Our Team

Mike Roche joined The Alliance in 2015. He is responsible for working with prospective employers, their broker/consultant and their TPA partners to introduce them to self-funded health benefit strategies; sharing data-based information to manage their healthcare spend; and serving as a voice of The Alliance to expand our membership.

Mike has a strong background in health benefits and self-funding. He previously served as a regional sales advisor for Digital Benefits Advisors in Madison, Wisconsin, where he managed the health benefits for more than 160 credit union clients across 14 states. Prior to that position, Mike worked at CUNA Mutual Group in their employee benefits division for almost 10 years as an employee benefits sales specialist.

Mike has a bachelor’s degree with a double major in marketing and business administration and is licensed in both health and life insurance in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Montana.

Jennifer Austin joined The Alliance in 2019 and currently serves as Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, and Marketing. In this role, she helps shape the cooperative’s strategic direction while leading efforts in marketing, communications, and innovation. Before joining The Alliance, Jennifer worked at a number of companies in Chicago and Madison, such as Healthgrades, where she focused on marketing and strategy development for hospitals and health systems, including Advocate Healthcare (now Advocate Aurora Health), Augusta University Health, and HCA Healthcare.

Jennifer has a master’s degree in Global Marketing, Communications, and Advertising from Emerson College and a bachelor’s degree in Art and English from The University of Iowa.

Bobbie Jo Aue joined The Alliance in 2021 and serves as Director, Employer Engagement where she uses her wealth of experience in network design, implementation, and analysis to better service employer-members and their brokers. Bobbie Jo comes from UMR where she held the role of Director of Customer Solutions – Networks for over 11 years. Other previous positions include Network Administrator/ Contract Manager roles at UMR, Security Health Plan, and Fiserv Health. Bobbie Jo earned her degree from UW-Steven’s Point.

Vicki Faust joined The Alliance in 2024, serving as an Account Executive for our employer-members and our partners. She has over 25 years of experience, including working as a Large Group Account Executive at Dean Health Plan/Prevea360 and a Large Group Account Executive at WPS Health Insurance.

Kristin Andro joined The Alliance in 2024 as an Account Executive. She has over 15 years of experience, including roles at UnitedHealthcare, Employer Account Executive at Prime Therapeutics, and Large Group Sales Account Executive at Quartz Health Solutions.

Gretchen Shea joined The Alliance in 2024 as an Account Executive. She has 12 years of experience in the healthcare industry working at United Health Care Sales and WPS, most recently as an Account Manager.

Teresa Maas joined The Alliance in 2024 as an Account Executive. She has over 35 years of experience with WPS, most recently as the Director of Product Development, Account Management, and Risk Management.

Deb Kunferman joined The Alliance in 2013 and now serves as Vice President of Provider Contracting & Relations. Deb leads the team responsible for constructing a provider network that brings value to employer healthcare purchasing by providing direction and oversight of provider network development strategies, including maintaining and growing provider partnerships.

Deb previously served as CEO at Cumberland Memorial Hospital, where she oversaw the fiscal budget, 26 departments, and 285 employees. Other prior roles include CEO at Oakleaf Surgical Hospital and Executive Director for Valley Health Plan, an insurance plan in Eau Claire, WI.

Deb earned her Master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and has served on several Boards in the Eau Claire community over the course of her career, including United Way and Children’s Service Society. She was also elected as the first female president of Kiwanis Club in the organization’s 42-year history.

Holly Dooley joined The Alliance in 2020 as Provider Contracting & Relations Manager. She oversees provider relationship management and strategy to help employers get more value from their health plans.

Holly brings more than 25 years’ experience in the insurance industry, including roles with a nationwide insurer, a major provider health system, and a family-owned benefits brokerage firm in Western Wisconsin.

Jess Ellefson joined The Alliance in 2015 and now serves as Provider Contracting & Relations Specialist, where she focuses on improving employer health plans through the creation of high-value provider networks and growing provider relationships. Jess previously served as Project Coordinator – Health Care Transformation as the initial point of contact for value measurement programs at The Alliance.

