HealthPartners board of directors welcomes new officers

Board of directors also welcomes four new members

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The HealthPartners board of directors recently appointed Ruth Mickelsen as the new board chair. Mickelsen is a senior lecturer at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health and Affiliate Faculty for the Center for Bioethics. Previously, Mickelsen practiced health law for 20 years in public, private and nonprofit settings.

Mickelsen will serve a two-year term. She has served on the HealthPartners board of directors since 2013, and was appointed vice chair in 2015. Other newly appointed officers also include:

• James Malecha, vice chair. Malecha is president and CEO of Egan Company. He has served on boards both locally and nationally. He is currently on the board of directors for the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) – St. Paul Chapter. Malecha has served on the HealthPartners board of directors since 2008, and was appointed treasurer in 2011.
• Thomas Brinsko, treasurer. Brinsko is a resource specialist with the YMCA of the USA and past president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Twin Cities. Prior to that he served in leadership positions at YMCAs in Houston, Wisconsin and Illinois. He has served on the HealthPartners board of directors since 2004.
• Luz Maria Frias, secretary. Frías serves as president and CEO of the YWCA of Minneapolis. She was previously The Minneapolis Foundation’s vice president of community impact. Frías served as Mayor Chris Coleman’s external affairs director, and as the inaugural director of the Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Department. Frías has served on the HealthPartners board of directors since 2009.

As a consumer-governed organization, HealthPartners members also voted in a recent board election. Members selected three new people to serve on the board of directors. They are:

• Morris Goodwin, Jr., senior vice president and chief financial officer, American Public Media Group
• Deborah Hopp, vice president, publishing, publisher, Mpls. St. Paul Magazine, MSP Communications
• Amy Langer, co-founder, Salo, LLC

In addition, the board appointed Phil Donaldson, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Andersen Corporation, to fill an unexpired term.

Board members serve three year terms. Board members are also HealthPartners patients and members. This ensures that HealthPartners stays mission-driven and member-focused. HealthPartners has been consumer-governed by elected board members for more than 50 years.