ELEMENTONE CONSULTING - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Administrative Manager
- Administrative Manager With ElementOne
As the Administrative Manager with ElementOne, Calla D. Lowe keeps everything running smoothly. Working with executive leadership, Calla streamlines operations, improves processes, and coordinates goals and timelines for maximum efficiency. She is responsible for ensuring the continuity of client projects through scheduling, project management, and client communication.
In addition to her administrative role, Calla assists executive leadership with consulting services and clients' compensation structures to ensure they are effective and up to date. Calla also spearheads the tracking and organization of prospects and onboarding of new clients.
Prior to joining ElementOne in 2021, Calla had a background in marketing/sales and account management/administrative work. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from Northwood University (Midland, Mich.) with a major in Marketing.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- President
- Senior Consultant
- Founder and President of Merces Consulting Group, Inc
Edmund B. Ura is a founder and President of Merces Consulting Group, Inc. Ed works with human resource and general management, Directors and Board committees to assist them in developing effective organization designs, and compensation strategies and programs to meet strategic and operational needs. He has overall management responsibility for the firm and is leader of the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and Professional and Trade Association Practices.
Emily brings over two decades of expertise in modern human resources leadership to ElementOne. Having cultivated engaging workplaces across industries such as healthcare, non-profit, government, aerospace, manufacturing, and design, she has developed a nuanced understanding of the distinct dynamics within each workplace and the common challenges prevalent in many organizations.
A seasoned collaborator in both small and large organizational settings, Emily excels in creating innovative solutions that not only enhance business outcomes but also prioritize the well-being and cohesion of teams. She firmly believes that fostering a robust company culture is integral to attracting and retaining top talent while motivating them to achieve their best.
Emily is an alumna of Willamette University, holding a Senior Certified Professional credential (SHRM-SCP) from the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM). Further enriching her skill set, she has earned a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University. She is on the Board of Directors for the Mt. Baker Chapter of SHRM.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Emily actively contributes to the community by volunteering on the Board of Directors for the Brigid Collins Family Support Center.
Eriana carefully collects, reviews and analyzes every piece of data in ElementOne surveys that help clients and survey respondents to make informed, strategic decisions about their practices. ElementOne clients benefit greatly from Eriana's drive to dive deep into their industries and apply best practices to their organizations.
Job Titles:
- Consultant and Consulting Services Manager
- Consultant With ElementOne
- Leader for ElementOne
As a consultant with ElementOne, Erin works with human resources and executive leadership to help them develop equitable and competitive compensation plans and workforce programs to increase the ability to attract, retain, and motivate staff.
She is one of the firm's account managers, serving as the primary liaison between clients and our team to ensure a broad range of client needs are continuously met. Additionally, Erin directly manages the ElementOne staff responsible for maintaining clients' compensation structures over time to help them remain competitive.
While working with clients across multiple industries, Erin is primarily focused on nonprofit organizations, primarily health care and behavioral health care organizations, as well as membership organizations. Over the past 10 years with ElementOne, she has managed more than 20 compensation program development and implementation assignments, provided research and technical expertise on dozens more, and has been responsible for the ongoing pay structure maintenance of more than 100 ElementOne clients. Erin also contributes to the development of performance management programs, organization design strategies and structures, and job documentation efforts.
As a thought leader for ElementOne, Erin provides content for the firm's blogs and presentations, with a focus on workforce issues, including work-life balance, responses of the labor market during the COVID-19 pandemic, and changes to the very nature of the labor market and how this impacts employers' ability to recruit and retain staff.
Erin has a sharp and strategic mind that allows her to quickly earn the respect and trust of ElementOne clients across a variety of industries. With a degree in biomedical science, and a background in both HR and customer service, she is a valuable advisor to ElementOne clients.
Kristen brings extensive prior professional experience working at a health center as well as in consulting, and excels in providing a broad range of services to FQHCs and Look-Alikes, including grant-writing, research studies and report creation.
