OUR TEAM

WHO WE ARE

Our team has done the incredible and wants to help you do the same.  We are a group of diverse and experienced professionals who are excited to work with you. We understand your needs and can guide you to that next level of success – whether that is your next meeting or next stage in your business.

Elizabeth Schumacher, JD

CEO and Founder

OUR FOUNDER

Elizabeth Schumacher has represented health care clients for 20 years, including international, national and state medical, academic and specialty associations. Her expertise spans; hospital systems, health insurers, long-term care, and the pharmaceutical industry. Liz has a unique ability to authentically engage strategic stakeholders and build comprehensive alliances and audiences, which is supported by her executive experience managing legislative and public relations, legal affairs, business planning, clinical research and health policy.

MEET THE TEAM

CLIENT SUCCESS & ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT

Amanda Decker

Senior Account Executive

Annika Victorson

Association Manager

Ariel McClain

Association Manager

Becky Cira

Account Executive, Director of Meetings and Events

Bernadette Londberg

Meeting Planner

Cayla Marconi

Account Executive, Director of Client Operations

Claire Krzyzewski

Director of Creative Operations

Corrine Marconi

Account Executive

Daniel Hawley

Director of Digital Operations

Deni Alivar

Association Coordinator

Jacqueline Faber

Manager, Social Media

Joan Hubele

CFO

Kim Schardin

Senior Executive Director

Marisa Snell

Account Manager

Martha O’Hanlon

Director of Association Management

Rosaleen Tully

Account Executive, Director of Industry Relations

Shelley Warnock

Account Executive

Skyler Sanderson

Meeting Planner

Wendi Howard

Account Executive

Catherine Hanson, JD

Senior Legal and Policy Advisor

Claire Vincent

Podcast Host, “House Call, An Affinity Strategies Podcast”

Donna Sollenberger

Senior Healthcare and Executive Leadership Consultant

Robert Popovian, PhD

Senior Science, Economics and Policy Advisor

Association Technologies, Inc

Technology and IT Team

J. S. White & Associates, LLC

Bookkeeping and Audit Team

Meducation Solutions

Medical Education Grants Team

Ameriprise Financial

Investments Team

CineMed

Accreditation and Credentialing Team

WE ARE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS

PARTNERS

We will work with partners and organizations across a diverse spectrum of industries.  We also collaborate with experts in their field to help ensure we are meeting the needs of our clients.

Elizabeth
Schumacher, JD

CEO

Prior to starting Affinity Strategies, Liz was Executive Director of LUGPA, a national urology subspecialty association with over 2,400 members. As a senior legislative attorney for the Americal Medical Association, Liz managed nationwide health insurance public policy development and Affordable Care Act rulemaking. While Pfizer, Liz developed and implemented strategic stakeholder engagement on key issues, including specialty tiers, access to medications, biologics, Medicare. Liz began her career at age 26 at the University of Wisconsin, where she was responsible for the third largest academic medical research budget in the United States.

Recent speaking engagements include the American Association of Medical Society Executives, ASAE, University of Wisconsin Law School, The Department of Health and Human Services, Elevate Women’s Network; American Medical Association and other global organizations. Liz has testified before Congress and is an avid advocate for kidney and organ transplant patients. Liz is a third generation Badger and received her Bachelor’s, Law and Master of Law degrees from the University of Wisconsin. Liz enjoys cooking, baking, global travel, and reading. She values her time with her husband, Shawn and Bulldogge, Brit and being with family and friends.

Calya Marconi

Account Executive

Director of Client Operations

Cayla Marconi joined AS in 2016. She currently serves in two roles at Affinity Strategies, including Chief of Staff for AS and Executive Director, Association Management. In her role as Chief of Staff, Caylaensures that the daily company needs are managed trains new staff and works behind the scenes to solve problems and build new best practices for AS and its clients. Cayla’s sense of humor, hard work ethic, and positive attitude bring great assets to the Affinity team and its clients. Prior to joining Affinity, Cayla was an Account Manager with a global logistics firm, where she managed global shipping, logistics, and business development. Cayla received her degree from Western Illinois University. In her spare time, she helps foster rescue dogs and enjoys exercise and socializing with her friends and family.

Kim Schardin

Senior Executive Director

Meet Kim Schardin, a seasoned Association Management pro with a career spanning two decades, who loves helping her clients change the world!

