Board of Directors

Chair
Elected January 2021

Brenda Schmidt is the founder and chief executive officer of Anchor, the system of record for non-medical benefit execution across those programs. Schmidt was previously the head of strategic growth and innovation at Redesign Health, where she led the platform capabilities that have launched 45+ health care companies across payer and provider markets. Before Redesign, she founded and led Solera Health, a benefits network connecting members with a network of non-medical prevention and support services paid through medical claims. Schmidt built Solera to $25 million in revenue with more than 20 health plan contracts in 36 months. Earlier she founded Viridian Health Management, which delivered technology-enabled community-health-worker health management to employers across industries with hard-to-reach employee populations.  She also led Coplex, a venture studio that partnered with health systems to validate and launch new healthcare companies.

Schmidt previously served as a senior lecturer of health administration at NYU's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and as an adjunct professor at Arizona State University's College of Nursing and Health Innovation. She is recognized as the Best MedTech CEO by the 2018 MedTech Breakthrough Awards, named a 2019 EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist and listed by Becker's Hospital Review as a Woman Health IT Leader to Know.

Vice Chair
Elected March 2023

Matt Wandoloski is the CEO of Paloma Healthcare Consulting LLC, a Phoenix-based strategic advisory firm focused on the healthcare industry. He has an extensive background with health plans, delivery systems and large self-funded employers, and has spent most of his career supporting health plans. Notable roles include serving as vice president of corporate strategy and informatics at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, CEO of United Healthcare of Southern Arizona and a partner with Mercer.

He currently serves as a director/advisor/investor to several health-related innovative companies and investment funds, including Healthwell Acquisition Corp, Complia Health and Solera Health. In addition, he advises many emerging innovative companies in the tech-enabled healthcare space. He has also held board positions at Children’s Clinic for Rehabilitation Services, Greater Phoenix Healthcare Innovation Council, Altegra Health, Healthcare Financial Management Association and the Southern Arizona Leadership Council.

Wandoloski has an MBA in finance from Long Island University in New York and received United Healthcare Wharton CEO training.

Member
Elected August 2025

Dr. Cheryl Rucker-Whitaker is regional president at CINQCARE, a national healthcare company delivering community-based care to underserved populations. A physician and entrepreneur, she has over 30 years of experience in clinical practice, health services research, government, philanthropy and healthcare leadership.

She co-founded a Medicaid managed care company that grew to 200 employees and $300 million in revenue, developing care models and technology platforms to improve outcomes in disadvantaged communities. Her previous roles include chief medical officer at Merge Healthcare and senior program manager for health at the Chicago Community Trust. She also advises healthcare startups focused on maternal health, cancer screening and patient engagement.

Dr. Rucker-Whitaker serves on the board of Equality Health and is an advisor to Health2047 and other ventures. She is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of The Chicago Network and The Economic Club of Chicago. She earned degrees from Emory University, Washington University School of Medicine and the Harvard School of Public Health, and completed her training in internal medicine at Stanford and UCSF.

Member
Elected August 2026

Dr. Claude Pirtle is the president of Heartland Whole Health Institute, a non-profit organization that puts a whole health approach at the center of the broader health care system. His interest in dental is grounded in a whole-person health perspective, shaped by direct patient experience and long-standing work in informatics and population health. He consistently frames oral health as interconnected with chronic disease, nutrition, and overall wellness—and believes data integration and coordinated care delivery is essential to making those linkages actionable.

Pirtle previously served as the chief medical informatics officer at Walmart, Inc., where he optimized technology to advance the clinical enterprise and support Walmart Health’s mission of accessible healthcare. His leadership in designing strategic initiatives demonstrated his commitment to leveraging technology for enhanced patient care.

He also has experience as vice president and chief medical information officer for West Tennessee Healthcare and as assistant chief medical officer at Jackson Madison County General Hospital. Pirtle led major initiatives, including an enterprise-wide electronic health record conversion and the implementation of a system wide virtual care and remote patient monitoring program. He holds degrees from Louisiana State University, Vanderbilt University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is board-certified in internal medicine and clinical informatics.

Member
Elected July 2015

Dr. Gary Jones attended Brigham Young University and Arizona State University, and graduated from Northwestern Dental School in 1985. He has practiced dentistry in Mesa for over 30 years.

He served his community as a scout leader, member of the Mesa Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee, chairman of the Mesa Citizens for Better Dental Health (a committee that successfully lead a voter initiative to fluoridate the City of Mesa’s water supply), and a consulting and treating dentist for Mesa Public Schools’ underprivileged children.

As a dental volunteer, he fulfilled responsibilities as president and board member of the Central Arizona Dental Society, president and board member of the Arizona Dental Association, alternate and delegate to the American Dental Association House of Delegates, and three committees of the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners. He also served on the American Dental Association Council on Membership and the Central Arizona Dental Society Foundation Board, which sponsors the Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy each year.

