Community Health Options Welcomes New Board Members

Members elect two new board directors and re-elect three current directors to serve terms beginning in January 2025.

NEW GLOUCESTER, ME, UNITED STATES, November 18, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Community Health Options has announced the results of its 2024 Board of Directors Election, including two new directors and three re-elected to new terms. By design, Community Health Options Members elect the majority of the company’s directors, many of whom are Members themselves.

“We are grateful that our Members took the opportunity to vote, choosing directors from across the state with a range of backgrounds who will help to shape the direction of our company and ensure we continue to provide the highest quality benefits to our Members,” said Kevin Lewis, CEO and president of Community Health Options. “I’m pleased to welcome two new members to our board, who now have the opportunity to contribute to the future of our organization and the health of our community.”

Members elected five directors, including two new directors who will join the board for three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2025. They include the following:

Martin Puckett
Puckett, newly elected, is the executive director for the Central Aroostook Association (CAA), a nonprofit that provides essential services to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. CAA supports people in reaching their highest level of personal development through a special purpose private school, residential services, case management, children’s support and adult services. He's also a Rotarian and president of the University of Maine at Presque Isle Foundation. He lives in Presque Isle with his spouse, Kari, and daughter, Sabine.

Elizabeth Whittemore
Whittemore, also newly elected, retired as a healthcare consultant in the spring of 2023 and moved to central Maine from the Greater Boston Area to be closer to family. Throughout her career, she has held several executive positions in provider and health insurance companies, and as a consultant, focused on helping providers develop alternative payment models and integrating behavioral health and primary care. Her professional training is in clinical social work and public health.

Leslie Clark
Clark, re-elected to the board, serves on the Quality Assurance Committee. She’s the executive director of Portland Recovery Community Center, which provides peer support, education, advocacy and resources for people affected by substance use disorder and other addictions. With a deep passion for working with underserved populations— especially those who have experienced trauma, discrimination, and addiction—Clark speaks out openly as a person in long-term recovery to help reduce stigma and advocate for individuals and families affected by addiction.

Cory McKenna
McKenna, re-elected to a new term, is currently chair of the board’s Member Experience Committee. He’s a lawyer who primarily practices as a court-appointed attorney for people who cannot afford legal representation, operating out of his Portland-based law office, McKenna PLLC. He also volunteers for the city of South Portland where he chairs the Board of Appeals. He and his wife, Jillian, live in South Portland with their two cats, Lucy and Rancher.

Sharon Reishus
Reishus, re-elected to a new term, chairs the board’s Audit & Risk Committee. She has worked for nearly 35 years at the intersection of markets, regulation and climate change. Her career spans private and public sectors, including heading the North American Power advisory service at IHS CERA and serving as chairman of the Maine Public Utilities Commission. Reishus brings expertise in strategic planning, risk management and navigating complex regulatory landscapes. She also serves on the Advisory Board of Halcyon AI, an energy information platform startup, and chairs the Board of Trustees for Unity Environmental University.

About Community Health Options
Community Health Options is the only Maine‐based, nonprofit, Member‐led health insurer and plan administrator, providing comprehensive health plans for individuals, families and businesses. Community Health Options offers a robust network of 48,000 healthcare providers in New England, along with plans with U.S. national coverage for individuals and businesses.

Heather Bouffard
Community Health Options
+1 207-808-9373
hbouffard@healthoptions.org
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