With her MBA from Alverno College and Certified Association Executive (CAE) Certification, Kim has navigated the complexities of association management with finesse. She’s not just about numbers; she’s all about building relationships. From advisory boards to regulatory leaders, she’s woven a web of connections that ensure success, growth, and advocacy.

Beyond board meetings, Kim is part of a diverse herd. There’s a dachshund with a heart of gold, two mischievous cats who keep life interesting, and three birds who add a symphony to her home. And on Saturdays, you’ll find her volunteering to care for five therapy horses and two donkeys. Kim also enjoys time with her husband, children, and active grandsons. It’s a reminder that amidst the hustle and bustle, family, furry friends, and giving back are what truly matter.

Sarah Klemme

Director of Accounting

Sarah Klemme has an almost 20 year background in various fields of accounting, including bookkeeping and tax preparation and has a degree from UW Madison. She’s worked for accounting firms and local small businesses and ran her own accounting business prior to joining the team at Affinity Strategies. Kids, a dog, backyard chickens, gardening and knitting occupy Sarah’s time outside of work.

Ariel McClain

Association Manager

Ariel serves as an Association Manager at Affinity Strategies, helping with day-to-day operations for several clients. She has over ten years of experience in customer success leadership with an emphasis in project coordination and logistics. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Gender studies from University of Wisconsin – Madison and is a Certified Associate in Project Management. When not on the job, Ariel love running (and pretty much any outdoor activity!), restaurants, concerts, and seeing the world.

Joan Hubele

CFO

Joan Hubele has over 20 years of experience in accounting and finance. For the past nine years she has taken her large enterprise experience and applied it to the nonprofit sector as an accountant, financial analyst, and CFO. Joan earned an MBA, but more importantly has applied knowledge in nonprofits. She understands and has hands-on experience in nonprofit operations including compliance, licensure, human resources, facilities management, and organizational IT. Joan has been through many of the challenges facing nonprofits today; expansion, contraction, mergers, new accounting systems, program restructures, and real estate development.

Jacqueline Faber

Manager, Social Media

A graduate from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology, Karma Strategic Communications Owner/Founder, Jacqueline Faber, utilizes her passion and expertise of understanding how people think, behave, and connect when approaching each vital step of social media management. Her strength in interpersonal communications and attention to detail leads her to sharing brands’ voices and messages from a unique and unparalleled perspective. Jacqui’s love for collaborating and creativity doesn’t stop there as you can often find her hosting homemade dinners with friends and family in her spare time.

Corrine
Marconi

Account Executive

Corrine Marconi joined AS, in 2018, she brings extensive experience in event planning management to the AS team. Corrine works with clients to ensure that all aspects of their events exceed expectations, including a selection of food and beverage, meeting locations, event budgeting, forecasting, sales, and on-site event management. She has expertise in corporate and nonprofit events and has worked in catering and event management since 2012. Prior to joining AS, Corrine was the Catering and Administration Manager for Eurest, where she oversaw all event administration for Kirkland and Ellis. Corrine is a strong communicator with exceptional follow-through – she understands that details matter. In her spare time, Corrine enjoys seeing life through the eyes of her toddler – and believes that the answer to most any question is – chocolate. Corrien is a graduate of Western Illinois University, where she earned her Degree in Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Management.

Shelley Warnock

Account Executive

Shelley Warnock is an Association Manager at Affinity Strategies. In her role, Shelley works hand in hand with clients every day to ensure that their daily needs are met. Prior to joining Affinity Strategies, Shelley held various management roles in customer service and administration. Shelley has worked in multiple industries, including banking, nonprofit administration, local government and food and beverage. Shelley holds an Associate of Applied Science Degree from Valdosta Community College in Business Administration.

Deni Alivar

Association Coordinator

Deni serves as an Association Coordinator at Affinity Strategies, helping with day-to-day administration tasks for several clients. Prior to Affinity Strategies, she worked in the world of real estate as a Property Manager of a 23-building portfolio in Chicago’s northside. She is currently continuing her education at Southern New Hampshire University obtaining a degree in Business Management. On her off time, Deni loves to photograph and spends time with her two small dogs.

