"Fast growing companies don't have trouble accessing capital. What I needed was access to proven company builders who share best practices, open doors to fuel growth and are people I trust to have my best interests at heart." - Saurabh Sinha
Our relationships and resources help healthcare entrepreneurs grow their businesses, and we help those entrepreneurs vet us thoroughly before making a decision. Learn about our model, how we support our partner companies, and more.
Our team has deep healthcare investing experience, and has a track record of building genuine partnerships with management teams to build great companies
Meet the TeamFlush with recognized healthcare industry thought-leaders and company builders, our CEO Council members provide perspective and support to every company we invest in.
Meet the CEO Council Members
Managing Partner, Investment Team
EXPERIENCE
Grant Jackson joined Council Capital in 2009 and is the firm’s Managing Partner. He has focused entirely on private equity investing in the healthcare services and healthcare IT sectors since 2001. Prior to joining Council, Grant worked with two other private equity firms, The Aurora Funds and First Analysis Corporation. He began his career with Accenture helping companies grow and integrate acquisitions.
Grant is currently on the Board of Council portfolio companies Advanced Care Partners, Alivia Analytics, Inner Circle Autism Network and SaVida Health.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Grant is actively involved in the Nashville Health Care Council Fellows program, serves on the Board of Trustees for Hospital Corporation of America’s (HCA) flagship Centennial Medical Center and is also involved in various church community activities.
Grant grew up in Zimbabwe, Africa, where he developed his love for travel and the outdoors. Grant stays active traveling extensively with his wife and three children, and loves fly fishing, reading, tennis and playing family skipper-ball, a ‘sport’ invented by his two sons.
EDUCATION
Grant received his undergraduate degree from the Florida State University and his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, where he graduated with distinction as a Siebel Scholar.
General Partner, Investment Team
EXPERIENCE
Kevin Fahey brings to the firm his experience in healthcare investing and an understanding of strategic operations, given his track record as both an investor and an operator. Through his execution of over 30 investments as an operator and investor, he has demonstrated success in sourcing, evaluating, governance, and exiting investments that yield positive impacts on both investor returns and the lives of the customers they serve. Previously, Kevin served as a Managing Director of Bluff Point Associates, where he led all healthcare, managed IT, and managed security service provider (MSSP) investments deploying over $125M in capital across ten platform investments. In addition, Kevin has served as CFO, COO, and GM of multiple high growth healthcare and FinTech businesses, two of which grew from start-up through IPO. Along the way, he has worked with some of the top PE and VC firms in the industry including Francisco Partners, Menlo Ventures, and Highland Capital Partners.
EDUCATION
Kevin earned his bachelors of business administration in accounting from St. Bonaventure University.
General Partner, Investment Team
EXPERIENCE
Jason began private equity principal investing in 2003 and joined Council Capital in 2023. Prior to Council, Jason was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Development Officer for EyeSouth Partners, a rapidly scaling physician practice management company that was successfully exited in 2022. Before his operating company role, Jason worked for several private equity firms including William Blair Capital Partners, Chicago Growth Partners, and HCP & Company, where he led healthcare investments and successfully sold companies operating in behavioral health, home-based care & multi-site clinics, and acute & post-acute facilities. Jason has closed over 60 private equity transactions throughout his career, representing more than $3.3 billion in value. Jason started his career in investment banking at Thomas Weisel Partners in San Francisco and New York City where he advised emerging public and private technology companies in mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets transactions.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Jason was lucky enough to marry his undergraduate sweetheart after a five-year long-distance adventure and is immensely proud of their three children. You may be able to spot him as the out of place “old guy” at concerts, searching for nature’s beauty while camping, or doing a subpar job of staying in shape.
EDUCATION
Jason earned his MBA from the one-year program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and his BA with honors from Vanderbilt University.
EXPERIENCE
Prior to joining Council, Jacob was an Associate at SSM where he focused on software and healthcare growth investing. Prior to working in private equity, Jacob worked in investment banking at Bailey & Co and Nfluence Partners.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Outside of the office, Jacob spends his time cooking, watching sports, and exploring Nashville with his young daughter and wife.
EDUCATION
Jacob earned a Master of Finance from Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management and a B.B.A in Finance and History from the University of Miami.
Associate, Investment Team
EXPERIENCE
Landon joined Council Capital in 2022, and his responsibilities include new investment evaluation, due diligence, and portfolio company support.
Prior to joining Council, Landon was an Investment Banking Associate at TD Securities where he focused on M&A advisory services and capital market transactions for the Technology sector. He began his career in the Transaction Services group at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Outside of the office, Landon spends his time traveling, trying new restaurants around Nashville, and attempting to break 90 on the golf course.
EDUCATION
Landon earned a Master of Accountancy from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management and a B.S. in Economics and Finance from Centre College.
Associate, Investment Team
EXPERIENCE
Connor joined Council Capital in 2023, and his responsibilities include new investment evaluation, due diligence, and portfolio company support.
Prior to joining Council, Connor was a Mergers & Acquisitions Senior Analyst at Solis Mammography where he focused on JV and M&A transactions within the Mammography industry. He began his career at VMG Health with a focus in transaction advisory services.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Outside of the office, Connor spends his time outdoors running, hunting, and fishing.
EDUCATION
Connor earned a Master of Finance from Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business and a B.B.A in Managerial Finance and Banking & Finance from the University of Mississippi.
EXPERIENCE
David joined Council Capital in 2023 and leads the firm’s deal origination efforts. His responsibilities include developing investment themes, sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities, and managing intermediary relationships.
