Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top Women Leaders of San Antonio for 2024. San Antonio is the second-largest city in the Southern United States and the seventh most populous in the country. With so many hard-working professionals in one place, it’s no wonder the Alamo City is home to some of the most innovative and forward-thinking industries. These include healthcare, bioscience, information technology, cybersecurity, aerospace, and the new energy economy.
No matter the industry or sector, the companies, organizations, and institutions that call San Antonio home are committed to excellence, which they accomplish in part by recruiting top women leaders to lead the way.
Leading the way in the education sector is Vanessa Beasley, the very first female President of Trinity University. Through her tireless efforts, Beasley ensures Trinity remains recognized nationally as a leader in the 21st-century liberal arts.
We extend our honors to Silvia Ochoa, a Vice President for The Coca-Cola Company, focused on digital transformation and marketing. Ochoa brings her proven track record for building strong global teams to one of the most prominent brands in the world.
Moving to technology, we recognize Kimberly Robinson, the Senior Human Resources Business Partner for Amazon. As a key player in staffing the largest online retailer and technology provider, Robinson’s strategic initiatives improve performance, profitability, growth, and employee engagement.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top Women Leaders of San Antonio for 2024.
Lisa Heritage McLin
Global VP Alliances & Channel Chief, Unisys
Lisa Heritage McLin has over 20 years of experience in the technology industry, taking on roles in all areas of the business from staff accountant, customer experience, sales leader, transformation leader, go-to-market leader, and alliances and channel chief. She is known for her strengths in strategy and execution, growing partner relationships, direct sales, and customer satisfaction propelling organizational revenue while serving as a visionary, known for directly mastering the development of high-velocity sales organizations. Her success is focusing on a repeatable sales process and methodologies while owning accountability for profit-generating programs and building alliance and partnership strategies across global market segments. This has led to double-digit revenue growth and global expansion. McLin leads with her servant-leader style. She develops strong winning teams and is heavily invested in mentoring and advancing the careers of those around her.
McLin has received 50 Most Influential Channel Chiefs of 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 recognized and honored as CRN 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 Women in the Channel, and was awarded Top Gun 51 Channel Executive in 2019 for her executive vision, innovation, and advocacy of the indirect channel. LATINA Style announced McLin as 2018 Top 12 Corporate LATINA Executives of the Year and won a Gold Stevie for Woman of the Year in the Business Services Industries in 2019, along with a Bronze Stevie for Woman of the Year in Business Services Industries in 2020.
McLin serves on the board of directors for the Texas Conference for Women, as well as the board of directors for Girls Inc. She holds an undergraduate degree in accounting and business management from the University of Texas in San Antonito University and an executive business administration and management degree from the University of Texas in Austin. McLin lives in San Antonio with her husband and their two sons. She likes playing golf, fitness, reading, and spending time with her family.
Xochy Hurtado
COO, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas
Xochy Hurtado is the Chief Operating Officer at Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. (MHM). Building upon nearly 20 years of progressive leadership experience in the healthcare industry, Hurtado guides the direction of clinical and regional operations to ensure the organization’s mission and vision are realized. Her oversight of clinical operations includes two primary care clinics in San Antonio and two School-Based Health Centers in Schertz and Marion. Regional operations across MHM’s 74-county service area emphasize community health and wellness and include MHM’s Wesley Nurse Program; Community Counseling Services; and family wellness programs, such as Get FIT (Families in Training) and Blue Ribbon recognized Parenting Programs. She also oversees the Prosperemos Juntos/Thriving Together program that supports communities in cultivating behaviors, processes, and systems leading to a culture of health and sustainable improvements in well-being and equity.
Under her leadership, MHM has transitioned to telehealth for all clinical operations with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic; MHM Implemented PRAPARE (Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks and Experiences), a nationally recognized social determinants of health screening tool, in MHMs clinical and regional services. She serves as the executive sponsor overseeing the establishment of a Medical Legal Partnership pilot program within the organization to better serve the needs of patients and clients. During her tenure, MHM has been recognized as having “Top Decile Quality Metrics” for medical patient services. Hurtado also oversaw the organization-wide effort to implement two major process-improvement efforts: Becoming a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) and the first organization in Bexar County to become a Trauma-Informed Care Certified entity. Hurtado also directed MHM’s response to the changing healthcare landscape brought forth by the coronavirus pandemic and spearheaded efforts to ensure not a single outbreak occurred among staff or patients.