Member
Elected April 2019

Jerry Loe has spent his professional career as a high technology executive with significant experience in the computer and data center space. Most recently, he served as the general manager and vice president of operations for Power Distribution Inc (PDI) in California, where he strengthened relationships with key customers and grew the business revenue by over 15% per year.

Prior to PDI, Loe served as executive vice president at Cirrascale Corporation, focusing on expanding the company’s work with telecommunication customers in Asia. He also served in various roles at Verari Systems Inc for nearly 5 years, and spent 13 years with Cray Inc., where his successful record of negotiating significant complex business, product sales and supplier transactions played a key role in setting worldwide organizational strategies.

Loe received his Bachelor of Science degree in Manufacturing Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School. He also served as a Lieutenant in the United States Army.

Member
Elected August 2020

Dr. Michael A. Warren is the co-owner of Warren & Hagerman Family Dentistry in Litchfield Park, Arizona, and has been providing comprehensive dental care and practice leadership for nearly three decades. Since earning his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Creighton University School of Dentistry in 1997, he has remained committed to advancing patient care, supporting the dental profession, and serving the communities of Arizona.

A dedicated lifelong learner, Warren completed the Executive Management Program for Dentists through Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and advanced leadership training through the NACD Corporate Directors Institute. He is an active member of the Spear Faculty Club and participates in two Spear-affiliated interdisciplinary study clubs. His commitment to continuous improvement ensures that he remains informed on the latest advancements in patient care, clinical excellence and practice management.

Warren currently serves on the board of directors of Delta Dental of Arizona and the Creighton University School of Dentistry Alumni Advisory Board. He also serves as a volunteer faculty member at the St. Vincent de Paul Dental Clinic, where he mentors dental residents and helps expand access to care for underserved populations. His professional affiliations include the American Dental Association, Arizona Dental Association and Central Arizona Dental Society.

Member
Elected August 2025

Dr. Nishant Anand is president and CEO of Altais, a healthcare services and technology company focused on delivering scalable, integrated solutions that enhance the patient experience, improve outcomes and support physician well-being. A board-certified emergency medicine physician, Dr. Anand brings extensive experience in value-based care, clinical leadership and population health innovation.

Before joining Altais in 2022, Dr. Anand served as executive vice president and chief medical officer at BayCare Health System in Florida, where he led physician operations across a 15-hospital system. He also held senior leadership roles at AdventHealth and Banner Health Network, overseeing transformative care models and accountable care initiatives.

Dr. Anand serves on the Partnership for Quality Measurement and previously served on the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board. He has published in peer-reviewed journals and earned multiple awards for clinical excellence, innovation and service to underserved communities. He holds a medical degree from Mayo Medical School and completed his residency at the Stanford/Kaiser Emergency Medicine Program. He has also served on the faculty at two medical schools and was a team physician for the San Francisco 49ers.

Past Chairman of the Board
Elected August 2020

Ronald DaVella retired from Deloitte in 2014 after 34 years of service, including 25 years as a partner. Over his career, DaVella served a range of public and private clients across industries, including franchising, retail, software, manufacturing, technology, real estate and professional sports teams.

DaVella is a member of the board of directors and chairman of the audit committee of the Joint Corporation, a chiropractic franchisor and operator that went public in 2014. He also serves as the financial adviser and partner for Industrial Succession, which owns a sheet metal company in California; a financial adviser and partner for Frost and Flow, an HVAC company in Colorado; and a financial adviser and partner for Ancient Science, a holistic health and wellness company in Miami.

DaVella has a Bachelor of Arts in accounting from Queens College and his master’s degree in business administration in finance from Pace University. He is also a certified public accountant.

Member
Elected April 2021

Dr. Shaharyar Ashraf earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine in 2012 and has been practicing in Tucson, Arizona ever since. Ashraf is a Tucson native and completed dual undergraduate degrees with honors from the University of Arizona. Since 2014, Dr. Ashraf has been the owner dentist of Tangerine Dental Group, a multi-provider dental office supported by Pacific Dental Services. 

Dr. Ashraf is a teaching faculty member and a subject matter expert in CAD/CAM dentistry. He has been affiliated with multiple national and local dental organizations, including the American Dental Association, Arizona Dental Association, Southern Arizona Dental Association, Southern Arizona New Dentists, Pima Dental Study Club, We Serve Foundation, Free Dentistry Day and Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy.

Member
Elected April 2018

Stephen Houghton is the head of autonomous vehicles (AV) go to market at Amazon (AWS).  His responsibilities include: setting strategy, defining the business development approach, and helping to create custom solutions for customers for cloud computing within the AV Industry.

Prior to Amazon, he was vice president of global markets for GM Cruise, General Motors' Autonomous Vehicles Division. He has also worked for McKinsey & Co. serving primarily in strategy and operations functions, has worked on several technology startups, and has served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. He has a Master of Business Administration from Stanford Business School, a Master in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University.