Prior to joining Council, David was a Director at Serent Capital, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, where he focused on sourcing investment opportunities in the HCIT space. Before Serent, David worked for Global Healthcare Advisors, an M&A advisory focused on the healthcare services space.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Outside of work, David likes to stay active by exercising, playing golf, skiing, and traveling. A Buffalo native, David is also an avid Buffalo Bills fan.
EDUCATION
David received his BA in Political Science from Trinity College in Hartford, CT.
General Partner, Value Creation
EXPERIENCE
Tim Schulte focuses on portfolio value creation by providing strategic and operational support to portfolio company executive teams. Council Capital’s value creation strategy involves utilizing its extensive healthcare operating knowledge, transaction experience, strategic resources, and industry relationships to increase long-term customer and shareholder value.
Tim’s career sits at the intersection of healthcare and technology. Prior to joining Council Capital, he worked for Vista Consulting Group, the dedicated consultancy of Vista Equity Partners, a large technology-focused private equity firm. Before that, he worked with health systems and payers on their digital innovation and consumer engagement strategies while at AVIA and Accenture.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Tim is a member of the board of directors at Nashville Classical Charter School, one of the top K-8 schools in Tennessee. He has served as co-chair of Duke University’s Development Council and as a trustee associate at Boston College High School.
Outside of work, he’s an outdoors and sports enthusiast who enjoys playing with his young son and listening to Bruce Springsteen.
EDUCATION
Tim received his BA in history and economics from Duke University and his MBA in strategic management and entrepreneurship from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
Portfolio Chief Talent Officer
EXPERIENCE
Chris focuses on portfolio value creation by providing strategic and operational support to portfolio company executive teams. As the Chief Talent Officer, Chris helps portfolio companies to elevate their talent strategies and operational performance.
Before joining Council Capital, Chris served as the Vice President of Strategy, Digital Recruitment, and Integration at Job.com. Among his other responsibilities at Job.com, he was pivotal in the launch of its AI tool, ‘Always-on-Recruiter.’ Prior to that, he served as the Vice President of Talent Solutions at endevis where he championed innovative sales & marketing tactics, enhancing brand presence and recruitment solutions for clients. Earlier in his career, he worked at Priority Staffing Group, a staffing firm, leading its expansion into Tennessee. Chris started his career at The Aspire Group where he set numerous sales records.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Chris is an influential figure in industry forums, sharing insights at key conferences and actively contributing to SHRM, Staffing Industry Analysts, and the PEAK Marketing Community. Recognized as one of the “Top Staffing Leaders to Watch” in 2023 and awarded the endevis Core Values Award, Chris’s impact in the staffing sector is distinct. He also holds a seat on Eastern Illinois University’s School of Business Advisory Board.
Outside of work, Chris enjoys traveling with his wife, Hayley, and time with their four children. He also enjoys spending time with friends, the St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, and UNC Tar Heels.
EDUCATION
Chris graduated from Eastern Illinois University with an MS in Sports Administration and a BS in Business Management.
Portfolio Chief of Staff
EXPERIENCE
Josh focuses on portfolio value creation by providing strategic and operational support to portfolio company executive teams. Council Capital’s value creation strategy involves utilizing its extensive healthcare operating knowledge, transaction experience, strategic resources, and industry relationships to increase long-term customer and shareholder value.
Prior to joining Council Capital, Josh worked as the Director of Business Operations at Circulo Health, a Medicaid-focused series A startup. Before that, he worked as Chief of Staff of Crown Health, a PE backed mobile primary care business. Earlier in his career, he worked in a strategy role at Waud Capital and as a consultant supporting payers and providers at AArete.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Outside of work, Josh enjoys discovering the next great restaurant, spoiling his dog, and going on hikes when the weather allows it. He also enjoys ruining his weekends by attempting to improve his golf game.
EDUCATION
Josh received his BS in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his MBA in finance and strategic management from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
EXPERIENCE
JJ focuses on portfolio value creation by providing strategic and operational support to portfolio company executive teams. Council Capital’s value creation strategy involves utilizing its extensive healthcare operating knowledge, transaction experience, strategic resources, and industry relationships to increase long-term customer and shareholder value.
Prior to joining Council Capital, JJ worked on the Business Development team at Bain & Company, developing and scaling the Bain Alliance Ecosystem. His impact included building the metrics and pipeline processes, resulting in the strategic deployment and tracking of 200 global partnerships. Before that, he served as the Chief of Staff to the CEO at an early stage fintech startup. He began his career as a consultant at Mercer, focusing on strategic projects, M&A due diligence and incentive design.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
JJ spent the last seven years in Chicago, volunteering at the Lakeview Food Pantry, and serving as a consulting mentor to undergraduate students. JJ enjoys attending nearly any live sport or music event, getting pressured to adopt a puppy, and playing poker. His fiancé showed him the joy and frustration of picking up skiing and golfing in your 20s.
EDUCATION
JJ received his BA in Economics and Finance from Washington University in St. Louis and his MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, concentrating in Behavioral Science, Economics, and Entrepreneurship.
EXPERIENCE
Colette Edgar focuses on portfolio value creation by providing strategic and operational support to portfolio company executive teams. Council Capital’s value creation strategy involves utilizing its extensive healthcare operating knowledge, transaction experience, strategic resources, and industry relationships to increase long-term customer and shareholder value.
Prior to joining Council Capital, she worked for McKinsey and Company, partnering with clients across several industries to solve strategic and operational problems.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Outside of the office, Colette enjoys exploring local restaurants and coffeeshops, spending time outdoors (preferably at a lake!) and cheering on Notre Dame and Minnesota sports teams.
EDUCATION
Colette received her B.S. in Science-Business from the University of Notre Dame.