Hurtado earned her undergraduate degree in biomedical science from Texas A&M University in College Station, a Master’s degree with a specialization in Healthcare Administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, and certificates in population health essentials and population health management and strategy from the Jefferson College of Public Health. In December 2023, she earned an MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. She is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. Hurtado is a member of the Texas Rural Funders Collaborative and a graduate of Leadership Women Texas 2020. She volunteers her time as a board member for the Trinity University Board of Visitors and the United Way of San Antonio. She also serves as a member of Methodist Healthcare System’s Clinical Excellence Committee and Ethics and Compliance Committee. Hurtado lives in San Antonio with her husband Todd and their two children.
Leslie Swanson
COO, Tanger Outlets
Leslie Swanson is a commercial real estate executive with more than 30 years of experience in operations, management, and marketing, working with leading retail REITs, including Tanger Inc. (NYSE: SKT) and Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG). A respected thought leader in the industry, Swanson is known for her strategic mindset and successful record of driving corporate growth by creating new revenue streams and streamlining operations. She has successfully directed due diligence and integration efforts for over 135 acquisitions throughout her career.
Swanson has successfully developed new revenue streams for Tanger’s entire portfolio of shopping centers, resulting in $80 million in Same Center Net Operating Income (NOI) growth. She has focused on the diversification of their portfolio, consistently elevating offerings through the addition of new brands and retail categories. In 2023, Tanger added 175,000 sq ft. in new retailer brands and opened three new shopping centers in high-growth markets. In addition, since 2020, occupancy has increased by 500 basis points to 97%. Swanson has led efforts to strategically embed sustainability into Tanger’s operations with a return-on-investment mindset, reducing their carbon footprint while also reducing costs to improve margins. Tanger has recently doubled its solar infrastructure, added over 160 new electric vehicle charging stations at their centers, recycled over 10,000 tons of waste, and converted 2,340 tons of waste into energy.
Before joining Tanger, Swanson spent 12 years with the Simon Property Group. As EVP of of property management, she directed management and field operations for over 73 premium outlets, consisting of over 3,000 companies. Earlier roles with Simon Property included serving as Southwest Region VP of property management, in Houston, Texas, and VP of marketing in Indianapolis and Houston. Swanson is an active member of the Commercial Real Estate Women Organization (CREW) and holds a Certified Marketing Director Certification from the International Council of Shopping Centers. Swanson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Organizational Communication Psychology from Illinois State University.
Molly McClure
Head of North America Marketing, intelliflo
As Head of North America Marketing, Molly McClure leads all US marketing for Invesco's digital wealth business intelliflo. Acquired by Invesco in 2018, intelliflo supports over 30,000 financial advisors worldwide across 2,500 companies, representing over three million end-investors and over $1 trillion in assets serviced, and ultimately helps more people achieve financial freedom. McClure was recently shortlisted as Innovator of the Year for the 2023 US FinTech Awards.
Before intelliflo, McClure led a team of marketers at USAA across conversion rate optimization, marketing analytics, lead generation, research/analytics, and owned channels, helping their business partners make intelligent marketing decisions and ultimately deliver on their revenue and product goals. Before USAA, she spent several years at leading technology companies, including Dell and Insight. While at Dell, she led the end-to-end marketing for Dell's mid-market customer acquisition sales organization. One of her initiatives, a strategic door opener, resulted in a 32% response rate and millions in revenue. It also received a REGGIE Award from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) for packaging innovation.
Diversity matters. And action around ensuring you have a diverse team matters even more. McClure believes the best teams are full of curious, driven, and collaborative people eager to share, learn, and grow, with each one offering unique perspectives and experiences. As a woman who's worked in technology, financial services, and now financial technology, she's spent her career helping other women succeed. For several years at Dell, she led "I.T. is Not Just for Geeks," – a program that showed hundreds of middle school girls why working in STEM fields is cool. She also launched the first-ever Women in Business Speaker Series at Insight. McClure holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from Michigan State University and a bachelor's degree in communication and Spanish from Wake Forest University.
