MY CHOICE WISCONSIN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Emeritus Board Member
- Member of the My Choice Wisconsin Board
Arlyn is an emeritus member of the My Choice Wisconsin Board who also is an enthusiastic Member who benefits from our family care services. She is proud of the work the organization does to serve frail elders and adults with physical and developmental disabilities and is excited to have a hand in overseeing it. She says My Choice Wisconsin has made a big impact in her life and the organization makes members feel like true individuals through the attention, love, and care that they receive. A former special education teacher, Arlyn is retired and lives in Greendale with her dog, Candy Kisses.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operations Officer
- Member of the Executive Team
- Chief Operations Officer With
As Chief Operations Officer with My Choice Wisconsin, Betsy provides leadership support and oversight of senior-level staff across such functions as care management, operations, quality and strategy/innovation. She collaborates with disciplines organization-wide to ensure operational performance is in alignment with strategic plans, maintaining constructive relations with state and federal partners, legislators, and community partners.
As a graduate from Concordia University's Health Services Administration program, Betsy brings over 25 years of long-term care, managed care, and governmental sector experience to My Choice Wisconsin. She excels at leadership development, creating and implementing innovative programs designed to build upon organizational success and drive future growth.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Secretary of the Board of Directors
- Secretary of the My Choice Wisconsin Board
Dr. Byom is secretary of the My Choice Wisconsin Board and has been a member since its beginning. He joined the Board of Directors because he wanted to be part of a meaningful organization that helps many individuals. Dr. Byom is a Doctor of Osteopathy and a primary care physician who works with Maxx Lifestyle Medicine and the Visiting Physicians Association. He received his bachelor's degree in zoology and animal biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his medical degree from the Des Moines University College of Medicine. Dr. Byom completed his residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He has two sons, Jay and Blake, and resides in Wauwatosa.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Executive Team
Since 2004, Jim has served as the chief financial officer for My Choice Wisconsin, managing an annual budget of more than $910 million on behalf of more than 43,000 members. He directs the accounting, finance, IT and contracting operations, as well as strategic planning and forecasting, business development, financial management, systems development, and administrative functions.
He is a certified public accountant with over 25 years of financial management experience in long-term and managed care. He has worked for private, nonprofit, and public accounting organizations, and has extensive knowledge in the area of state and federal price and cost-based payment systems.
Jim received both his BS and MBA in accounting from Marquette University. He is a member of the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants and serves as a board member with the City of Greenfield Community Development Authority Committee.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
With 20 years of commercial banking experience, John has worked in both small business and traditional middle market roles throughout his career. His primary areas of focus have been in manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, insurance, and nonprofit industries. John has been a strategic partner in achieving growth and strategic initiatives for clients of all sizes.
Additionally, John has more than 15 years of nonprofit board experience and has held roles as treasurer and president while serving for various organizations. In addition to his role with My Choice Wisconsin, John currently maintains board-of-director duties for the following organizations:
Evergreen Retirement Community, Inc.
Madison Children's Museum
Numbers for Non Profits, Inc.
American Heart Association
John has also received multiple recognitions: In 2013, he was named as one of Oshkosh Northwestern's 40 Under 40, and again in 2019 by InBusiness Magazine in Madison.
In his spare time, John is an avid runner, mountain biker, and musky fisherman.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Accountability Care Organization
Currently, Katie is the Community Outreach and Support Specialist at NewBridge Madison, a nonprofit social services agency that serves people 60 and older in Madison and Monona, WI. Katie has been with the organization since 1998, working her way up from her position as a case manager.
Katie has been a key part of two special programs during her time at NewBridge Madison-she served as director of the Volunteer Guardianship Program and helped develop the Volunteer Representative Payee Program. Both are unique to Wisconsin and have successfully provided significant savings and support to people 60 or older in Dane County.
In addition to serving on the My Choice Wisconsin Board of Directors, Katie is also a member of the Accountability Care Organization. She is a certified social worker, having received her degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Katie lives in Madison with her husband and is excited to bring her social work experience-especially with the Legacy Waivers Program-to the board.
Kevin Collins - Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Legal Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Compliance Officer
- General Counsel
- Member of the Executive Team
Kevin is responsible for all legal and compliance affairs of the organization including governance, contracts, dispute resolution, regulatory compliance, HIPAA privacy and security, and program integrity. He also provides executive oversight to the Human Resources and Member Rights departments.