EXPERIENCE
Landon Klausing focuses on portfolio value creation by providing strategic and operational support to portfolio company executive teams. Council Capital’s value creation strategy involves utilizing its extensive healthcare operating knowledge, transaction experience, strategic resources, and industry relationships to increase long-term customer and shareholder value.
Prior to joining Council Capital, he worked for Accenture’s Strategy & Consulting group, focusing on corporate growth and post-merger value creation work for PE backed companies.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Landon grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he spent time camping, swimming in the great lakes, and developing a passion for the Detroit Lions. Outside of work you can find him traveling the country to check off all the national parks, exploring Nashville, or playing any pickup sport.
EDUCATION
Landon received his BA in finance and economics from Grand Valley State University and studied international economics in Costa Rica.
Portfolio CFO, Shared Senior Portfolio Executive
EXPERIENCE
Heather has over 23 years of experience working in the accounting field, beginning her career with Price Waterhouse in Seattle, Washington, working on numerous initial public offerings and secondary offerings. After spending ten years in public accounting, Heather transitioned to the private sector in the capacity of CFO in the high-tech industry in Seattle Washington. Wanting to expand her experience into operations, Heather became COO and CFO for a health and human services company headquartered in Spokane, Washington. Heather has significant experience working with businesses of all sizes, including public, private and venture-backed entities.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Heather is actively involved in the community of Spokane Washington, serving on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee of multiple organizations, including her church and several schools. In her free time, Heather enjoys running, yoga and snow skiing in the beautiful Northwest.
EDUCATION
Heather has a BS in accounting from the University of Washington Foster School of Business.
Chief Strategy & Analytics Officer, ViaQuest
Former Value Creation Portfolio CIO / CTO
EXPERIENCE
Sameer partners with Council Capital’s portfolio companies either in a fractional CIO / CTO role or in a strategic advisory capacity. Sameer brings a pragmatic yet innovative vision and a results oriented focus to IT with a rare breadth and depth of experience encompassing data analytics, software development, infrastructure management, digital engagement, information security, and vendor partnerships.
Prior to joining Council Capital, Sameer was CIO / CTO at Onlife Health (a BCBS Tennessee subsidiary), a digital health and wellness company serving 11+ million lives. He has led IT services at multiple billion-dollar organizations and has created world-class startups. Sameer has also gained extensive healthcare experience through his work leading technology teams at MedSolutions (CIO), PureSafety (CTO), and Misys Healthcare Systems (Manager of Software Development).
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Sameer is actively involved in mentoring multiple technology startups in the Nashville area and also in India. He also volunteers at the Technology Advisory Board at the TN Department of Intellectual Developmental Disabilities.
When not working, Sameer enjoys spending time with family and friends. The Bhargava family enjoys exploring new places and are well travelled globally. Sameer also likes experimenting with Indian cooking and can stir up a mean lamb curry!
EDUCATION
Sameer holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, India.
EXPERIENCE
Chris joined Council Capital in 2023 as the Chief Financial Officer. His responsibilities include leading the firm’s accounting, finance, and compliance functions. Prior to joining Council, Chris was the Head of Fund Services North America at TMF Group (formerly Venture Back Office) where he spent twelve years, helping the team build and grow a fund administration firm focused on servicing primarily private equity, venture capital, and fund-of-funds based in Raleigh, NC. Before joining TMF Group, Chris was an Audit & Assurance Manager at Ernst & Young LLP with both the Boston and Raleigh offices where he spent six years in public accounting primarily focused on the auditing of financial service institutions and life sciences companies.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Outside of the office, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife and four children. Chris has a small window for personal hobbies like basketball or golf these days as he spends most of his time engaged in his children’s activities including hockey, baseball, soccer, and the occasional homework project. He enjoys traveling to new destinations and walking his family dog.
EDUCATION
Chris earned his MBA from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and his B.S. in Accounting from North Carolina State University. He is also a licensed CPA in the state of North Carolina.
Operational Team
EXPERIENCE
Leah joined Council Capital in December of 2023 as an Executive Assistant and the newest addition to our operational team. Leah’s responsibilities include fund operations, office and executive support and event management.
Prior to joining the Council Capital team, Leah worked at Bank of America (BofA), supporting the sales and trading vertical. With a focus on Fixed Income, Leah spent 4 years supporting institutional investors and was the lead operational support for the Cross Asset and Leveraged Loans sales desk. Leah began her career at BofA upon graduation in 2018.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Outside of the office, Leah spends her time on Damn Good Monday (DGM), a Mental Health Awareness brand that she started in 2023. Leah enjoys bringing communities together through “in-real-life” events and volunteer efforts local to Nashville, in aim to destigmatize the conversation that surrounds Mental Health at home and work. Outside of DGM, Leah enjoys cooking, traveling with her husband, Dan, exploring local coffee shops and finding the next best hike. Leah is active within HandsOn Nashville and the Nashville Seminole Club.
EDUCATION
Leah received her B.S. in Economics with a concentration in International Finance from Florida State University.
Phone
615.627.0402
EXPERIENCE
John currently serves as CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan, which provides health coverage to more than 2.0 million low-income L.A. County residents. Previously, Baackes served as CEO of Council Capital portfolio company Senior Whole Health (SWH) from 2005 to 2012, growing revenue from under $1 million to more than $300 million, for which the company was recognized as the #1 fastest growing company in the U.S. by Inc. Magazine. SWH specialized in the dual-eligible market, serving low-income seniors. He has also served as President of AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Plans, as a SVP for Group Health Incorporated, and as President of Kaiser Permanente’s Northeast division.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
John currently serves on the boards of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA), and as a Trustee at Southern Vermont College.