Lakesha White
Senior Vice President, Certification, WBENC
As the Senior Vice President of Certification, LaKesha White leads the WBENC WBE and WOSB certification standardization and compliance efforts by overseeing the Regional Partner Organizations’ processes. White is responsible for all certification-related training for RPO Staff and Certification Committee members and managing WBENC’s proprietary database, WBENCLink2.0.
Before joining WBENC in 2011, White served as the director of certification for the Women’s Business Enterprise Council – South from 2003 to 2007. She then transferred her services from Louisiana to be the Carolinas certification program manager for the Greater Women’s Business Council until 2010.
White is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. White is the mother of an LSU student (Geaux Tigers!) and wife to a retired Navy veteran of 24 years. A native of Texas, her family resides in San Antonio. When not working, White enjoys doing activities with friends, watching sports, and walking the neighborhood.
Amy Tawney
VP & Chief Human Resources Officer, UT Health San Antonio
Amy Tawney serves as Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at UT Health San Antonio. She is an executive with experience in domestic and international environments in diverse industries, including healthcare, airline, food manufacturing, telecom, and transportation.
She has over 30 years of progressive achievement in strategic leadership and the development of talent strategies to proactively address adjusting business needs and market conditions. Tawney previously served as a human resources leader with two major nonprofit health systems, Ascension and Baylor Scott & White Health, as well as holding human resources roles at American Airlines, Avaya, Inc., LSG Sky Chefs, and in management roles with Enterprise Rent-A-Car in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as well as the northwest region of England.
Tawney earned an Associate of Arts from Brazosport College, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Texas A&M University, and a Master of Business Administration in Organization Development from the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management. She holds multiple certifications inclusive of SPHR and SHRM-SCP and is a certified professional coach.
Vanessa Beasley
President, Trinity University
Vanessa Beasley began her tenure in July 2022 as Trinity University’s 20th president. Beasley, Trinity’s first female president in the school’s 153-year history, previously served as vice provost for academic affairs, dean of residential faculty, and an associate professor of communication studies at Vanderbilt University. Trinity University is known for having the flexibility, intimacy, and community of a small college with the facilities and resources of a large university. With confidence, curiosity, and creativity, Trinity University plays a transformative role in our world’s future – and Beasley is leading the charge.
Beasley’s charge is to ensure Trinity remains recognized nationally as a leader in the 21st-century liberal arts for its unwavering commitment to the student experience through interdisciplinary experiential learning and undergraduate research on a residential campus in one of the nation’s most vibrant urban areas. Her mission is simple – to provide the best education possible to Trinity’s students.
Beasley's academic expertise includes the rhetoric of American presidents, political rhetoric on immigration, and media and politics. She holds a Doctorate in Speech Communication from the University of Texas at Austin and attended Vanderbilt University as an undergraduate, earning a degree in speech communication and theatre arts. Beasley is married with two adult sons. She enjoys traveling, listening to live music, and lifting weights in her free time.
Rebecca Herrera
Director, South San Antonio ISD
Rebecca Herrera is the Director of South San Antonio ISD, where she provides a safe, stimulating environment where young children can thrive in an early childhood program. She coordinates all functions of the organization and works with the superintendent in providing leadership in planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating program systems and in representing the agency in local, regional, state, and national communities.
Herrera has over 20 years of experience in the K-12 education system with 13 of those years in administrative positions. She provides guidance, direction, and leadership development to staff members, as well as other principals. Herrera was previously with Southside ISD, where she was the principal of the Menchaca Early Childhood Center, which opened its doors in 2018. Her responsibilities included supervising over 100 staff members, and 800 students, maintaining and reconciling the budget, and representing the school in various inter-school events. Herrera and Menchaca ECC have been featured in various media coverages, as well as hosting a mini-documentary with Spectrum News.
