the Vanderbilt faculty after serving as a medical officer in the United States Navy. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and sits on the education committee of the Tennessee Medical Association.
Dr. Shepherd’s research involves employer health, health equity and best practices in population health, including two clinical trials investigating mindfulness in medicine (NCT03571386, NCT05051969 (PI). Her work stresses the importance of effective health communication and including patients in their care plan using shared decision-making tools and evidence-based clinical care paths. She is particularly interested in leveraging technology to improve quality of care while enhancing the patient and provider experience. She has been an invited speaker locally, nationally and internationally at academic institutions, corporate health events and scientific meetings.
Dr. Shepherd is active in the corporate health and wellness space, serving on the Medical Director Council for the National Association of Worksite Health Centers (NAWHC), Cigna Mid-South Physician Advisory Council, HealthCareTN employer-led business coalition, and the board of directors for Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), a national non-profit dedicated to identifying and sharing best practices in the field of workplace health and well-being.
Tonya Vyhlidal, MEd
National Director
Pfizer
Tonya Vyhlidal, MEd, is a National Director of Employers at
Pfizer, where she collaborates and partners with coalitions and employers to help them break down barriers to care for employee populations in the areas of women’s health, cancer, migraines, vaccines, and gene therapy. Tonya is most known for her success at Lincoln Industries where she led the organization’s health, wellness, and safety
functions, landing the company with several awards including the prestigious C. Everett Koop award. Tonya has served on several boards during her time in worksite health and well-being and was recently added to the HERO Board
of Directors in January of 2024. Tonya also serves on the faculty of Concordia University and Nebraska Weselyan as an adjunct instructor in the Health and Human Performance Departments. She received her Bachelor of Science in physical education and her Master of Education in sport pedagogy from the University of Nebraska Lincoln.