EXPERIENCE
Dr. Larry Benz is the President and CEO of Confluent Health. Confluent Health’s holdings include over 230 outpatient physical therapy centers under several industry-leading brand names, a private physical therapy company with related businesses in education (Evidence In Motion) and a national provider of onsite workplace injury prevention services (Fit For Work).
Larry previously founded and served as President & CEO of Kentucky Orthopedic Rehab Team (KORT), a private practice outpatient physical therapy company. Larry started his career in the U.S. Army, where he attained the rank of Captain in the Army Medical Specialists Corps.
Larry is nationally recognized for his expertise in private practice physical therapy and occupational medicine and has received numerous business, leadership, and physical therapy awards. He has served on the American Physical Therapy Association’s Advisory Panel on Practice, American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, and Foundation for Physical Therapy Research.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Larry currently serves as a trustee at Bellarmine University and is a board member of the University of Louisville Athletic Association. He is the past Board Chairman at The University of Louisville, Neighborhood Engagement, and The University of Louisville Medical Center.
EXPERIENCE
As a successful financial services CEO, Denny created more than $7 billion in realized shareholder value. During his 32-year career in banking, he led or was intimately involved with 29 acquisitions. Denny has been the key executive of four banks, including: President and then Chairman and CEO of Commerce Union, Vice Chairman and COO of Sovran Bank, President and COO of C&S Sovran, and President and CEO of First American National Bank. He led First American from a net loss to a sale to AmSouth for $6.4 billion. With the merger of First American and AmSouth, he became Chairman of AmSouth until he left in 2000 to form Council Capital.
His corporate board experience includes serving as a member of the Board of Directors of 11 companies from pre-revenue startups to Fortune 500 companies. In 2007, as Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee of the Board of Directors of Dollar General Corporation, he oversaw the process that culminated in the sale of Dollar General to KKR for $7 billion.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Denny is a Trustee Emeritus of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trustees, a board that he joined in 1991 and on which he served as Vice Chairman for 11 years. In 2006, he was nominated by the President of the United States to the board of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the nation’s largest public utility, where he served as Chairman. He also served on the Board of the Nashville Health Care Council.
EXPERIENCE
Joe Clark was most recently Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer at Surgical Care Affiliates (SCA). SCA is one of the largest providers of outpatient surgery in the United States with a network of 230 ambulatory surgery centers in 35 states performing 1 million procedures a year.
Joe’s previous leadership roles include President & CEO of HealthMark Partners, an owner, operator, and developer of ambulatory surgery centers and specialty hospitals, and CEO of Response Oncology, a provider of cancer treatment services. He has also held positions at Humana and American Medical International.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Joe currently serves on the boards of Physician Housecalls (a Council Capital portfolio company), North American Partners in Anesthesia (NAPA), Strive Healthcare, Ascension Ventures and Children’s Volunteer Health Network.
EXPERIENCE
Stu Clark has served as the CEO of Premise Health since its inception in 2014. Premise Health designs, implements, and operates over 800 direct health care, employer-sponsored health centers for some of the largest commercial and municipal employers in the U.S.
Stu was previously CEO of CHS Health Services, a provider of professional services and specialized solutions for the U.S Government and commercial clients worldwide that was merged together with Take Care Employer Solutions to create Premise Health in 2014.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Stu currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Nashville Health Care Council and is an investor and advisor in the Nashville Capital Network.
EXPERIENCE
Reid is President and CEO of AAA Cooper Transportation. He joined the company in 1994 and has held many positions in the company from Truck Washer to Driver to Service Center Manager. He was named President of the company in 2001.
AAA Cooper Transportation has a network of more than 70 service centers providing freight service to approximately 15,000 cities across 21 states, primarily in the Southeast. The company employs approximately 5,000 people and operates a fleet of over 2,400 tractor units.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Reid formerly and currently serves on a variety of boards of directors, including BCBS of Alabama, Alabama Trucking Association, Auburn University Business School and Transportation School, and UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center. He is also a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Transportation Committee and the Young Presidents Organization.
EXPERIENCE
Mary Evans is Executive Vice President and former Chief Operating Officer at Covenant Care, which owns and operates 56 facilities in the post-acute sector providing nursing and therapy services. At Covenant Care, Mary successfully led operations through 12 years of sustained growth while ensuring clinical and operational excellence.
Mary’s previous experiences include serving in healthcare leadership at Marriott Corporation and as VP Clinical Operations at Hillhaven Corporation and Vencor Corporation. She also served in a wide variety of executive positions and sectors, including corporate compliance programs, full risk, multi-specialty physician practices, and startup enterprises. Her clinical experiences include acute care, subacute services, skilled nursing, home health, developmental disabilities, and public health.
In addition, Mary served for 21 years in the U.S. Air Force: first in the Nurse Corps and then the Medical Services Corps as a Hospital and Aeromedical Administrator. Her last deployment was Desert Storm, where she served as the Commander of a 402 multi-force Aeromedical Staging Facility.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Mary currently serves as a board member of Bradford Health Services and Chesapeake Bay Eye. She is also President and CEO of a private foundation.
EXPERIENCE
Chris Feeney is the Founder and former Chairman of Adva-Net, a former Council Capital portfolio company and leading ancillary network for high-acuity workers’ compensation claims, providing services for comprehensive pain management, post-acute care management and addiction recovery. During Chris’ tenure, Adva-Net grew to more than $125 million of revenue and earned the top spot as the fastest growing Health Sector company on the Inc. 5000 list in 2017.