Herrera has led the implementation of new initiatives, such as Additional Days of School Year and best practices for teaching and learning. She is also an appointed board member of two well-known organizations – the Texas Elementary Principal Supervisor Association (TEPSA-ESC 20) and the Texas Association of Administrators and Supervisors of Programs for Young Children (TAASPYC). Herrera is an ideal leader to mentor and coach aspiring and new principals and/or educators. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management, a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction, and a PhD in Educational Leadership.
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Dionne Roberts
President & CEO, TDA Consulting, Inc.
A national expert in affordable housing, disaster recovery, and community development programs, Dionne Roberts has more than 30 years of experience working in and with communities to improve the quality of life for their residents. She has worked directly with more than 150 communities and trained more than 5000 community development professionals across the country. As President and CEO, she leads TDA’s overall strategic development and works directly with their partners to advance service delivery opportunities.
Before TDA, Roberts worked in the nonprofit, local government, and national policy arenas developing and implementing integrated approaches to community and economic development needs that reflected the values, diversity, aspirations, and priorities of communities. She is adept at the development of policy approaches that enhance the provision of programs and the identification of resources to facilitate direct development.
Roberts has a Bachelor’s degree in African American Studies from Syracuse University, a Master’s degree in Organizational Development from the American University School of Public Affairs, and is currently pursuing a Doctoral degree in Organizational Change and Leadership at the University of Southern California. As someone who believes that the power of community is exponential, Roberts currently serves as Treasurer of the Development Board for the Carver Community Cultural Center, is a member of the Alpha Tau Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and a member of the San Antonio Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. She and her husband also bring internationally acclaimed live music to San Antonio through their monthly Jazz on the Water series at the Buena Vista Theater.
Danika Hohmann
VP of Operations, Texas Dental & Braces
Danika Hohmann is the Vice President of Operations of Texas Dental and Braces (TDB), based out of San Antonio, Texas. Built by dentists, for dentists, the founders, partners, and leadership team at Texas Dental and Braces are building practices driven by passion, leadership, teamwork, care, collaboration, and fun.
Hohmann has helped build and grow several dental companies in various leadership roles. Before her current role, she worked in sales operations and strategic partnerships for Dental Whale. She spent the majority of her time with Dental Whale as the business leader of the front desk. Before that, she was the VP of outsourcing services and corporate development coordinator at Breakaway Practice. During her time with these industry leaders, she achieved many operational goals, improving both the productivity and revenue stream for all departments. She also aided in the project development of new technologies and programs designed to show real data and related practice growth.
Hohmann is now using her years of experience to help support the high growth of Texas Dental and Braces. In building out the Shared Services division, she ensures the initiatives to grow the company are run effectively, efficiently, and in support of TDB's business strategies and objectives amongst all offices. Hohmann graduated from The University of Texas at San Antonio with an undergraduate degree in biology.
Katherine Sanchez-Rocha
Executive Director, North East Educational Foundation
Katherine Sanchez-Rocha is the Executive Director of North East Educational Foundation. She has dedicated her career to empowering the next generation. As a tireless advocate for workforce development and leadership growth in students, she has championed educational programs that bridge the gap between classrooms and careers. Katherine’s passion for workforce development stems from her own experience. Witnessing firsthand the challenges faced by students lacking the necessary skills for the job market, she embarked on a mission to equip students with the tools they need to thrive.
Throughout her career, Katherine spearheaded innovative programs that combine academic rigor with practical training. She implemented internship programs connecting students with real-world work experiences and established mentorship initiatives pairing seasoned professionals with aspiring leaders.
Katherine's influence extends far beyond her own institution. Katherine has a diverse background including healthcare, campaigning, leadership, and education. Katherine is a frequent volunteer and strongly supports issues dealing with family, education, and our military. She is a speaker on workforce development, inspiring others to prioritize career readiness programs. She serves on the board of directors for organizations such as the San Antonio Manufacturers Association and Lo Bello Women’s Organization.
Katherine is a tireless champion for a future where a skilled and adaptable workforce meets the ever-changing needs of the global economy. Driven by the belief that every student deserves the opportunity to succeed, Katherine’s unwavering commitment continues to pave the way for a future workforce equipped with the skills and leadership qualities to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of the professional world.
