Task Force Members

Nathan Houdek, Commissioner of Insurance for the State of Wisconsin

Nathan Houdek has served as Commissioner of Insurance for the State of Wisconsin since his appointment by Governor Tony Evers in January 2022. He previously served as Deputy Commissioner of Insurance for three years under former Commissioner Mark Afable.

Commissioner Houdek serves as the state's chief regulator of insurance and oversees the operations of the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. He is also chair of the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund Board of Governors and a member of the Wisconsin Insurance Security Fund (the state's guaranty fund) Board of Directors.

As a member of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Commissioner Houdek currently serves as chair of the Financial Condition (E) Committee, the Accelerated Underwriting (A) Working Group, and the Health Innovations (B) Working Group, and as a member of the Life Insurance and Annuities (A) Committee and various task forces and working groups. He is also vice chair of the Governance Committee of the Interstate Insurance Compact Commission.

Having spent over 20 years working in state legislative and regulatory affairs, Commissioner Houdek has extensive experience finding solutions to complex public policy and regulatory challenges across all lines of insurance. He has held several senior-level roles in the public and private sectors, including serving as a principal at one of Wisconsin's largest public affairs and business consulting firms and as chief of staff to a former minority leader in the Wisconsin State Senate.

Commissioner Houdek grew up in northern Wisconsin and earned his BA and MBA degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is actively involved with the Madison Public Library Foundation.

Josh Bindl, CEO of National CooperativeRx

Josh Bindl is the CEO of National CooperativeRx, a national not-for-profit pharmacy benefits purchasing cooperative representing employer groups, unions, and coalitions who sponsor a health plan. Collectively they are responsible for the health and wellbeing of over 365,000 participants. Mr. Bindl strives to continue the Cooperative’s trend of keeping costs low and adding value for members through joint purchasing and strategic clinical oversight programs.

Prior to his arrival at National CooperativeRx, Mr. Bindl served as the Director of Programs and Services for the Wisconsin Counties Association. There he led the WCA Group Health Trust, a self-funded employee health benefits trust. During his tenure, the trust grew from 8,000 to 50,000 participants.

Mr. Bindl received his undergraduate degree from UW-La Crosse and his master’s degree from UW-Madison.

Tim Carpenter, State Senator, representing Milwaukee’s 3rd Senate District

Senator Tim Carpenter serves in the Wisconsin State Senate representing the 3rd Senate District on Milwaukee’s south side. Sen. Carpenter is a graduate of Pulaski High School and he earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and his M.A. in Public Policy and Public Administration from the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He completed the Milwaukee Police Department Citizen Academy in 2018.

Sen. Carpenter served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1984-200 before being elected to the State Senate. He served as Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore from 1993-1994 and as Senate President Pro Tempore from 2011-2013. He serves on the Council on Domestic Abuse, the State Fair Park Board, the Transportation Projects Commission, and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors.

During his time in office, Sen. Carpenter has been a recipient of the following awards: Mothers Against Drunk Driving Legislator of the Year; Wisconsin Professional Police Association Law Enforcement Honor Roll; Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Conservation Champion; several Wisconsin Environmental Decade Clean 16 awards; Shepherd Express Best State Legislator; Wisconsin Public Health Association’s Champion of Public Health;

Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups Award for Service to Seniors; Wisconsin Professional Fire Fighters Legislator of the Year.

Sen. Carpenter is also a member of the Sierra Club, Jackson Park Neighborhood Association, Story Hill Neighborhood Association, Milwaukee VA Soldiers Home Advisory Council, Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, Wisconsin Humane Society, Polish Center of Wisconsin, and the Democratic Party.

Brent Eberle, Senior Vice President, Health Strategies & Chief Pharmacy Officer of Navitus Health Solutions and General Manager of Lumicera Health Services

Brent Eberle is Senior Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer at Navitus Health Solutions. At Navitus, Brent oversees the Health Strategies Division, which is responsible for clinical and population health initiatives; drug utilization review programs; formulary and drug rebate management; and outcomes management initiatives. He also monitors industry trends and leads strategic product development opportunities designed to meet the changing needs of clients and their members.