Daniel Hawley

Director of Digital Operations

Daniel Hawley brings a strong background in visual and digital engagement to the AS team. Since joining Affinity Strategies in 2017, Daniel manages all digital and creative client needs. Daniel oversees all graphic design, IT, and, marketing projects, ensuring that client needs and deadlines are met. Whether he is working on client branding, meeting deliverables, marketing campaigns, social media templates, or website functionality, Daniel is sure to help the client look and feel their visual best. Daniel loves exploring unique and creative solutions through his work, creating efficient, interactive visual systems for clients. He enjoys, print, web, and UI/UX design, and is always looking for new ways to challenge himself and his design process. In his free time, Daniel loves exploring new restaurants, watching classic movies, and fishing. Daniel received his degree from Judson University.

Amanda Decker

Senior Account Executive

Amanda Decker is a Certified Association Executive spearheading the radiology groups at Affinity Strategies. She began her career in association management developing international medical education programs and cultivating strategic global partnerships. Nearly 15 years later and fueled by a belief that associations make the world a better place, she now works across the spectrum of association leadership to help organizations realize their distinct missions and serve their members. Beyond her professional achievements, Amanda enjoys the great outdoors and can often be found tending to her pollinator garden or exploring nearby hiking trails with her family. She’s also an avid enthusiast of any friendly competition – card games, trivia, volleyball and chili cookoffs are some of her favorites. Amanda holds a degree from DePauw University.

Catherine Hanson, JD

Partner, Legal and Reimbursement Policy

Ms. Hanson has over 30 years of experience providing advice and counsel to physicians, medical associations and other health care related individuals and organizations. She has handled a broad array of health care and association matters, utilizing all advocacy strategies from informal discussion, to regulation, legislation and litigation. Most recently, Ms. Hanson has focused on managed care, including the impact of ACOs, new payment models and clinical integration, HIPAA, including the Privacy, Security and Transaction Rules, and evolving physician employment arrangements. Ms. Hanson is the author of numerous publications and a sought after speaker. Ms. Hanson recently served as vice-president of the American Medical Association’s state and private sector advocacy unit from July 2007 through January 2013. Under her leadership, AMA’s private sector advocacy team developed the National Managed Care Contract and database, the only complete compilation and analysis of every managed care law and regulation in the country. Ms. Hanson also directed the creation of numerous other unique resources for physicians, including how-to manuals on new payment models, ACOs and physician integration strategies. She led the development of AMA’s National Health Insurer Report Card (NHIRC), the first objective look at the claims processing activities of the nation’s largest health insurers. Ms. Hanson’s private sector advocacy team also achieved significant, nationwide physician profiling reforms and improvements in the HIPAA transaction standards necessary to enable payer transparency and physician practice automation. Ms. Hanson’s state advocacy successes included obtaining National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) support for AMA positions related to critical state ACA implementation/health insurance market reform issues, such as medical loss ratio, rate review, health insurance exchanges, and transparency of coverage facts for consumers, successes that were subsequently reflected in the federal ACA regulations. She led a successful effort that secured National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) model bills regulating rental network PPOs and calling for transparency for out-of-network services instead of a ban on balance billing. Last but certainly not least, Ms. Hanson’s team worked with medical associations throughout the country to achieve hundreds of legislative and regulatory victories to preserve medical liability reforms, ensure health insurer transparency, improve public health and safety, enact truth-in-advertising laws and protect the patient-physician relationship. Prior to her AMA work, Ms. Hanson served as vice-president and general counsel for the California Medical Association from December 1986 through June 2007. Her many CMA accomplishments included an extremely successful advocacy campaign in the courts and before the California Attorney General that resulted in nearly 100 decisions upholding MICRA and otherwise protecting physicians from unfair professional liability exposure, protecting the physician-patient relationship, increasing access to care, reigning in managed care abuses, and ensuring fair peer review, among other issues. Ms. Hanson also led the development and publication of the 4000+ page California Physicians Legal Handbook, a comprehensive health law treatise, which she published annually with her CMA Legal Center staff from 1990-2007. Prior to starting the CMA’s in-house law department, Ms. Hanson was an attorney with the law firm of Hassard Bonnington in San Francisco. Ms. Hanson is a past president of the California Society for Health Care Attorneys, a past president of the American Society of Medical Association Counsel, a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, and the American Bar Association Health Law Section. Ms. Hanson is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. She obtained her J.D. degree from Boalt Hall School of Law at University of California, Berkeley. She is a California licensed attorney admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of California. Ms. Hanson has an AV Martindale Hubbell rating. Ms. Hanson is Of Counsel to the Firm.

