Staff
Leadership Team
Cheryl DeMars
President and CEO
cdemars@the-alliance.org
608.210.6621
Cheryl DeMars joined The Alliance in 1992 and has assumed several roles before becoming CEO in December 2006. Cheryl is actively involved in efforts to improve the quality and cost of health care through value-based purchasing, including public reporting of provider performance information and its use for payment reform.
Cheryl is involved in a number of national and statewide initiatives to improve the quality, safety and value of healthcare, including The Leapfrog Group, the National Quality Forum, The Catalyst for Payment Reform, The Consumer and Purchaser Disclosure Project and Wisconsin Healthcare Purchasers for Quality. She serves on the Board of the National Business Coalition on Health and the Population Health Institute Advisory Board.
Prior to joining The Alliance, Cheryl was a program manager at Meriter Hospital in Madison. She earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Paul Meyer
Chief Operating Officer
pmeyer@the-alliance.org
608.210.6654
Paul Meyer joined The Alliance in 1996 and served as the director of finance and operations until he became chief operating officer in 2007. As the COO of The Alliance, his main duties include overseeing the claims and customer service, finance, MIS, and HR departments as well as business planning and reporting. Paul also serves as the treasurer of The Alliance board.
In addition to his work at The Alliance, Paul is also the board chair at WisconsinRX/NationalRx. Paul received both his bachelor's degree in industrial engineering and his master's degree in health care administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Mark Xistris
Vice President, Business Development & Provider Relations
mxistris@the-alliance.org
608.210.6650
Mark Xistris joined The Alliance in 1997 and currently serves as vice president, business development & provider relations. His main responsibilities include oversight of the provider network, pay-for-performance programs, business development of the cooperative and quality management. Mark is also heavily involved in our QualityCounts® work, as well as strategic planning.
In addition to his work at The Alliance, Mark is a board member of the Wisconsin Health Information Organization, chair of the Wisconsin Collaborative for Health Care Quality's measurement audit committee, and a member of the Health Care Financial Management Association and the American College of Healthcare Executives. Mark earned a bachelor's degree in accountancy from Arizona State University (summa cum laude) and a master's of accountancy degree in health care fiscal management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Teri Van Tassel
Vice President, Marketing & Member Services
tvantassel@the-alliance.org
608.210.6633
Teri Van Tassel joined The Alliance in 2006 and as of April 2009 serves as vice president, marketing and member services. Her responsibilities include market research, member services, product development, product management, marketing communications and the public and media relations functions for the organization. Prior to joining The Alliance, Teri served as vice president/marketing for the Credit Union Executives Society.
In addition to her work at The Alliance, Teri serves on the leadership team for a 2010 Collaboration Development grant awarded to Mental Health America of Wisconsin, as an advisory council member for the Wisconsin Initiative to Promote Healthy Lifestyles, and is also a member of the American Marketing Association. Teri received her bachelor's degree in communication arts from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Staff Directory
Alan Williams
Health Information Manager
awilliams@the-alliance.org
608.210.6651
Allison Gallipeau
Provider Relations Assistant
agallipeau@the-alliance.org
608.210.6653
Amy Moyer
Manager of Value Measurement
amoyer@the-alliance.org
608.210.6615
Barbara Anderson
Customer Advocate
banderson@the-alliance.org
608.210.6609
Barb Hamilton
Lead Data Entry Associate
bhamilton@the-alliance.org
608.210.6602
Beth Strait
Provider Relations Coordinator
bstrait@the-alliance.org
608.210.6617
Bobbi Jones
Product Management Specialist
bjones@the-alliance.org
608.210.6638
Brook Linden
Receptionist/Office Assistant
blinden@the-alliance.org
608.210.6635
Calvin Rigsby
Business Development Manager
crigsby@the-alliance.org
608.210.6643
Carlene Boehmer
Manager of Claims & Customer Service
cboehmer@the-alliance.org
608.210.6601
Cassie Bueno
Web and Design Specialist
cbueno@the-alliance.org
608.210.6634
Cathy Lanser
Senior Marketing Communications Specialist
clanser@the-alliance.org
608.210.6639
Cheryl Gile
Data Entry Associate
608.210.6613
Connie Kiekbusch
Eligibility/Operations Specialist
ckiekbusch@the-alliance.org
608.210.6605
Dave Sell
Senior Programmer/Analyst
dsell@the-alliance.org
608.210.6656
Dawn Schwantes
Customer Service Representative/Senior Data Associate
608.210.6610
Heather Oliva
holiva@the-alliance.org
Provider Relations Manager
608.210.6616
Jenny Fredenberg
Data Entry Associate
608.210.6612
Jesse Oberloh
Member Services Manager
joberloh@the-alliance.org
608.210.6645
John Stone
Programmer/Analyst
jstone@the-alliance.org
608.210.6614
Kelly Davit
Southern Region Manager
kdavit@the-alliance.org
815.299.5945
Kevin Engelien
Research & Development Manager
kengelien@the-alliance.org
608.210.6640
Lori Madigan
Provider Relations and QualityCounts® Coordinator
lmadigan@the-alliance.org
608.210.6631
Michele Gjertson
Member Services Coordinator & Database Specialist
mgjertson@the-alliance.org
608.210.6607
Michelle Kammerud
Contract Analyst
mkammerud@the-alliance.org
608.210.6652
Patty Hellenbrand
Claims and Customer Service Specialist
phellenbrand@the-alliance.org
608.210.6603
Robin Argue
Accountant
rargue@the-alliance.org
608.210.6655
Sandy Butters
Network/Security Administrator
sbutters@the-alliance.org
608.210.6657
Shellie Teubert
Computer Specialist
steubert@the-alliance.org
608.210.6611
Tierney Anderson
Marketing Communications Coordinator
tanderson@the-alliance.org
608.210.6642
Wendy Collins
Executive Assistant/Office Manager
wcollins@the-alliance.org
608.210.6632