Chris has a long and successful history of launching companies in the healthcare technology space. Prior to Adva-Net, he was President of Universal SmartComp, a national physical medicine services company in the workers’ compensation industry, which was also listed on the Inc. 5000 list and grew to over $225 million of revenue prior to sale. Before Universal SmartComp, he was Director of Sales at MedRisk, a leading provider of managed physical medicine services for the workers’ compensation and related sectors, which he helped grow to over $125 million of revenue.
EXPERIENCE
Gene Fleming most recently served as the Executive Chairman of ReDoc, a leading provider of documentation software for the physical, occupational, and speech rehabilitation industries. Previously, Fleming served as Chairman, President and CEO of Cogent Healthcare from 2005 to 2011. When Cogent Healthcare merged with Hospitalists Management Group (HMG) in 2011, it formed the largest private hospitalist company in the US.
Gene has also served as President and CEO of Surgical Alliance Corporation, COO of Quorum Health Group and President of the Eastern Group at Hospital Corporation of America. He is on the board of PhyMED Holdings and Aspire Healthcare and is Chairman of QualDerm Partners.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Gene is the former Chairman of the Florida League of hospitals and has served on the board of the Florida Hospital Association, the Federation of American Hospitals and the Regional Policy Board of the American Hospital Association. Fleming is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
EXPERIENCE
Herb founded HealthSpring in 2000 and served as the Chairman and CEO until Cigna acquired the company in 2012 for $3.8 billion, staying on as the president of Cigna-HealthSpring until 2016. Herb is a widely respected expert on Medicare Advantage as well as working with physician leaders within incentivized, accountable structures.
Herb was also a co-founder of North American Medical Management and previously held leadership positions at Partners National Healthplans as well as SANUS. Herb began his career as an actuary.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Herb is co-owner of the Nashville Predators NHL hockey team and is an active supporter of Carleton College through an endowed scholars program.
EXPERIENCE
Katie began her career at Equitable Securities, rising through the ranks to become President of the company at the time of its sale to SunTrust in 1998. At Equitable, she was Chief Investment Officer with primary responsibility for the direct investment of the firm’s capital in both public and private emerging growth companies, including both healthcare and financial services businesses. Katie had primary responsibility for building and leading Equitable’s equity business, which was 90% of revenue at the time it was acquired.
In addition to her position as President, Katie was a member of the Executive Committee and a member of the Board of Directors of Equitable Securities. After the sale to SunTrust, Katie became President and a member of the Board of Directors of the newly formed SunTrust Equitable Securities. She remained with SunTrust Equitable Securities until co-founding Council Capital in 2000.
Katie serves on the Board of Council portfolio company Reach Health.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Katie serves on the Advisory Council for the Center of Technology Transfer and Commercialization at Vanderbilt University previously was a member of the Executive Council of the Harvard School of Public Health.
EXPERIENCE
Darin Gordon is currently a Founding Partner at Speire Healthcare Strategies, where he works with C-level clients across the country providing solutions to complex health care issues. With over 20 years’ experience, Darin is a nationally recognized expert in state health insurance programs and health care finance.
Darin was previously the longest-serving Director of TennCare – Tennessee’s Medicaid program – an $11 billion health care enterprise that provides services to over 1.5 million Tennesseans. Under his leadership, TennCare was nationally recognized for a variety of innovations in managed care and payment and delivery system reform and maintained record low cost trends with patient satisfaction scores reaching record highs of 95%. Darin serves as a commissioner for the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), a non-partisan agency that provides advice to Congress, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and states.
Darin has been involved in health care policy and innovation with over 35 states. He also served as Vice President and then President of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Darin currently serves as a board member of Advanced Care Partners (a Council Capital portfolio company), Addus Homecare, HHA Exchange, Upperline Health and Siloam Health, and as Chairman of 180 Health Partners. Darin serves on the Founder’s Council for the United States of Care.
EXPERIENCE
Ken Goulet was previously Anthem’s President of Commercial and Specialty Business, with P&L accountability for 30 million medical and 17.5 million specialty members. He now serves as an investor, advisor, and board member of several growth-stage healthcare organizations, working with both public and private companies.
Ken previously served in a variety of executive leadership roles at Anthem, including President and CEO of the Employer, Medicaid, Individual and Specialty Business Unit and President and CEO of National Accounts. Prior to Anthem, Ken spent 23 years at CIGNA Corporation, where he held several management, sales, and operations positions.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Ken is actively involved in the Charlotte, NC community, with a focus on the homeless, addiction treatment, mental illness, and the underserved. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family, traveling, hiking, and skiing.
EXPERIENCE
Rich Hallworth was previously CEO of Corizon Health, a specialist healthcare provider and pharmacy serving more than 345,000 inmates in 530 correctional facilities across 27 states.
Prior to Corizon, Rich was CFO then COO at Tufts Health Plan, a health insurance company based in Massachusetts. Previously, he was a Partner at Ernst & Young.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Rich currently serves as Chairman of Advanced Care Partners (a Council Capital portfolio company), Bradford Health Services, and PhyMed. He is the Executive Chairman at DenMat Holdings.
EXPERIENCE
Phil was the founder and the former Chairman and CEO of Windsor Health Group, Inc. from 2000 until its sale to global insurer Munich Re in 2011. Windsor was a regional managed healthcare plan serving Medicare Advantage enrollees and had revenue of approximately $500 million at the time of sale.
Phil was previously the Chairman, CEO and President of Coventry Corporation, a managed care and insurance organization from 1992 to 1995 and served as the company’s President and COO from 1990 to 1992. During his tenure with Coventry Corporation, the company grew from approximately $50 million in revenues to approximately $1 billion through acquisitions and significant internal growth. Coventry Corporation was acquired by Aetna in 2013 for $7.3 billion.
