Members of Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative elect new board of directors

BROOKFIELD, WIS. (June 1, 2016) – Members of Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative (CGHC), a nonprofit, member-governed health insurer, have elected five new members of their Board of Directors.

Under CGHC’s cooperative governance model, an individual must be buying health insurance from the cooperative to qualify to run as a voting director on CGHC’s Board, and then be elected by a quorum of the insured membership. Two incumbent directors and three new directors were selected out of seven candidates in the 2016 election.

Re-joining the board is:

• Suzanne Garrity, who through her work in small medical practices has significant clinical and administrative background in insurance contracting and claims; and
• John Maglio, who served as an advocate for workers during labor healthcare negotiations and who now is a nonprofit volunteer.

New directors being welcomed to the board are:

• Terri Weber, a registered nurse and attorney who has experience with both insurance and nonprofits.
• Mary Rehberg, an independent CPA with a background in accounting, business management, credit union cooperatives and risk management; and
• Clifford Pukel, an oncologist who has worked in clinical medical practice, business management and leadership of nonprofit organizations.

The recently elected directors will now join their fellow directors who serve staggered terms on the board. These board members are:

• Keisha Krumm, who has worked with Milwaukee area nonprofit organizations to solve problems;
• Amy Murphy, a strategic planner and group facilitator with a master’s degree in public health;
• Mary Rynders, a retired attorney looking to strengthen the mission of the cooperative; and
• Jim Wesp, a small-business owner and current chairman of the CGHC board who, due to his quest to change health care for the better for small business owners and others, played an influential role in the creation of CGHC.

Board Chair Jim Wesp said the member governance model sets CGHC apart. “The decisions we make on the Board must be aligned with the best interests of our membership as a whole,” explained Wesp. “There’s no profit motive and no outside shareholders – only a mission to deliver great service at the most affordable price possible.”

About CGHC

CGHC provides health insurance to small businesses, nonprofits, individuals and families. As a nonprofit, member-governed cooperative, CGHC is committed to changing the health insurance experience through open dialogue, powerful advocacy and the delivery of trusted and understandable information to members and stakeholders.

CGHC’s headquarters are based in Brookfield, Wisconsin and its products are available in 19 Wisconsin counties including Brown, Calumet, Door, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Milwaukee, Oconto, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Racine, Shawano, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha and Winnebago counties. For more information, visit CommonGroundHealthcare.org.