Kevin has more than 23 years of experience as a corporate and health law attorney, including private practice and in-house positions in the healthcare, health insurance, and pharmaceutical sectors. He is a 1997 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner at the Law Firm of Michael Best & Friedrich
Lee is a partner at the law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich in Milwaukee and has experience in insurance recovery, complex commercial litigation, product liability, and construction matters. Recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine in its "Rising Stars" list for business litigation in 2009, 2010, and 2011, he is a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, as well as a member of the Wisconsin Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Milwaukee Bar Association. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. Lee enjoys being on the My Choice Wisconsin Board because it is an exciting, energizing organization run by passionate people. He also sits on the board of the non-profit First Stage Children's Children's Theater. Lee lives in Pewaukee with his wife, Erica, sons Brody and Griffin, and daughter Rylee.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Lynda retired from Goodwill Talentbridge where she held the positions of Senior Account Executive and Senior Consultant. Goodwill TalentBridge is a full service staffing and recruitment firm which is part of Goodwill Services of Southeastern Wisconsin. She was recruited for the Board because of her extensive knowledge of marketing, her network of influential connections, and her knowledge of Wisconsin businesses. With more than 20 years in staffing and recruiting solutions, Lynda previously worked in the legal profession for 16 years. A member of Metro Milwaukee SHRM, which serves human resource management professionals, she also belongs to the the Waukesha Business Alliance. A longtime Waukesha resident, Lynda has a son and a daughter, and is expecting her first grandchild.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Executive Team
Maria has served as the head of My Choice Wisconsin since February 2006. She is responsible for the overall operations of the company and for developing and maintaining the necessary systems infrastructure to support our mission and vision.
Maria oversaw the company transition from county governance to a private nonprofit as My Choice Wisconsin grew from 43 employees to more than 960. During her tenure, My Choice Wisconsin has had seven expansions, one acquisition, and a merger. A lifelong resident of Wisconsin, Maria previously served as the Associate Director of the Center on Age & Community (CAC) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and also worked for Milwaukee County's Department of Health and Human Services and the Department on Aging.
Maria has a Bachelor of Psychology degree from Marquette University and a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
Maria serves as Treasurer of the My Choice Wisconsin board and retired in 2020 from the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee where she served 30 years as Resident Services Manager. Involved with the Family Care program since the mid-2000s, she wants to help ensure that My Choice Wisconsin is incorporated in and hires from the community. Maria also sits on the Healthy Girls Committee of United Way and belongs to a group that promotes voter registration in the Latino community. Maria was elected to the ACLU Board of Directors in 2021. In the past, she served on the 16th Street Community Health Center Board and as a Women's Fund board member, helped create a new fund, Latinas En Accion. Maria recently was featured in the new book "Somos Latinas" ("We are Latinas") about women from Wisconsin. She and her husband, Emilio Lopez, have six children, 13 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
Michael recently retired as the 7th District Supervisor of the Milwaukee County Board. First elected in 1994, he was re-elected to serve five additional consecutive terms. He served as Interim Chairman of the County Board from December, 2010 until February, 2011, and was First Vice Chair of the Board from 2008 to 2012. Michael serves on the My Choice Wisconsin Board because he enjoys giving back to the community. He also is a member of the Greater Holy Temple Christian Academy School Board, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. service organization, True Square Lodge No. 11 in Milwaukee, and the Milwaukee chapter of 100 Black Men. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Michael is a licensed insurance broker. He and his wife live in the Sherman Park area and have three children, one grandson and one granddaughter.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Tom is married to his wife, Ardith, and has three children and six grandchildren. When he's not serving on the board, he's usually fishing, golfing, or reading.
Tom is President and Chairman of the My Choice Wisconsin Board of Directors. A licensed Certified Public Account, he works at the accounting firm of Andrea & Orendorff, which he co-founded with Katharine Andrea in 1980. Tom initially was tapped by Milwaukee County to help during the transition of Family Care from a county program. He sits on the My Choice Wisconsin Board today because he believes in our mission and the services we bring to people with disabilities and other challenges. His public service involvement also includes sitting on the Finance Committee of the Kenosha County Community Health Center. In addition, he served in Vietnam with the Army's 101st Airborne Division. Tom, who earned his CPA from the University of Illinois in Champagne-Urbana, is married and lives in Kenosha.