Marisol Weymouth
Chief People Whisperer, People Whisperer Solutions
Marisol Weymouth currently serves as the President and CEO of People Whisperer Solutions, a woman-owned boutique business management consulting and implementation firm, offering three pillars of service – Leadership Development, Strategy Execution, and Organizational Change Management. Weymouth delivers change-based services that transform, fuel growth, and accelerate potential at the individual, team, and organizational levels.
Weymouth is known as the People Whisperer and is a native San Antonian and accomplished Senior Executive with over 25 years of experience in corporate and operations, in male-dominated industries (utilities and material handling fleet). She is experienced in strategic and business planning and execution, portfolio management, balanced scorecard, organizational change management, program management office, process improvement, supply chain, human resources, training and development, fleet management, IT procurement, service level management, board governance and management, corporate communications and corporate affairs, substation construction, and utility-based transformations.
Weymouth is a first-generation college graduate and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science and Application Systems, an MBA with a concentration in Finance, and a PhD in Leadership Studies. She is also certified as a Prosci Change Management Experienced Practitioner, SHRM-CP, Gallup Strengths coach, Everything DiSC, The Five Behaviors, and an Emotional Intelligence EQ-I 2.0. Weymouth is married to a retired Chief Master Sergeant and has two adult children.
Juanita Sepulveda
COO & Partner, Vanyel Investments, LLC
Juanita Sepulveda is an accomplished individual with a diverse and inspiring background. She is a first-generation United States Marine Corps veteran, college student, entrepreneur, and mother of seven children. In 2006, after honorable service, Sepulveda moved to San Antonio, which she now calls home.
Sepulveda is the Chief Operations Officer and Partner at Vanyel Investments and Profit Circle, focused on training in options trading. Sepulveda is an Amazon #1 Bestseller co-author, an accomplished public speaker, and a Global Ambassador for Dress for Success. She earned a Master of Science and Education from Texas A&M University-San Antonio and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration. As a first-generation college student, she became a proud member of the Honor Society, the Society of Collegiate Leadership & Achievement, The National Society of Leadership and Success, the Worldwide Women Associate, Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity, and Veteran Students of America. Lastly, she is a Point of Light recipient, a George W. Bush Institute scholar, and a Texas A&M University, San Antonio Jaguar Spirit recipient.
Sepulveda serves as Vice Chair of the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy Committee, Co-Chair of the Small Business Advisory Commission, Co-Chair of the Veterans Affairs Commission, Chair of the Compliance and Technical Advisory Board, and Chair of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation for the Hidden Heroes City Initiative for the City of San Antonio, District four. In addition, she enjoys making an impact by serving on the Boards of Dress of Success, SAMMinistries, and Texas A&M University-San Antonio Foundation.
Veronica Garcia
President, Northeast Lakeview College
Veronica Garcia is the President of Northeast Lakeview College. Her visionary leadership drives the transformation of a branch campus into an accredited college. This entails defining the strategic vision, effectively communicating it to stakeholders, and securing resources to achieve student success-oriented objectives. As the administrative leader, she exercises comprehensive oversight, encompassing college departments, faculty, administrative officers, and staff, ensuring seamless operations.
With a distinguished background spanning over 27 years in higher education leadership, Garcia has adeptly fulfilled many roles. Throughout her journey, she’s steered comprehensive program development, nurtured thriving communities, and cultivated strategic partnerships – all pivotal to enriching the holistic student experience and propelling academic success. Her leadership style is distinguished by her successful track record in reshaping teams and departments, refining operational strategies, implementing systemic enhancements, and fostering a collaborative ethos that empowers and bolsters teams' resilience.
Previously, Garcia was a vice president of student affairs at Paradise Valley Community College. Before that, she was a dean of enrollment services and student affairs at Portland Community College. Earlier in her career, she worked with Pima Community College as a director of Enrollment Services. Garcia earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Oregon State University, an M.Ed in education from Northern Arizona University, and an undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Arizona.
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Stephanie O'Rourke
Managing Principal for San Antonio, Cokinos Young
Stephanie O'Rourke is the Managing Principal for San Antonio, Cokinos Young, the largest, longest-standing full-service law firm in Texas dedicated to construction deals and disputes. She’s held this role since 2007.