Jess has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including healthcare marketing, claims, emergency services coordinator, and projects for compliance and coding.

Jill Hamus joined The Alliance in 2022 as a Provider Contracting & Relations Manager, where she establishes and maintains relationships with healthcare providers to grow The Alliance networks. Jill’s previous roles include Provider Relations Account Manager at Security Health Plan of Wisconsin and Nurse Case Manager at Ascension Saint Joseph’s Hospital.

Jill has 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including provider relations, account management, and case management. She also worked as a registered nurse in Wisconsin for 20 years.

Jeanette joined The Alliance in August 2024. She is responsible for supporting Provider Contracting and Relations through data analytics and process improvement. Jeanette will help support provider partnerships and provide guidance to internal and external customers on complex reimbursement structures.

She has over 20 years of contract and data analytics experience with the last 7.5 years in health insurance, specifically in provider networks. Jeanette comes to the Alliance from Dean Health Plan where she worked as a Provider Contracts Business Specialist and Reimbursement and Incentives Analyst.

Amanda joined The Alliance in September 2025 and supports Provider Contracting & Relations by strengthening provider partnerships, assisting with negotiations, and guiding stakeholders on reimbursement strategies.

She brings over 20 years of experience from UnitedHealthcare, where she specialized in provider relations, claims research, and dispute resolution. Amanda’s deep knowledge of healthcare contracting and commitment to collaboration help advance The Alliance’s mission of expanding access to high-value, affordable care for employers and their employees.

Curt Kubiak joined The Alliance in 2024 as President and CEO. He works with the Board of Directors and senior leadership team to establish the strategic direction of the cooperative.

Prior to working at The Alliance, Curt founded NOVO Health in 2016. His previous experience includes serving as CEO at The Orthopedic & Sports Institute of the Fox Valley (OSI) and Director of Business Administration at Plexus.

Curt earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and international business from Marquette University. He received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Oshkosh.

Deb Kunferman joined The Alliance in 2013 and now serves as Vice President of Provider Contracting & Relations. Kunferman leads the team responsible for constructing a provider network that brings value to employer healthcare purchasing by providing direction and oversight of provider network development strategies, including maintaining and growing provider partnerships.

Kunferman previously served as CEO at Cumberland Memorial Hospital, where she oversaw the fiscal budget, 26 departments, and 285 employees. Other prior roles include CEO at Oakleaf Surgical Hospital and Executive Director for Valley Health Plan, an insurance plan in Eau Claire, WI.

Kunferman earned her Master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and has served on several Boards in the Eau Claire community over the course of her career, including United Way and Children’s Service Society. She was also elected as the first female president of Kiwanis Club in the organization’s 42-year history.

Jeremy Ott joined The Alliance in 2026 as Vice President of Finance & Operations. He oversees the claims and customer service and finance departments, as well as business planning and reporting. Jeremy has over 20 years of experience in business finance, including as VP of Health Insurance Economics at WPS Health Solutions.

Jeremy earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He also holds a certificate in executive leadership from the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional & Executive Development.

Melanie Schoenemann joined The Alliance in September 2025 as Vice President of Business Development and Account Management. In her role, Melanie provides leadership for the Business Development and Account Management teams, helping The Alliance strengthen relationships with employer-members, expand its reach, and continue to innovate on behalf of those the cooperative serves.

Melanie has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the healthcare industry, including overseeing strategic growth. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business and a certificate in advanced management at the Wisconsin School of Business, Center for Professional & Executive Development.

Crystal Fisher joined The Alliance in 2024 as Leader of Employee Experience & Culture. In this role, Fisher is responsible for driving business performance by directing and optimizing all aspects of employee experience and culture, including talent management, talent acquisition, employee development, performance management, employee engagement, culture development, total rewards, and human resources operations.

Fall River Group is one of the largest non-ferrous foundry groups in the Americas specializing in sand & die castings for the plumbing, fire protection, petroleum, and electrical industries.