Regina Legoo

Director, Meeting and Accreditation

Regina Legoo is a professional with 20 plus years of meetings and program management in both the corporate and not for profit sectors. Regina uses her trademark skills of problem solving, creativity, and flexibility to produce top notch, conferences and events both domestic and international. She excels at logistics and operations, and her attention to detail means that events and meetings go smoothly from concept to completion. Excellent at wearing multiple hats, Regina is adept at responding quickly to changing circumstances. As meeting professional, she specializes in customer service that nurtures positive, productive relationships with both clients and suppliers. Regina advances her clients’ mission by making the most of their event experiences, while minimizing cost. Known for her dedication and hard work she works to achieve goals and tackles challenges with positive energy and solutions. Regina is a graduate of Northwestern University, and prior to joining Affinity, she worked with other freestanding medical associations as well as association management companies with a strong medical association portfolio.

Becky Cira

Account Executive

Director of Meetings and Events

Becky Cira is an Association Manager at Affinity Strategies. Prior to joining the company she was an Operations Administrator at an asset management company. She has worked in multiple industries including finance and food and beverage. Becky has extensive experience managing various types of nonprofit fundraisers. . She enjoys spending time with her husband, 3 children, friends, 2 dogs, working out and coaching her daughter’s fast pitch softball team. She holds a BBA with a concentration in finance from Loyola University Chicago.

Rosaleen Tully

Account Executive

Director of Industry Relations

Rosaleen Tully has been in client success since she was sixteen – it’s in her blood. Upon graduation from Elmhurst University with a degree in Public Administration and Organizational Sociology, Rosaleen took a job with McDonald’s Corporation, serving in various communication and meeting planning roles. Next, she opened two successful Learning Express Toy Stores, where she won the following franchise awards, Impact, Store of the Year, Marketing, and Top Seller.
Rosaleen’s unique experiences demonstrate her entrepreneurial and client centric focus. She is always looking at the big picture to grow a client’s financial, membership and organizational health.
She was drawn to Affinity Strategies because of Liz’s passion for the health care community and patient centric focus. “Being a part of the Affinity Strategies family and working with our client’s gives me a greater purpose; it’s not just business, there is someone sick or hurting that’s on the other side that will benefit from the client’s good work.”
Rosaleen enjoys spending time with her husband, Jack, her daughters, Melissa and Michaela and her large extended family. She is passionate about politics, football and traveling. Rosaleen earned her BA from Elmhurst University in Public Administration and Organizational Sociology.

Robert Popovian, PhD

Senior Science, Economics and Policy Advisor

Dr. Robert Popovian is the Founder of the strategic consulting firm Conquest Advisors. He also serves as Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, Vice-President, Health Economics and Policy for ConsenSys Health and Senior Healthy Policy Fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute. He previously served as Vice President, U.S. Government Relations at Pfizer. One of the country’s foremost experts on every significant facet of biopharmaceuticals and the healthcare industry, he is a recognized authority on health economics, policy, government relations, medical affairs, and strategic planning.Dr. Popovian has published extensively and referenced on the impact of biopharmaceuticals and health policies on costs and clinical outcomes in the most prominent medical sources and media publications, including the Clinical Economics and Outcomes Research, The Oncologist, Journal of Vaccines and Vaccinations, Health Science Journal, USA Today, Washington Examiner, Managed Healthcare Executive and Morning Consult. He is also a sought-after speaker and has been invited to provide detailed presentations, briefings, and expert reviews for the U.S. Congress, dozens of state legislatures, and at conferences and medical symposiums throughout the country and around the world.Dr. Popovian is one of the select few researchers to study and publish both clinical and policy-related economic analysis as well as empirical data regarding emerging payment models in the U.S. healthcare system and for biopharmaceutical reimbursement. His insight and analysis also led to one of the first inclusions of health outcomes data regarding a biopharmaceutical labeled indication.As an advisor, Dr. Popovian serves on the Board of Councilors of University of Southern California School of Pharmacy.Dr. Popovian completed his Doctorate in Pharmacy and Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy degrees at the University of Southern California with honors.  He has also completed a residency in Pharmacy Practice/Adult Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the Los Angeles County-USC Hospital and a fellowship in Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy at USC.Robert and his family have residences in Los Angeles, CA, and Washington, DC.