As a member of Cokinos Young’s litigation practice group, O’Rourke manages the firm’s San Antonio office. Her practice focuses on the representation of general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers in construction disputes, as well as businesses in complex disputes. She has a wealth of experience in litigation, and she is consistently asked to present at workshops and seminars regarding her expertise on contracts, liens, and bonds.
O’Rourke’s expertise in construction litigation has earned her recognition from numerous publications and organizations. She is Board Certified in Construction Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She earned her JD at St. Mary’s University School of Law.
Charito Lincoln
VP of Community Investments, Methodist Healthcare Ministries
Charito Lincoln is the Vice President of Community Investments at Methodist Healthcare Ministries where she leads the organization’s strategic grant-making and capacity-building efforts. Her leadership is critical to ensuring MHM’s philanthropic and community investment practices support its commitment to health equity – reducing the inequities inherent across South Texas so the least served have greater opportunities to reach their full potential.
Charito brings over 15 years of expertise in designing and executing strategies, governance structure, reporting metrics, and transition plans to her role as VP. Prior to joining MHM, she served as the Corporate Responsibility Director at USAA, supporting grant-making, employee giving, volunteerism, event planning, sponsorships, diversity & inclusion, and racial equality. Charito has also volunteered with various local and national non-profits and is on the board of Executive Women International and the San Antonio Parks Foundation. Charito is also a trainer for the Segs4Vets program of Disability Rights Advocates for Technology. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Texas – San Antonio, is a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager, and is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified.
Randi Berkovsky
Senior Director of Marketing, KIPP Texas Public Schools
Randi Berkovsky is the Senior Director of Marketing at KIPP Texas Public Schools. She currently leads a dynamic marketing team responsible for supporting critical student recruitment and staff recruitment efforts across Texas to extend the opportunity of a joyful, high-quality education to all children.
Berkovsky brings more than 10 years of experience in marketing and communications leadership with expertise in the Pre-K-12, higher education, and agency spaces. Focused on bringing results, Berkovsky is seasoned in integrated marketing execution, advertising campaign management, organizational branding, and project management.
Berkovsky has a passion for her community, education, mentorship, and women's empowerment. This calling has already led her to serve as an adjunct lecturer at Texas State University and Texas A&M University-San Antonio. She holds an undergraduate degree from Texas State University and an MPS from Georgetown University in Washington DC.
Lauren Schumann
Executive Director, Seton Healthcare Family
Lauren Schumann serves as Executive Director of the Ascension Seton Hays Foundation. Ascension is one of the nation's leading nonprofit healthcare providers, comprising 140 hospitals in 19 states and the District of Columbia. The Ascension Texas Foundation is a network of nonprofit foundations created to support the philanthropic needs of fourteen hospitals in Central Texas. Ascension Seton Hays Foundation works to provide resources to support capital, programmatic, and research needs for five facilities. Our Catholic health ministry is dedicated to spiritually-centered holistic care, which sustains and improves the health of individuals and communities; we are committed to serving all persons with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable.
Since joining Ascension Texas, Schumann has worked to strategically build impact across the region focusing on expanding the vision of the foundations and providing ongoing leadership for the organization's efforts to educate, connect, and financially support local community hospitals and rural clinics. She has been key in supporting the organization's fiscal sustainability through individual, corporate, and grant donations. Her desire to see changes to the healthcare system and how services are provided drives her to collaborate with key leadership both internally and externally to identify and address ways to better serve the needs of the community. She has played pivotal leadership roles locally, statewide, and nationally for Ascension.
Schumann has a Master of Public Health from the University of North Texas Health Science Center and a Master of Arts in Advertising from the University of Texas at Austin. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Political Science from Stephen F. Austin State University, she’s a Certified Fundraising Executive and is Certified in Public Health. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three young children.