His experience also includes senior executive positions with Dental Health Management, Inc., Preferred Care, HealthAmerica, Saratoga Hospital, and Ernst & Ernst.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Phil is a Founding Director of the Nashville Health Care Council and serves on the Board of Trustees of Ensworth School.
In memoriam
EXPERIENCE
Joey served as Chairman and CEO of Acadia Healthcare Company, a provider of inpatient behavioral healthcare services. Joey went on to grow the company dramatically from approximately $60 million of revenue in 2011 to $3 billion in revenue.
Joey co-founded Psychiatric Solutions and served as Chairman, President and CEO from 1997 until its sale in 2010 for $3.2 billion. Jacobs also served in many roles with Hospital Corporation of America over 21 years, including as President of the Tennessee Division and President of the Central Group.
Joey also served as a Director of Amsurg (NASDAQ: AMSG), Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, and Mental Health Management, Inc. In addition, Hughes had done extensive real estate development work with the Greenville Health System, a non-profit health system with approximately $2 billion in revenue.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Joey served as a Director of the Nashville Health Care Council and previously served as its Chairman. He previously served as a Director for the Federation of American Hospitals and the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems.
EXPERIENCE
Keith Jones has founded or held various leadership positions in healthcare companies for over 25 years. Most recently, Keith was Chairman & CEO of ABC Medical, a provider of urological and other medical supplies. During Keith’s tenure, ABC Medical transformed from a small, regional provider in the southwest to one of the top five urology suppliers in the U.S.
Previously, Keith was President of Liberty Healthcare Group, a leader in diabetes management serving over 1 million patients nationwide. Under his leadership, revenue increased from $400 million to $1 billion before selling to Medco Health Solutions. Prior to Liberty, Keith co-founded Physicians Dialysis, Inc., an operator of dialysis treatments facilities that grew to be the 6th largest dialysis provider in the U.S. prior to its sale to Davita, Inc.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Keith serves as Chairman of NeurAbilities (a Council Capital portfolio company). Furthermore, Keith is passionately active in the growth of competitive, collegiate adapted athletics in the U.S. In 2018, he founded the first collegiate adapted athletics program in California at San Diego State University. Keith is very active with operating this program and serves as the Chairman of its Board of Advisors. Additionally, Keith serves on the Board of Advisors for the University of Alabama Adapted Athletics and is the Chair of its Sponsorship Committee.
EXPERIENCE
Terri Kline is EVP of Henry Ford Health System and President and CEO of Health Alliance Plan (HAP), a health plan with over 650,000 members. Kline has a unique blend of both payer and provider experience in insurance, managed care, and provider environments.
Before joining HAP and Henry Ford in 2016, Kline was the SVP and Chief Health Care Management Officer for Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the fourth largest U.S. health insurer. She has served as SVP of HealthSouth, CEO of CHA Health (a University of Kentucky Health System Health Plan), President and CEO of UnitedHealthcare of Georgia, and Regional VP of Aetna Health Plans in the Southeast, where she managed 25% of Aetna’s group health business, which included 3.4 million members and $1.5 billion in revenue.
Kline serves as a Director of Presbyterian Health Plan and an Advisor to NFANT Labs and Altegra Health. Previously, she served as a Director and Chairman of the Board for Availity, Medecision and Innovista Health Solutions.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Terri is an avid hiker and serves on the board of the Grand Canyon Association.
EXPERIENCE
John McCarthy is currently a Founding Partner at Speire Healthcare Strategies, where he helps clients navigate the rapidly changing healthcare markets in the public and private sectors at both the federal and state levels. He is a nationally recognized expert in Medicaid reforms, value-based purchasing, delivery system design, system implementation, and reimbursement policy.
John was previously the Director of the Ohio Department of Medicaid (“ODM”) where he implemented a series of innovative policy initiatives that modernized ODM and improved the quality of health services at a substantial value to Ohio’s taxpayers. Among other programs, John implemented a pioneering, managed care program with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the integration and coordination of care for individuals enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare, a new integrated eligibility system, and MITS – a sophisticated claims processing system to boost efficiency and communicate with providers. Prior to Ohio, John was the Medicaid Director for the District of Columbia.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
John is an inaugural policy fellow for the United States of Care. In addition, he serves on the board of Savida (a Council Capital portfolio company).
EXPERIENCE
Tom McCarthy has over 35 years of experience in healthcare, insurance, and financial services businesses, including more than 30 years with Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI), where he was ultimately EVP & CFO. As CFO, Tom had executive leadership responsibility for all of Cigna’s financial functions, as well as for its investment management, corporate development, and strategic planning teams. During his career, he helped guide Cigna through the global financial crisis and the healthcare market changes driven by the Affordable Care Act, as well as led several strategic M&A transactions. When he retired, Cigna had annual revenues of $42 billion and annual earnings of $2.7 billion.
Tom held roles with USAA and Kemper Insurance (NYSE: KMPR) prior to joining Cigna.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Tom serves on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery and Delaware Counties and the Board of Trustees of the American University of Rome. He also serves on the board of Selective Insurance Group (NASDAQ: SIGI).
EXPERIENCE
Dr. Paul Merrick is a renowned and board-certified urologist who has been practicing since 1994. He currently serves as Co-Chairman of Duly Health and Care, which he helped form in 1999 and is now the largest independent, multi-specialty physician group in Illinois. In his current role, Paul leads the board and physicians in their goal of making healthcare better for patients and communities by offering high-quality and compassionate care. He ensures that DMG’s physician-driven approach continues to lead to exceptional physician engagement and improved patient outcomes.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Paul helped establish the DMG Charitable Fund, which supports and grants funding to more 30 Chicagoland non-profit organizations that provide access to food, affordable housing, and healthcare/wellness services to those in need. In addition, he serves as the Chair of the Finance Committee for the Illinois State Medical Society and is a Chief Clinical Advisor for the COVID alternative care facility for the city of Chicago.