Catherine Hanson, JD

Senior Legal and Policy Advisor

Ms. Hanson has over 30 years of experience providing advice and counsel to physicians, medical associations and other health care related individuals and organizations. She has handled a broad array of health care and association matters, utilizing all advocacy strategies from informal discussion, to regulation, legislation and litigation. Most recently, Ms. Hanson has focused on managed care, including the impact of ACOs, new payment models and clinical integration, HIPAA, including the Privacy, Security and Transaction Rules, and evolving physician employment arrangements. Ms. Hanson is the author of numerous publications and a sought after speaker. Ms. Hanson recently served as vice-president of the American Medical Association’s state and private sector advocacy unit from July 2007 through January 2013. Under her leadership, AMA’s private sector advocacy team developed the National Managed Care Contract and database, the only complete compilation and analysis of every managed care law and regulation in the country. Ms. Hanson also directed the creation of numerous other unique resources for physicians, including how-to manuals on new payment models, ACOs and physician integration strategies. She led the development of AMA’s National Health Insurer Report Card (NHIRC), the first objective look at the claims processing activities of the nation’s largest health insurers. Ms. Hanson’s private sector advocacy team also achieved significant, nationwide physician profiling reforms and improvements in the HIPAA transaction standards necessary to enable payer transparency and physician practice automation.

Claire Vincent

Podcast Host, “House Call, An Affinity Strategies Podcast”

Claire Vincent brings a warm, inviting, and professional tone to her work. She is passionate, formerly trained, has a strong work ethic and provides timely, attentive, and upbeat service to her customers. She has 10+ years of experience as a public speaker and a background in corporate training and elearning narration.

Skyler Sanderson

Meeting Planner

Skyler Sanderson joined AS in 2022 as a Meeting Planner. After graduation from Concordia University Wisconsin with a B.S. in Marketing and Business Management she moved to Minneapolis where she worked for a larger healthcare association. There she started out on the Member Services team and eventually moved to the Conference Planning team. She is now excited to help AS put on amazing events. Skyler enjoys spending time with friends and being active with her 2 dogs.

Wendi Howard

Account Executive

Wendi Howard began working in a restaurant at 14 years old and says “Interactions with people are still the most important driver of any business experience. I have a hospitality soul and that has carried on throughout my entire career”.

Early on, Wendi was an award winning, top producer for several fortune 500 companies. She has served as a court appointed specialized advocate for CASA Illinois, using her negotiating skills to “Change a child’s story” which is CASA’s national motto. As she advocated for children’s best educational and medical care, her interest in the healthcare profession began.

After being the Director of Sales and Marketing for hotels and resorts Wendi’s entrepreneurial nature wanted more. She launched Howard Marketing Group in 2009 and for over a decade she helped small and medium sized companies, and national franchises grow their businesses.

She consulted for various companies and was offered a position in the conference and meeting world eventually focusing on associations including health care. Wendi was drawn to Affinity Strategies because of Liz’s passion for the health care community and patient centric focus.

Wendi enjoys spending time with her husband, Tim, her four children and entertaining friends and family often at their home. She loves to cook for others, listen to music, attend live concerts and being by the water at her pool or the beach.

Marisa Snell

Account Executive

Marisa has worked in event management since 2007.  Prior to Affinity Strategies, she worked at Emerald Expositions as the Operations Director of IRCE, an eCommerce trade show held annually in Chicago. She started her career in Finance, working in the back and middle office of several large brokerage firms.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Westminster College.  In her spare time she loves attending her son’s many sporting events and spending time with her husband and lively Boston terrier, Jake.

Claire Krzyzewski

Director of Creative Operations

Claire serves as the Director of Creative Operations, ensuring the successful design and implementation of digital initiatives and omni-channel campaigns for Affinity Strategies and its clients. She has worked in non-profits for over 25 years developing creative solutions to client problems. She enjoys the challenge of working with clients to create a finished project that is both informative and well designed. Outside of work she serves on the Board of Max’s Mission, a suicide prevention foundation, volunteers at Loaves & Fishes Community Services, and watches college basketball with her husband.

Martha O’Hanlon

Account Executive

Martha O’Hanlon began her association management career in 2010 as an operations associate and has successfully grown her career into an executive director role at Affinity Strategies.
With 11 years of experience in association management and operations for business, trade, and healthcare organizations, Martha excels at building trust in client relationships, leading teams, managing short and long-term projects, and building annual budgets.
She also has experience in managing international chapters, overseeing association certifications and industry designation programs, and administering all aspects of annual awards and volunteer recognition.
Martha graduated with a BA from Illinois State University in Public Relations. She enjoys playing board and card games with friends and her husband, Dan, and spending time with her family in Michigan, Chicago, and Virginia.