Marissa Alicea
Senior Director Network Development & Contracting, WellMed Medical Management
Marissa Alicea is the Senior Director for Network Contracting and Development Support for WellMed Medical Management, leading her organization in enterprise contractual operational efficiency. WellMed's vision is to change the face of healthcare delivery for the nation by providing quality, proactive patient care with a focus on prevention. WellMed primarily serves older adults in a primary-care-centered environment through a comprehensive network of contracted and employed physicians, participating in mainly Medicare Advantage Health Plans.
As a servant leader, focused on retention and high-performing teams, Alicea has been able to achieve project milestones in network expansions building multi-market networks with over 600 provider contracts and gap closures to ensure members have access to care. She has built contractual reporting across all network segments to ensure operational efficiency. Her reporting includes management and maintenance of over 1,500 primary care physician contracts, as well as day-to-day operational contracting efforts. She has created an End-to-End Primary Care Physician Audit process to increase operational excellence with a downstream impact on patient care. Additionally, she has led provider incentive programs that include the management of more than 2,000 provider agreements. By removing administrative barriers for our providers, they can focus on the patient's overall health and wellness. With a focus on retention, in her tenure at WellMed, Alicea has retained talent and grown leaders in her organization. She recently received recognition for her completion in the ACHE Thomas C. Dolan Career Accelerator Program, where she was asked to return to speak to the 2024 cohort. She is a member of several Employee Resource Groups within her organization with a focus on DEI.
Alicea began her career in healthcare in 2006 as a financial advisor for HCA Healthcare and quickly moved into a leadership role thereafter. She spent 10 years working for HCA in several roles, where she learned hospital and clinic operations before joining WellMed. She was recognized for her efforts in successful implementation and migration from paper charts to an EMR system in 2015. he had the highest compliance for PQRS and MU in 2015. Additionally, she implemented several employee recognition efforts working with HCA’s Quint Studer Initiative program, where she developed several skills attributed to her success. Alicea earned her Bachelor of Communication Arts Degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and completed her Master’s in Business Administration from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.
Diana Sowa
Managing Director - Alliances, Payroll, & Digital Platform Partners, The Hartford
Diana Sowa is a Managing Director at The Hartford accountable for sales and underwriting strategy and driving profitable growth. Sowa’s expertise includes working with and understanding the business model and needs of key alliance partners, national brokers, and InsurTech companies. Serving as their trusted advisor, agents are well supported to achieve their goals and commitments with The Hartford.
Sowa’s success is attributed to over 26 years of industry experience and her ability to stay on top of trends and ahead of emerging issues. However, it is the relationships she creates and maintains that play a critical role when it matters. Sowa has a strong passion for mentoring. She participates in several mentorship programs and informally mentors new leaders, peers, and individuals seeking guidance as they navigate through their career journey. Those who know Sowa, describe her as an effective, compassionate leader, who also acts as a thought partner and problem solver.
Sowa is a proud member of Hartford’s Professional Women’s Network and The Hartford Council of Underwriters and is a recent recipient of the distinguished sales award, Honors Circle.
Anne-Marie Grube
Director of Operations - Avante Wealth, Northwestern Mutual
Anne-Marie Grube has been Director of Operations for Roberto Espinosa, Wealth Management Advisor at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company in San Antonio since 2014. Grube has contributed to exponential business growth placing the Espinosa Team as the top producer in San Antonio and in the Top 10 Financial Advisor Teams in the company on a national level. In 2021, Grube partnered with Espinosa to create Avante Wealth. Along with a network of specialists they develop strategic plans that bring alignment to your business, investments, and retirement plans towards a common purpose.
Grube received her degree in BSc in Business Administration and Economics and an MSc In International Management and Marketing from Copenhagen Business School. Grube moved to San Antonio over 15 years ago as a partner in a corn tortilla factory, which was sold five years later. A short time after arriving in San Antonio, she received the Bravo! business award by the South Texas Women’s Business Center and LiftFund. Grube and the business were featured in several media outlets in the years she operated it, including the San Antonio Express-News and the feature story in the Connexion magazine. In 2020, Grubewas the recipient of the San Antonio Business Journal 40 under 40 award.