Brent is also General Manager of Lumicera Health Services, a wholly-owned Navitus subsidiary and full-service national specialty pharmacy accredited by both URAC and ACHC. He provides strategic direction and oversight at Lumicera, supporting its business model, its growth and regulatory needs, and the alignment of health management strategies between Navitus and Lumicera.

Brent began his tenure with Navitus in 2004 and has served in multiple capacities, including Clinical Pharmacist, Formulary Program Manager, Director of Industry Relations and Contracting, and VP of Health Strategies. Prior to joining Navitus, Brent worked as a Drug Information Pharmacist at Dean Health System.

Brent holds Bachelor of Science degrees in pharmacy and chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Edgewood College. He is a licensed pharmacist in Wisconsin and a member of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy and the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin.

Tony Fields, Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer at the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin

Tony Fields is the Chief Pharmacy Officer at the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (ARCW). Previous to his time at ARCW Tony held multiple leadership roles with Walgreens over a 20-year career in the retail sector.

Tony is a Wisconsin native with strong ties to his community and profession. He served on multiple task forces for Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin and also on their Board of Directors.

He has coached hockey, football, and baseball for his son and enjoys watching his three daughters as they progress through gymnastics and dance. His wife Dana and he are both healthcare professionals (Dana is a PA-C) and see every day the challenges access to care can have on our community. Tony feels excited and humbled to be working on this task force with such great leaders.

Peter Fotos, Senior Regional Director, State Advocacy for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)

Peter Fotos is Senior Director of State Advocacy for the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) with primary responsibility for outreach to state and local elected officials in the Midwest Region, which includes Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

Prior to joining the State Advocacy team, Peter served four years on the Federal Advocacy team at PhRMA where he conducted outreach to the United States Senate on pharmaceutical issues related to Medicare, Medicaid, the Food and Drug Administration, and intellectual property rights.

Peter worked for eleven years on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. advising Members of Congress on health care policy in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. In his last position on Capitol Hill, Peter served as the Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Primary Health at the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions where he developed and collaborated on legislation related to prescription drugs, health care disparities, and long-term care.

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Peter has a B.A. in Political Science from Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. He resides in Oak Park, Illinois with his wife and three children.

Janet Fritsch, Pharmacist and owner of Corner Drug Hometown Pharmacy in Baraboo, Wisconsin

Janet Fritsch graduated from the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy in 1987. She purchased Corner Drug Store in 1993 and has since purchased three other pharmacies in Baraboo, including a Dean Pharmacy in 2013. She partnered with Hometown in 2016 and currently manages 20 employees at two locations.

She has served three terms on PSW’s Board of Directors. During those years, she was involved with the re-branding project, was on the PSW Technician Taskforce and was liaison with the PSW Technician Board. She has testified at four bill hearings in Madison and was privileged to be at two bill signings with the Governor.

She was awarded the Citation of Merit by the UW School of Pharmacy in 2016 and received the PSW Good Government Award in 2018. She enjoys being a clinical instructor for UWSOP and showing students the importance of community pharmacy.

She serves on the Sauk County Overdose Death Review Team and the St. Clare Hospital Diabetes Advisory Board. She and her staff participate in community events for medication reviews and fall prevention.

Janet has also owned and managed commercial properties in Downtown Baraboo with 16 commercial tenants since 1999.

She has been honored with the Baraboo Chamber of Commerce President’s Award, Sauk County Historical Society Historic Preservation Award, Small Business Leadership Award and Sauk County’s Small Business of the Year.

Janet is passionate about helping patients with their healthcare needs. She especially enjoys developing relationships with her patients and her community.

Janet also enjoys her role as treasurer at her church in Baraboo. Janet has three daughters and three grandchildren. Her favorite activity is spending time with her grandchildren.

