Dr. James Napoli named chief medical officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Arizona
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) has named Dr. James Napoli as the company’s new Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Napoli was appointed interim CMO in March, while also continuing to serve as BCBSAZ’s Enterprise Medical Director for Healthcare Ventures and Innovation.
As CMO, Dr. Napoli will focus on creating outcome-driven quality initiatives and programs to improve healthcare services for BCBSAZ members, while maximizing efficiencies, and managing a team of employees dedicated to inspiring health in Arizona.
“Dr. Napoli has made significant contributions during his career at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, that are focused on improving the value of healthcare for our members,” said Pam Kehaly, president and CEO of BCBSAZ. “He is a dynamic, purpose-driven, and engaged leader. His passion for pursuing our mission has been inspiring to all of us, and we look forward to the new, inventive approaches he will take to help us improve the health of all Arizonans.”
Dr. Napoli is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and has more than a decade of clinical experience in hospital medicine and physician leadership roles at Arrowhead Hospital in Glendale, Ariz. He also has served as a Medical Director for OptumHealth in the medical management and quality improvement areas for Medicare Advantage membership, where he led multiple projects in support of care management innovation that led to shared savings models for primary care physicians.
“I am honored to be named the new CMO for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.,” said Dr. Napoli. “My team and I are committed to improving the quality of care for all Arizonans. Collaborating with the medical community, I’m eager to continue the work that is already underway to address affordability and effectiveness of the healthcare system.”
Troon appoints Ruth Engle and Bob Eddy to board
Troon announced the appointment of Ruth Engle and Bob Eddy to its board of directors effective today. Engle is Troon’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Eddy is Executive Vice President, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc.
“We are very pleased to have Ruth and Bob join our board and look forward to their contributions,” said Dana Garmany, executive chairman, Troon. “With the addition of Ruth and Bob, the board of directors features a good mix of perspectives from internal and external members, with varying backgrounds and experiences.”
Engle joined Troon in 2007 after serving as vice president and controller of the aerospace division of Honeywell International. During her time at Honeywell, she also held vice president and CFO positions over three leading divisions. Engle began her career with PricewaterhouseCoopers and has since held financial leadership positions at major global engineering companies. Early in her career, Engle returned to her alma mater as a professor, teaching economics and business at Lafayette College. She then earned her master’s degree in business administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University and co-authored a book titled: “Small Business Survival Guide to Debits, Credits and Cash: What Every Growing Business Needs to Know About Accounting and Finance.” In 2016, Engle was named to AZ Business magazine’s list of 2016 Most Influential Women as she was selected from a pool of more than 1,000 candidates by the editorial team and a panel of industry experts. In November of 2018, Engle was named “Arizona CFO of the Year” by the Arizona Chapter of Financial Executives International (FEI). The FEI’s CFO of the Year Awards are presented to professionals for outstanding performance in their roles as corporate financial stewards.
Sundt taps Moreno and Blubaum for talent development roles
Sundt Construction, Inc. (www.sundt.com) has promoted Melissa Moreno to director of administrative talent development. Shawn Blubaum joined the talent management team as the vice president and director of operations talent development.
“Shawn and Melissa are highly skilled, passionate leaders with a depth of experience in their respective areas. They both have extensive knowledge of our industry and company,” said Nicole Calamaio, Vice President of Talent Management. “They will both continue to grow our talent development and training programs.”
Moreno will manage the development, facilitation and training, career development and leadership programs for Sundt’s administrative personnel. She brings more than 20 years in the construction industry with an emphasis on civil and transportation projects. She has served in multiple capacities on construction projects including the roles of project engineer, project superintendent and project manager. Moreno holds a bachelor’s in construction management from Arizona State University and earned her MBA from the University of Phoenix. She received her certified professional constructor (CPC) credential from the American Institute of Constructors and holds an AGC Certificate of Management – Lean Construction (CM-Lean) credential.
In his new role, Blubaum will provide operations personnel with specialized training opportunities. He brings over 20 years of operations experience to his new role, as well as a passion for developing people. During his 16 years at Sundt, he has served as project engineer, project superintendent, project manager, area manager and operations manager. Blubaum has also distinguished himself as an excellent mentor and leader through his work with the annual Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Competition and numerous other company and industry programs. Blubaum holds a bachelor’s in construction management from the University of Washington in Seattle.
Aidee Covarrubias named manager for Esperança
Esperança, a Phoenix-based nonprofit whose mission is to improve health and restore hope both locally and globally, has named Aidee Covarrubias as the organization’s Manager, Senior Program. Covarrubias will oversee Esperança’s relationship with HUD housing facilities and manage implementing their health education.
She is a native of Sonora, Mexico and has lived in Arizona since 1996. As an experienced promotora de salud (community health worker), her bi-cultural background and passion for community service led her to many volunteer opportunities and community leadership roles.
She has completed the behavioral health sciences program at South Mountain Community College. In June 2018, Covarrubias received the Joel S. Meister Outstanding Community Health Worker Award from Arizona Community Health Workers Association.
“The senior program coordinator role is vital to our success working with residents in the Valley’s low-income housing communities,” said Jeri Royce, president and CEO of Esperança. “Aidee’s enthusiasm for community health coupled with her bi-cultural background is a perfect fit for this position.”
YAM Capital expands roster with senior underwriter
Scottsdale-based YAM Capital, a private real estate bridge lender specializing in asset-based commercial real estate financing, has recently added Matt Brady to its expanding team. As a Senior Underwriter, Brady will analyze prospective commercial real estate lending opportunities, assess risk, build financial models and evaluate borrower and guarantor financial strength for the Scottsdale firm.
Brady brings more than 15 years of commercial real estate lending experience to YAM Capital. Previously, Brady was a Senior Vice President of Underwriting at IMH Financial Corporation where he played an integral role in the firm’s funding and management of over $1 billion in debt and equity investments.
“YAM Capital has grown into a frontrunner in the commercial real estate industry and I’m honored to be a part of such a highly respected firm,” said Brady. “I’m excited to bring my skills and experience to an organization led by a seasoned team of experts.”
YAM’s private lending program is designed to be flexible, efficient and reliable, and its approval process is built for speed and certainty of execution. All loans are underwritten, made and funded by YAM Capital allowing the lender to offer unique funding options not available through other channels.