Annika Victorson

Association Manager

Annika Victorson serves as an Association Manager for Affinity Strategies and has been on the team since August 2022. After graduating from Belmont University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Faith and Social Justice, Social Work, and Entrepreneurship, Annika went to work at United Way of Greater Nashville and managed the local 211 program for Middle TN. Through internships and her time managing 211, Annika has developed program and project management skills as well as an overwhelming passion to support and build non-profit programs ranging from social services to medical associations. At Affinity, Annika works on the day-to-day operations and program coordination for clients and plays a role in grants and fundraising. In her personal time, Annika loves to watch the Packers, hang out with friends and family, walk the lakeshore path, and explore the city.

Bernadette Londberg

Meeting Planner

Bernadette is a meeting planner at Affinity Strategies. She previously worked for a healthcare association as an education coordinator. Bernadette has provided meeting planning and professional development support for several industries including hearing healthcare, educational sales and software sales. Bernadette has bachelor’s degrees in general studies from Columbia College of Missouri.

Mary Kate de Leon

Account Manager

Mary Kate serves as an Account Manager at Affinity Strategies. In this position she focuses on coordination and communication in an effort to keep our associations operating smoothly and efficiently. Previously, Mary Kate has worked in a number of fields and roles including being a design project manager with a custom sustainable homebuilder, and a travel assistant for a Rome, Italy based private tour company. She served as a graphic design specialist in addition to her primary role at these companies. These skills of teamwork, organization, and efficiency gained over the years have made for an easy transition into association management. Mary Kate’s attention has always tended towards organization, creativity, and sustainability and she works to combine these interests whenever possible. Outside of work Mary Kate loves having fun adventures with her husband, energetic dog Nutmeg, and all of her nephews and niece!

Donna Sollenberger

Senior Healthcare and Executive Leadership Consultant

Donna K. Sollenberger
Founder and President, The Sollenberger Group, LLC

CEO of Academic Health Centers, Retired

Donna Sollenberger founded The Sollenberger Group in 2020 to assist healthcare leaders and boards with strategic and operational planning to deliver high quality services at market competitive costs. Ms. Sollenberger is a coach to executive leaders and teams to help them develop and evolve to their maximum potential. As an executive leader of major academic healthcare organizations for over twenty-five years, Sollenberger’s understanding of healthcare’s challenges and what it takes to develop and implement successful strategies to respond to market and competitive forces provide a solid foundation to help executive leaders and boards achieve exceptional results.

Executive Positions in Healthcare

From 2009 through August 2019, Donna K. Sollenberger served as Executive Vice President and Health System CEO of UTMB Health, a system of four campuses with six hospitals, and 173 clinics. During her tenure, UTMB Health experienced unprecedented growth, expanding from one campus with two hospitals to four campuses with six hospitals and 173 ambulatory clinics throughout Texas. Sollenberger led several clinical care collaborations, chief among them a collaboration between UTMB Health and UT MD Anderson Cancer Center at UTMB Health’s League City Campus.
Prior to UTMB Health, Sollenberger served as EVP and CEO of Baylor Clinics and Hospital, President and CEO of the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, EVP and COO of City of Hope Cancer Center, and VP Hospital and Clinics at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. During her career, Sollenberger led planning, design, and construction for five hospitals throughout her career.
Sollenberger was the first CEO to lead two AMC’s to 5-star designation from Vizient for high quality care measured by mortality, patient-centeredness, equity, efficiency and, effectiveness.
Ms. Sollenberger served on America’s Essential Hospitals board from 2013-2019 (board chair from 2017-2019); and Vizient’s Data and Analytics Committee and the Quality and Accountability Committee. She continues to serve on the University of Illinois-Chicago Health’s Chancellor’s Advisory Council, the University of California San Diego Health System Chancellor’s Advisory Board, the Oregon Health and Sciences University Healthcare Advisory Board, and is a member of the board of Nordic Consulting. She has also served on the University of Illinois Alumni Board, the board of Madison Gas and Electric Company, and Incom, an IT consulting company.
During her career, Sollenberger received many awards and recognitions, chief among them, the University of Illinois Distinguished Alumni Award (2005), and Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women in Healthcare (2007). She was the 2016 commencement speaker at the University of Illinois – Springfield.
Sollenberger earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Illinois-Springfield.