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant
- Vice President
- FQHC Operations Executive
- Vice President & Sr. Consultant
Lesa Peterson is an accomplished FQHC operations executive. As Vice President of ElementOne, she manages the firm's FQHC clients in the Southeast Region of the U.S. and its consulting division. She assists clients with the development and implementation of compensation programs. As a Principal of FQHC Associates, she provides a broad range of operational and strategic consulting services to clients.
Previously, during her years an FQHC Operations Director, she was responsible for medical and dental health center operations, operation of mobile medical and dental units, and managing partnerships with nonprofits and academic institutions. Lesa is a therapist by training, with a diverse background in social service and also spent several years at a hospice organization as the provider relations director.
An army veteran, Lesa received multiple Army Achievement Medals including one for meritorious achievement in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm and commendation from the State of Minnesota for her contributions on behalf of children.
Lesa joined ElementOne in January 2014. Lesa resides in Asheville with her spouse, Rich, and their two rescue pups. In their free time, they enjoy hiking, biking, and travel to satiate their wanderlust.
Lesa manages ElementOne's compensation work with FQHCs in the Southeast Region of the U.S. and its FQHC consulting division. She is responsible for a wide range of client support including health center governance, compliance, compensation, and organizational design.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- CCP Survey Manager & Consultant
- Consultant in Merces' Detroit
- Independent Compensation Consultant
Linda Budd is a Consultant in Merces' Detroit office. Bringing to the firm extensive experience in health care compensation, she is responsible for the design, development and implementation of employee compensation programs. Linda serves as Primary Consultant for several of the firm's FQHC clients.
Linda has over 25 years of compensation experience, including responsibility for the development and administration of a wide variety of compensation programs in major health systems. She has extensive experience in managing client assignments and providing technical expertise on many different compensation issues.
Most recently, Linda has worked as an independent compensation consultant and was employed as a Compensation and Benefits Specialist with Dawn Food Products, Inc. for two years prior to returning to Merces. She was employed by Henry Ford Health System as a Senior Compensation Associate and also worked as a Compensation Consultant for The Wyatt Company, an international human resources consulting firm. Linda worked for several years with Merces prior to her independent consulting work and rejoined the firm in February of 2012.
When she's not working, Linda is a voracious reader (primarily true crime, Stephen King, and other fiction) and loves to travel and garden. She is a past President of the Paint Creek Garden Club in Rochester, MI, and volunteers her free time at the Detroit Institute of Arts. She very much enjoys attending art exhibitions, ballets, concerts, plays, and other cultural events.
Linda brings more than 30 years of experience in compensation consulting and management with a strong healthcare background. She is a dedicated partner to clients, striving to deeply understand and support leadership and staff throughout the whole process.
Job Titles:
- FQHC Consultant
- Principal ( FQHC Associates )
During his time as a management and IT consultant for Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC), Steve became proficient in designing and programming complex business software systems. In 1984 he was recruited by a small Community Health Center (CHC) in Southwest Florida to revive its failed first attempt at automation. After creating and implementing a Practice Management (PM) system, he advanced from IT director to CFO, where he grew the $3 million, single site FQHC into a more than $30 million program. When Mr. Weinman retired in 2013 to devote his full time to a growing consultancy, he was serving as Executive VP/COO with over 300 employees (all except the CEO), 13 sites, a Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, a dental residency program and a wholly owned Medicaid Health Plan.
In addition to his employment, Mr. Weinman has been actively involved in the national CHC movement since 1988. He brings extensive experience in board training, strategic planning, IT, grant writing, staff development and a host of other services to CHCs and Primary Care Associations (PCAs) across the country. As a noted expert in topics including finance, operations, managed care, IT and governance, Mr. Weinman is in great demand as a speaker at national CHC and state PCA conferences. In addition, he has authored numerous articles, issue briefs and blog posts. Mr. Weinman is particularly well known for his work with FQHC Medicare/Medicaid policy and strategy, the 340B Drug Program and development of FQHC focused integrated delivery systems.
Steve brings decades of FQHC senior management and consulting expertise to client assignments. He is a national expert in topics including finance, operations, managed care, It and governance, and a well-known speaker in the FQHC community.