Beier has been the chief financial officer of Fall River Group since 2021 after joining as vice president of finance in 2020. As CFO, he has responsibility for finance and operations. Beier has considerable experience with multinational corporations in global finance, operations and strategy, and accounting. Prior to joining Fall River Group, where he also serves as board treasurer, Beier spent 13 years at Fiskars Group and held leadership roles in the United States and Finland. As head of finance for supply chain, he oversaw finance for a $700 million global supply chain division and was responsible for the accounting, reporting, budgeting, strategic planning, transfer pricing and banking activity across multinational subsidiaries. Beier received his MBA from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and completed undergraduate studies in accounting and finance at the Universities of Wisconsin-Madison and Wisconsin-Eau Claire, respectively. Beier joined The Alliance Board of Directors in 2022.

Whitehall School District is a public school district located in Whitehall, Wisconsin serving nearly 800 students in Whitehall, Pigeon Falls, Northfield, York, and Pleasantville.

Beighley has been the superintendent for the Whitehall School District for over 20 years. In this role he is responsible for the district’s performance, including student outcomes and overall operation.

He leads with the goal of serving Wisconsin students and communities and maintaining a true, effective and efficient public education system that prepares the next generation for a globally competitive environment. Beighley received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and teaching from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Winona State University. Beighley has served on The Alliance Board since 2025.

WPS Health Solutions is a global leader in health insurance and claims administration, serving millions of beneficiaries worldwide.

Vicki Bernards joined The Alliance Board in 2025. She currently serves as the Chief Financial and People Officer at WPS. In this role, Bernards oversees a broad range of strategic functions, including accounting and reporting, finance shared services, treasury, and financial planning. Most recently, her responsibilities expanded to include Human Resources and Facilities, where she also manages the company’s self-insured employee health insurance program. Bernards has been a key member of the WPS team since 2017, when she joined as Chief Financial Officer. Under her leadership, the company has enhanced its financial operations.

Before joining WPS, Bernards had a successful 17-year tenure at Telephone and Data Systems (TDS), where she held various leadership roles. She gained extensive experience in audit and risk management, business development, and strategic financial planning, and was instrumental in driving competitive analysis and business performance improvement. Bernards holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Management Information Systems from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Promega Corporation is a global leaders in providing innovative solutions and technical support to the life sciences industry.

Clark has been the benefits manager at Promega Corporation since July 2016. In this role, she designs and manages all health and welfare, leave of absence and retirement programs, including all compliance activities. Clark previously held Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certifications. Before her role at Promega, Clark was employed at QBE as a lead benefits analyst and has held positions at Mayo Clinic Health System Franciscan Healthcare, Festival Foods and CUNA Mutual Group. Clark joined The Alliance Board of Directors in 2017. She served as board chair from 2021 through 2024.

Brakebush Brothers, Inc. is a value-added, socially- responsible processor of great-tasting chicken products.

Ludwig joined Brakebush Brothers in 2004, transitioning into controlling health plan expenses in 2014 as the company ventured from fully insured to self-insured. Ludwig developed Brakebush’s Centers of Excellence program which includes steerage to high value providers as well as an international pharmacy. Brakebush opened their first fulltime onsite clinic in Westfield, WI in 2016 offering primary medical, musculoskeletal disorder prevention and rehab, mental health services, Rx dispensing, and other services. Their second clinic opened in their Irving, TX facility in 2021, and plans are in the works for adding onsite services at two other locations. In 2018, Brakebush was awarded The Alliance Healthcare Transformation Award. The following year, Ludwig was presented with the Employer/Purchaser Excellence Award (National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions) in recognition of innovation in healthcare strategy. Each year since becoming self-insured, Brakebush has maintained annual per member costs lower than their first year. Ludwig received a bachelor’s degree in occupational safety from UW Whitewater.

Rice Lake Weighing Systems is a family-owned, international leader of manufacturing and distribution of weight-related products and process-control equipment.

