On the Move at BCBSAZ, NOAH, Desert Diamond, ORION, Jennings Strouss


Article originally posted on AZ Big Media on September 17, 2021

BCBSAZ names Joe Greenberg as new GM, Commercial Business Segment

 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona recently appointed Joe Greenberg as the new General Manager of its Commercial Business Segment.

In his role, Greenberg will oversee the profit and loss of the Group Business Segment and the Enterprise Specialty Business, along with leading planning, product development, plan pricing, compliance, and underwriting to serve companies that provide health insurance coverage to their employees. 

“We are excited to welcome Joe to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona family,” said Paige Rothermel, Chief Operating Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. “His experience overseeing multiple business segments, both nationally and locally, will benefit our organization as we continue to grow our commercial segment and make a positive impact on the health of Arizonans.”

Greenberg brings extensive industry expertise to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, having worked in business development and sales positions within the health insurance industry for more than 20 years. He joins Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona from Sidecar Health, where he helped to build the start-up company to a $1 billion valuation.

“I am thrilled to join such a dynamic team that is focused on the community they serve,” said Joe Greenberg, General Manager, Commercial Segment at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. “In my new role, I hope to leverage my past experiences, learn from others along the way, and improve healthcare and the lives of Arizonans at scale.”

NOAH announces new medical director

Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health (NOAH), a leading community health center in the Valley delivering comprehensive health services to the underserved, announces the appointment of Jennifer Lynn Vanyo-Novak, DO as NOAH’s new Medical Director.

As Medical Director, Vanyo-Novak will ensure all patients have access to and are receiving appropriate care. In addition, she will help drive  growth opportunities, and existing and new lines  services.

Before her appointment as medical director, Vanyo-Novak spent the last 15 years serving in various clinical roles in family medicine, most recently as a family physician with HonorHealth Medical Group.

“Her wealth of clinical knowledge along with her passion for community health and wellness have made Dr. Vanyo-Novak an integral part of our team, ” said Connie Tucker, DO, NOAH Chief Medical Officer. “She has years of leadership experience and has come to NOAH ready to make a difference and support our efforts to substantially improve the health of our communities.”

Vanyo-Novak will collaborate with other medical and operational leadership at NOAH to ensure NOAH reaches its goals. She will direct  strategic planning, and quality and safety initiatives affecting patient care throughout the system. Additionally, Vanyo-Novak will continue providing her expert patient care directly by spending close to half of her professional time seeing patients at NOAH health centers.

Jennings Strouss welcomes Albert H. Acken to the firm

Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C., a leading Phoenix-based law firm, announced that Albert “Bert” H. Acken has joined the Firm’s Energy practice group in our Phoenix office.

“We are honored that Bert has chosen to join us at Jennings Strouss,” said John C. Norling, Managing Attorney. “He is an outstanding lawyer with a stellar reputation, and we are lucky to have him as part of the team.”

Acken represents clients in public utility commission and other administrative proceedings, permitting, compliance and enforcement matters, and environmental, real estate, and tax litigation. He also represents energy, utility, mining, and remediation clients in business transactions. Acken helps his clients develop and implement creative, effective, and efficient legal solutions to meet their objectives. He is an active member of the business community and serves as board counsel for an aggregate mining trade association. Acken is recognized as a leader in his field by The Best Lawyers in America© in the category of Environmental Law, as well as Chambers USA in the area of Environmental (including water rights). He received his J.D. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and his B.A. from George Washington University.

“I am so excited to be joining the Jennings Strouss team,” said Acken. “Jennings Strouss has a proud history and deserved reputation for providing the highest-quality legal services for its clients.  The Firm’s high standards and the depth of its expertise makes it the ideal fit for my clients and my practice.”

Mike Bean named CEO of Desert Diamond Casinos

Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment announced the hiring of Mike Bean as its new Chief Executive Officer. His appointment follows an extensive nationwide search by the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise (TOGE) for the top executive talent in the gaming business. Bean will take over starting on Aug. 30, 2021 and will report directly to the TOGE Management Board of Directors. 

Mike Bean has served in senior management positions at some of the largest and most reputable gaming operations in the country, including Mohegan Sun, Foxwoods Resort Casino, Harrah’s Entertainment and Boyd Gaming. At Foxwoods, Bean was part of the team that grew the first casino on the east coast outside of Atlantic City from 1,200 team members to more than 12,000. 

Over the course of more than a decade, Bean played an integral leadership role in the successful development, opening and operation of Mohegan Sun Pocono, Pennsylvania’s first casino and Mohegan Sun’s first commercial casino. Most recently, Bean served as Chief Executive Officer of the Saginaw Chippewa Gaming Enterprises, overseeing 3 locations.  

Mike Bean’s record of leadership makes him ideally suited to oversee the roll out of new gaming opportunities at Desert Diamond Casinos under the compact amendment that was approved earlier this year. His insights will also be invaluable as TOGE continues to build out its West Valley facility. 

ORION Investment Real Estate expands healthcare division

ORION Investment Real Estate is pleased to announce it has expanded its healthcare division with the formation of M|T Healthcare Partners, founded by Marina Hammersmith, CCIM and Tyrel Williams, CPM®.

M|T Healthcare Partners is a full-service healthcare real estate practice specializing in tenant/buyer representation, medical practice expansion strategy, landlord leasing/sales representation, and property repositioning for medical use.

The partnership was formed out of an alignment of purpose. Hammersmith and Williams say they founded M|T Healthcare Partners on a common foundation of care. Upon that foundation they are building their practice with pillars of relationships, specialized expertise, and responsiveness. The breadth of their experience brings a wealth of knowledge and perspective to every client.

“ORION provided a platform of support to realize my vision as a healthcare real estate expert, and Tyrel brought drive and passion to our practice,” said Hammersmith, who noted there were a few key elements she was looking for as she contemplated forming a partnership at ORION.

“I chose to partner with Tyrel because of his poise, grace, and ethics. I felt he was a continuation of my character, someone I could trust to create a cohesive, seamless experience for our clients,” Hammersmith said.

Jennings Strouss attorney Chris M. Mason appointed to board

Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C., a leading Phoenix-based law firm, is pleased to announce that attorney Chris M. Mason has been appointed as a member of the United Food Bank’s Board of Directors.            

The United Food Bank is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending hunger within Arizona’s communities. A Feeding America member, the United Food Bank distributes 19,560,180 meals to those struggling with hunger in Apache, Gila, Maricopa, Navajo, and Pinal counties, including some of the most remote areas in the state where resources are scarce and the next town can be up to 40 miles away. Additional information regarding the United Food Bank can be found online here.

“It is an honor to be appointed to the United Food Bank’s Board of Directors,” stated Chris M. Mason, Member. “I look forward to working with the Board and staff to help end hunger in Arizona.”

Mr. Mason counsels employers and management on all aspects of labor and employment law, including collective bargaining and union organizing; restrictive covenants; employment discrimination; sexual harassment; whistleblowing; retaliation; wrongful termination; personnel policies; reductions in force; trade secrets; duty of loyalty; drug and alcohol testing; and other state and federal laws, rules, and regulations.