EXPERIENCE
Shawn Morris is the CEO of Privia Health, a national physician organization that transforms the healthcare delivery experience for physicians and consumers in over 650 locations with over 2,600 providers. Privia focuses on driving initiatives to meet providers where they are on the transition to value by building strategic partnerships with physicians, health plans, health systems, and employers better aligning reimbursements to quality, affordability, patient satisfaction and provider well-being.
Shawn was previously the President and Chief Operating Officer of Cigna-HealthSpring, where he was responsible for the financial and operational performance of Cigna’s Medicare Advantage business, one of the largest private Medicare solutions, that served 1.5 million Medicare customers and over $8 billion in revenue. Prior to Cigna, Morris held multiple key leadership positions at HealthSpring over 13 years including through Healthspring’s IPO in 2006 and its eventual sale to Cigna for $3.8 billion in 2012.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Shawn is an inaugural Fellow of the Nashville Healthcare Council. He is also a member of the American Medical Association CEO Advisory Committee, the American Society of CPAs, and the National Association of Corporate Directors.
EXPERIENCE
Leslie Norwalk is currently Strategic Counsel to Epstein Becker Green, EBG Advisors, and National Health Advisors. Leslie previously served for six years at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”). From 2006 to 2007, she was the Acting Administrator, where she managed the operations of federal health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. For the four years prior to that position, she was the agency’s Deputy Administrator. CMS insures more than 100 million individuals and processes over 1 billion claims each year and contracts with approximately 1 million providers.
Prior to CMS, Leslie practiced law in the offices of Epstein Becker Green where she advised clients on health policy matters. Earlier in her career, she also held roles in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Leslie sits on the boards of directors of Neurocrine Biosciences, Arvinas, Magellan Health, NuVasive, Providence Services Corporation, and several privately held health care corporations. In addition, Leslie is a member of APCO Worldwide’s International Advisory Council.
EXPERIENCE
Brian Pope is the Chief Development Officer for Sound Physicians, a leading healthcare organization that partners with hospitals and payers to lower costs and improve outcomes in hospital based services including hospital medicine, emergency medicine, critical care, and population health. Brian leads growth strategy and all corporate development initiatives including acquisitions, joint ventures, and other corporate transactions.
Prior to Sound Physicians, Brian’s previous positions include serving in executive operational, finance, and business development roles with SpecialtyCare, Surgical Care Affiliates (SCA), HealthSouth, and HealthMark Partners.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Brian currently serves as a board member and treasurer of Cul2vate. He enjoys spending his free time outdoors and with family.
EXPERIENCE
Dr. Rice is the Founder, former CEO and current Executive Chairman of Healthcare Bluebook, a provider of quality ratings and fair pricing information to consumers, employers, and providers. Healthcare Bluebook works with over 7,000 employers to help their employees reduce healthcare costs and improve quality of care.
Dr. Rice previously served as Executive Vice President of Medical Leadership and Business Development for Healthways, where he was responsible for leading strategic alliances, mergers, and acquisitions. Prior to Healthways, Jeff served as CEO of CareSteps, where he led the development and implementation of market-leading technologies in consumer-oriented evidence-based medicine and advanced predictive modeling.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Dr. Rice is a long-time champion of advancing the science of medical outcomes and quality measurement. He has served on the editorial boards for the American Journal of Medical Quality and Population Health Management journals. He has also served as a director on the boards of Salus, Source Medical Solutions and RevPoint Healthcare Technologies.
EXPERIENCE
For over twenty years, Luke was Co-Senior Partner of J.C. Bradford & Co. in Nashville, Tenn. Following the sale of J.C. Bradford & Co. to UBS in 2000 for $620 million, he remained active with UBS as a senior advisor to the UBS healthcare investment banking team.
He has expertise in the financing of all stages of healthcare companies, from startup to IPO to large-cap public company, as well as buyout financing and advisory work. In addition, he has a deep understanding and expertise in healthcare mergers and acquisitions. His longstanding relationships extend to an extraordinary number of healthcare’s most successful serial entrepreneurs and senior managers.
Nearly 25 years ago Simons founded a quarterly breakfast forum for healthcare C-suite executives that is still continued by Council Capital.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Luke serves on the boards of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, the Nashville Convention Center Authority Board and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Among numerous other activities, he serves on the advisory board of Belmont University and is a member of the Society of International Business Fellows.
EXPERIENCE
Andy Smith is the former CEO & President of Brookdale Senior Living, a $5 billion senior living and post-acute care provider with more than 1000 communities with a resident capacity in excess of 100,000 people across 46 states. Among other achievements, Andy led Brookdale through the industry’s largest merger in 2014 and previously was Brookdale’s EVP, General Counsel and Secretary.
Andy is a seasoned healthcare leader with demonstrated success in building and scaling organizations in complex and changing environments. His experience spans senior living and post-acute businesses, multi-site operations, mergers and acquisitions, operational improvement, sales and marketing, real estate development, real estate investment trusts, strategic planning, private and public capital market transactions, and corporate governance.
Andy was previously a partner with the law firm, Bass, Berry, and Sims where he was Chairman of the Healthcare Group.