Grube is an active member of the community, participating in nonprofit and business organizations like the San Antonio Sports Foundation Board of Directors, San Antonio International Visitors Council, Leadership San Antonio Alumni Association, and Historic & Design Review Committee (HDRC) Commissioner for the City of San Antonio. She is a member of Northwestern Mutual’s Field Marketing Committee, and she is a class member of Leadership San Antonio (LSA) Class 40, a Steering Committee member of LSA Class 43, and a Co-Chair for LSA Class 46 in 2022. Born in Belgium to a Danish father and a Mexican mother, Grube is fluent in English, Spanish, Danish, and French.
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Carolina Iga-Musisi
Director, Accounts Receivable, Medely
Carolina Iga-Musisi has diverse and extensive work experience in various roles and industries. Iga-Musisi has been the Director of Accounts Receivable at Medely since October 2022. Medely helps healthcare professionals instantly access high-paying healthcare jobs with the freedom and flexibility to work when and where they want. Healthcare facilities benefit by instantly accessing highly qualified healthcare professionals.
Before that, Iga-Musisi was the global director of billing and collections at Fourth. Additionally, she served as a director at ABM Industries and the director of shared services at iHeartMedia. Earlier in her career, she held multiple leadership roles, including senior manager of global services and special projects at Silver Spring Networks and director of accounting services and credit and collections manager at Clear Channel Outdoor. Iga-Musisi also worked at Praxair in various managerial roles, including OTC manager for billing and credit and collections, as well as cash applications manager at Praxair Healthcare Services. Before that, she served as a senior internal auditor at Praxair.
Iga-Musisi obtained a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Estácio, and she received certification in Microsoft Power Automate Essential Training from LinkedIn in 2021.
Melanie Rios Aulds
Director of Quality Assurance, Any Baby Can of San Antonio, Inc.
For over 15 years Melanie L. Aulds has made a positive impact on countless families who are navigating the intricacies of raising a child with special needs and has made it her life mission to help ensure all families have access to services, education, and support needed to thrive.
It was her experiences as a mother of a child with a disability that led her to pursue her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education focusing on Child and Family Studies from Rasmussen University. While completing her Bachelor’s degree, Melanie worked as a para-professional and a re-direction teacher for the Northeast Independent School District in the Special Education unit. It was in this role, combined with her personal experience as a mother, that she found her true passion for empowering and advocating for families in order to access the appropriate services available to meet the needs of their children.
In her current role as Quality Assurance Director for Any Baby Can of San Antonio, Melanie plays a significant role as part of the agency's leadership team and leads the agency’s analytical activities with a results-based accountability framework with a range of data to provide research, collection, and in-depth analytic functions for reporting and sharing with stakeholders and grantors - ensuring all services are focused on families in need.
During her tenure with the agency, Melanie has implemented programs such as the In-Office Home Health Evaluations, established partnerships with outside providers to combat the formula shortage crisis, and spearheaded over $2M annually in care to hundreds of families with childbirth through 17 years old with any medical diagnosis, including chronic illness, disability, developmental delay or health risk.
Morgan Abney
Director of Strategic Partnerships - Theme Parks & Attractions, Protect Group
Morgan Abney is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Theme Parks and Attractions at Protect Group, a global leader in the design, implementation, and administration of life assistance services. Throughout her career spanning over eight years, Morgan has amassed extensive expertise in sales, evolving through various roles to her current position. Beyond sales, she has embraced broader responsibilities, gaining a holistic understanding of the sales cycle's intricacies. A key focus for Morgan is fostering relationships within the theme park and attractions industry, prioritizing customer experience, and ensuring partner satisfaction with the innovative product, Refund Protect. She thrives when advocating for products she believes in, recognizing their value in nurturing successful partnerships.
Morgan's adaptability and collaborative spirit shine as she tackles diverse project facets, driven by unwavering motivation and a strong work ethic. Actively engaging with team members and clients, she fosters a culture of collaboration and excellence. As a member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), Morgan continues to expand her industry knowledge to better support her partners. Currently, she collaborates with leading ticketing companies, eager to enhance their revenue and success with innovative solutions.
Dedicated to personal and professional growth, Morgan continually seeks opportunities to deepen her understanding of the industry and Protect Group's offerings. She advocates for effective leadership and management practices, embodying these qualities in her work to drive business success.
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