Michael Goldrosen, Doctor of Internal Medicine at Associated Physicians

Dr. Goldrosen is a board-certified specialist in Internal Medicine, and he values building doctor-patient relationships in his practice. "It is important to me that I get to know patients and respect their preferences," he explains. "Everybody is unique, and I enjoy finding the best ways to work with a variety of personalities to accomplish the best and most satisfying result for each patient. Longer-term relationships bring many benefits to the doctor and the patient."

At Associated Physicians, Dr. Goldrosen provides expert primary health care services for patients throughout adulthood. He diagnoses and treats conditions ranging from minor upper-respiratory infections to chronic illnesses and serious health complications. In addition to office visits, Dr. Goldrosen also manages inpatient care, nursing home care, and end-of-life care for his patients. "I enjoy seeing a variety of patients from adolescence through senior years," he says. "I enjoy being able to work with patients to prevent illness as well as being able to diagnose and treat illnesses if they, unfortunately, occur."

Dr. Goldrosen received his medical degree from Loyola University in Chicago and completed his residency training in internal medicine at the University of Wisconsin. He serves on the Board of Directors for Meriter Hospital.

Ian Hedges, Chief Executive Officer at HealthNet of Rock County

Ian Hedges has served as CEO of HealthNet of Rock County since August 2015. In 2014 and 2015, Ian served as the Associate Director of HIV Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine for the American Psychiatric Association. In this role, Ian expanded a national education network on HIV and mental health, advocated for more mental health inclusions in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, and helped broaden the association’s strategy around integrating primary care and mental health care.

Before he served in this role, Ian was the Special Assistant to the CEO and Medical Director, in which he advised the CEO on issues relating to mental health parity, minority health, and integrated care.

Before coming to the APA, Ian served as the DC Healthy People Coordinator for the District of Columbia government, where he organized efforts around policy and planning health care services and delivery in the District of Columbia.

Ian currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Nutrition & Health Associates/Rock County WIC Program.

Ian is a Beloit College graduate and resides in Beloit. Ian has been known to cheer on the Wisconsin Badgers and the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Alan Lukazewski, Director of Clinical Pharmacy at NeuGen LLC

Alan is the Director of Clinical Pharmacy at NeuGen, a shared service organization housing its not-for-profit health insurance plan WEA Trust, and its for-profit HMO Health Tradition, purchased from Mayo Health Systems in 2018. Since joining NeuGen he worked with his internal staff and PBM account team to implement several programs to manage pharmacy trends and the safe use of medications. His knowledge of adverse drug events has led to NeuGen applying analytics to identify value in pharmaceuticals by avoiding drugs with higher downstream medical costs. NeuGen has also matured efforts in medication non-adherence using analytics, enhanced utilization criteria, and member outreach, to manage specialty medication costs.

Prior to joining NeuGen, Alan worked at Oakwood Village Continuing Care Retirement Communities for over 13 years (2001-2015) as Director of Pharmacy Services where he collaborated with United Way and the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin to implement a community-based comprehensive medication review program to help older adults avoid adverse drug events and falls. He received the Leadership Award from Dane County Public Health in 2012 for this effort. He has been a preceptor for the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy since 2001.

Other professional experience includes working in long term care as a consultant with Weber Medical in Chicago (1984-1988), in retail pharmacy with Shopko Stores, Inc. (1989-1995) and PharMerica as Pharmacy Manager (1995-2001).

Alan graduated from the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy in 1984 and maintains certification in diabetes health education (1993) and geriatric pharmacy practice (2009). He has been Chair of the Pharmacy Society Long-Term Care Section and has participated in the United Way Safe and Health Aging Delegation (2009-2014).

Laura McFarlane, Assistant Attorney General

Laura E. McFarlane is the Chief of the Consumer Protection Section and Deputy Unit Director for the Public Protection Unit at the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Before joining the Department of Justice, Laura worked in private practice. In 2015, Laura was honored by the Wisconsin Law Journal as an Up and Coming Lawyer.