Nolin joined Rice Lake Weighing Systems in 2011 and is currently serving as vice president of human resources. In this role, Nolin focuses on providing high-value healthcare, leading organizational development, guiding E&S, and directing international HR. Prior to his current role, Nolin held human resources leadership positions at Fortune Brands, Newell-Rubbermaid, and GKN. Nolin holds an MBA in human resources management and a master’s degree in business law. He was certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, a Master Trainer for Mission Directed Workteams, and a Master Facilitator for Investment in Excellence and Thought Patterns for High Performance. Nolin joined The Alliance Board of Directors in 2020.

UW Credit Union offers comprehensive financial services from Madison to Milwaukee, including checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, auto and student loans, and investments.

Peterson joined UW Credit Union in 2009 as director of human resources and organizational development. In 2023, Peterson became Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer. In this role, she developed the strategic vision and roadmap for human resources and employee experience that aligns the company’s employee strategy with business strategies. Peterson has over two decades of human resources experience, including serving as the vice president of employee and volunteer services at Agrace Hospice. Peterson received a master’s in strategic leadership from Robert Wesleyan College and a bachelor’s degree in business administration in personnel and human resources management from UW-Whitewater.

Spuncast, Inc. is a centrifugal casting manufacturer serving industries such as Caterpillar, Komatsu, and oil & gas, has maintained an average workforce of 120–130 employees over the past 15 years.

Reading joined Spuncast in June 2003 as CFO, leading the accounting and finance department before being promoted to VP of Finance. In March 2015, he became President of Spuncast, and he now also serves as CEO. He has sat on Spuncast’s Board of Directors since 2004. Reading played a key role in converting the company to 100% employee ownership in October 2022. In addition to overseeing operations, he continues to guide negotiations for health and business insurance renewals. Reading has served on The Alliance Board of Directors since 2011, including as Board Chair in 2014.

Wesley Willows is a senior living communities with personalized options from independent living homes and apartments to assisted living and skilled nursing homes in Rockford, IL.

Salinas has been the president and chief executive officer of Wesley Willows since 2022. As president & CEO she oversees the operational management of multi-site CCRCs with over 1,000 residents, managing a $40M budget and providing leadership to the executive team and 300+ staff. She is responsible for optimizing department efficiency, collaborating with legal counsel, and contributing to strategic direction. Salinas has twenty five years of experience in senior and independent living, including chief executive officer, chief financial officer, and director of finance at Tabor Hills Senior Living in Naperville, IL. She received her MBA with Accounting Concentration from Robert Morris University and completed a BA in Accounting and International Business from National Louis University.

Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co., Inc. is one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of windows and doors for the residential and commercial markets.

Tomsyck has been a vice president of Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co., Inc. since April 1992. In this role, he is responsible for Kolbe’s transportation and fleet management, and all insurance and risk functions. He works extensively with human resources in the management of benefits offered to employees. In addition, as a member of the Executive Committee, Tomsyck provides leadership and guidance to all areas of the company. Tomsyck has been actively involved with the Northcentral Employers Healthcare Alliance since its inception in 1997, serving on its Board of Directors since 2003, lastly as president. Prior to joining Kolbe & Kolbe, Tomsyck held the position of senior manager at KPMG, LLC Certified Public Accountants where he directed the annual audit process for over fifty clients in a variety of manufacturing and service industries. Tomsyck graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, comprehensive accounting major. Tomsyck joined The Alliance Board of Directors in 2023.

Kwik Trip is a family-owned, convenience store company headquartered in La Crosse, Wisconsin with locations throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, and South Dakota.

As the Senior Manager of Talent Wellbeing at Kwik Trip, Trainor supports leadership in driving strategy, management, analysis, and optimization of all benefits for Kwik Trip’s over 39,000 employees. His focus is to develop innovative solutions that support Kwik Trip’s growth and competitive differentiation, and to deliver value to Kwik Trip employees. Trainor has over ten years of experience in benefits roles, including Manager of Benefits at Emplify Health, formally known as Gundersen Health System, where he was responsible for managing all employee benefit programs and plans including medical, retirement, disability, life, and time off for nearly 10,000 employees. Prior to Emplify Health, he worked as Health Promotion Manager at Ashley Furniture. Trainor received a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education with a minor in Nutrition at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.