EXPERIENCE
Wayne joined Community Health Systems (CHS) (NYSE: CYH) in 1997 as President and Chief Executive Officer and was named Chairman of the Board in February 2001. In January 2021, Wayne transitioned to his current role as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. During his tenure at CHS, net revenues have grown from $742 million to nearly $20 billion.
Prior to joining CHS, he was with Humana, Inc. for 23 years, where he held a variety of senior management positions including President and COO. He also was a member of Humana’s Board of Directors.
He currently serves on the board of Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX) and the Center for Medical Interoperability, a nonprofit group that is establishing a reference architecture for medical devices and electronic records. He previously served on the board for Citadel Broadcasting Corporation.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Wayne is a past-chair and current board member of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of American Hospitals and the Nashville Health Care Council. Smith also currently serves as a trustee for United Way and Auburn University, his alma mater.
EXPERIENCE
Meade has spent the past 20 years as an angel investor in Atlanta. He also created a holding company for telecommunication interests, where he currently serves as President and CEO. Previously, he co-founded and was President of PowerFone, Inc. until it was merged into Nextel. Prior to PowerFone, he purchased and was President of Johnson Communications Corporation until it was acquired by Nextel.
Early on in his career, Meade was with Kimberly-Clark Corporation, where he rose to VP and General Manager of the Service and Industrial Division. Prior to that experience, he spent six years at Scientific-Atlanta in a number of sales, marketing and operations management positions.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Meade is active with his alma mater Georgia Institute of Technology in a variety of capacities, including helping launch the Flashpoint Incubator. He is a past Chair of the Society of International Business Fellows (SIBF) and is the Past Chair of the Global Network Foundation of SIBF. Meade has done extensive leadership development work across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Central Eurasia.
EXPERIENCE
Don was previously a senior executive at Healthways (NASDAQ: HWAY) from 2002 to 2007, where he served as EVP and COO and had responsibilities that included sales, marketing, and strategic alliances. During Don’s tenure at Healthways, the company grew from approximately $70 MM of revenue to nearly $700 MM of revenue.
Prior to Healthways, Don worked for Cendent and its precedent companies for over 16 years in senior sales and general management roles, both internationally and domestically. Since leaving Healthways, Don has been an investor, board member, and advisor to growth companies in the healthcare and technology industries, serving on the boards of more than 10 private-equity backed companies.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Don serves on the board of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and LEAD public schools. He also serves on the business council for the Cheekwood Botantical Gardens.
EXPERIENCE
Curt served as the President and CEO of MedSolutions, a medical cost management company that grew to over $1 billion of revenue and 1,200 employees under his leadership before selling to CareCore in 2014 (with the combined company being re-branded eviCore).
Prior to joining MedSolutions in 1998, Thorne was President and COO of Adesso Specialty Services, a specialty physician management company. He previously served as the Head of Pharmacy at Aetna, President of The Travelers and General Manager of Cigna, leading the development and operation of pharmacy benefit management programs at each.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Curt is on the board of Nashville Public Radio and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
EXPERIENCE
Larry is Associate Professor of Economics and Management and Executive Director of Health Affairs at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, where he oversees the Health Care MBA and Master of Management in Health Care programs.
He also is the Co-Director of the Nashville Health Care Council’s Fellows Program, a unique program that brings together senior healthcare leaders to explore strategies to meet the industry challenges of today and the future.
Van Horn is a leading expert and researcher on health care management and economics, having been published in a variety of leading academic journals. In addition to his academic duties, Van Horn is a regular speaker on health care economics and policy for corporate clients across the country.
Larry also sits on the board of directors for Community Health Care Realty Trust (NYSE: CHCT), Quorum Health Corporation (NYSE: QHC) and Pierian Biosciences.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT / INTERESTS
Larry serves on a variety of advisory boards and committees in the community, including for the State of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University. In his free time, he enjoys farming.
EXPERIENCE
Dr. Marc Watkins is the Chief Medical Officer for the Kroger Company (NYSE: KR). The Kroger Company is one of the largest self-insured employers in the country and operates 2,300 community pharmacies, 11 specialty pharmacies and more than 220 clinics across the U.S. Marc’s role includes enterprise-wide leadership through the development and implementation of clinical programs, associate benefit design and emerging digital and tele-health initiatives. Marc was previously the Chief Medical Officer for Kroger’s The Little Clinic, which included more than 215 clinics and 800 clinicians.
Prior to Kroger, Marc spent six years at Concentra where he ultimately served as the National Medical Director for Clinical Account Management.
Marc started his medical career by serving as a Medical Officer in the U.S. Navy serving exclusively with the U.S. Marines. He was twice awarded the Navy Commendation Medal in direct support of combat operations while assigned in Iraq.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Marc is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Association for Physician Leadership.
EXPERIENCE
Karey Witty has over 30 years of experience and has held executive level roles in healthcare companies ranging from large, publicly traded to small, privately held. He is the former Executive Vice President & COO of Envision Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: EVHC), a national medical group that delivers physician and advanced provider services to more than 1,800 clinical departments in healthcare facilities in 45 states and the District of Columbia. In 2018 Envision was taken private by KKR at an enterprise value of $10 billion.
Karey’s previous operational roles include serving as CEO of Corizon Health, EVP and CFO of naviHealth, CFO of HealthSpring, and CFO and Business Unit CEO of Centene Corporation. Karey is currently an Operating Partner at WCAS.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS
Karey currently serves on the board of directors for JDRF International and the American Heart Association – Greater Nashville Chapter. He is also an emeritus advisory board member of Monroe Careel Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
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Dr. Steve Liu Ingenious Med Founder
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John Baackes Senior Whole Health CEO
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Howie Lewin CEO at SaVida Health
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