She received her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School (cum laude) and her B.A. from Boston University (magna cum laude, phi beta kappa, with distinction).

Robyn Schumacher, Vice President of Consultant Relations for OptumRx

Robyn Schumacher is Vice President, Broker and Consultant Relations for OptumRx, responsible for developing and managing key relationships with national, mid-market and boutique pharmacy consultant and broker firms across the United States. As part of this responsibility, Robyn works to ensure that OptumRx is delivering a consistent and differentiated value proposition in the market, in addition to understanding key industry trends and emerging customer requirements so this message is delivered deep within the organization's product and business development areas. As an important liaison to the consultants that Robyn works with, she acts as their voice and plays a pivotal role in sharing that message with OptumRx’s senior and executive leadership teams across the enterprise.

Robyn has over 15 years in the health care and pharmacy benefit management related space with a strong customer-centric background having held leadership positions across network administration, sales, client and call center management areas. Prior to OptumRx, Robyn worked in physician recruitment and was a business office manager for a dental practice.

Robyn received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point with a degree in Political Science.

Brian Stamm, Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic Health Policy at Wisconsin’s Department of Employee Trust Funds

Brian Stamm is the Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic Health Policy at Wisconsin’s Department of Employee Trust Funds. This role involves the oversight of all health, dental, wellness, and pharmacy benefits in addition to HSA/FSA, life, and supplemental insurance for all participating state and local government employees across the State of Wisconsin, which equates to roughly 240,000 members. The organization interacts with health plans, a pharmacy benefit manager, all healthcare providers across the state, and other insurance administrators to ensure the best possible health outcomes for their membership. Brian's team operates under the guiding principles of the IHI’s Healthcare Triple Aim; focusing on patient experience, population health, and reducing the cost of care.

Brian is originally from Appleton and moved to Madison where he completed his undergraduate degree at UW-Madison focusing on Consumer Science. He then moved to Boston where he completed a dual degree MBA focusing in Health Sector Management and Leadership & Organizational Transformation at Boston University’s Questrom School of Management. Brian is currently enrolled at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health working towards an MPH focusing on Infectious Disease and Epidemiology.

Brian's entire career has been dedicated to the healthcare industry having spent eight years in pharmacy retail, four years on the provider side, four years on the payer side, and most recently joining health policy.

Brian Stephens, Chief Executive Officer and Director for the Door County Medical Center 

Brian Stephens is the CEO of Door County Medical Center (DCMC) in Sturgeon Bay, WI. Originally from Abilene, TX, he is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and received his MBA from Marquette University.

With over 20 years in healthcare, Brian has served as a revenue cycle consultant for Stockamp and Associates, and as a Director, Chief Financial Officer, and more recently in Administration roles with DCMC.

Along with his wife Amy of Greenwood, WI, and his two children, Brian enjoys running, hiking, boating, skiing, and generally following the kids in their activities.

Lisa Subeck, State Representative, 78th Assembly District 

Lisa Subeck currently serves in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 78th Assembly District encompassing the far west side of Madison. Prior to her election to the State Assembly, Lisa served two terms as an Alderwoman on the City of Madison Common Council. She has been active in state and local politics, both personally and professionally, for nearly 20 years.

Lisa is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her past work includes serving as the Executive Director of United Wisconsin and as the Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin. Before that, Lisa worked in the social services field focusing on issues of poverty, homelessness, and affordable housing at YWCA Madison. She began her career in childcare, working for several years with the Head Start and Early Head Start programs and also teaching technical college courses in early childhood education at Madison Area Technical College.

In the State Legislature, Lisa remains a staunch advocate for social and economic justice, as well as women’s equality and reproductive choice.

In the State Legislature, Lisa serves on the Assembly Campaigns & Elections, Children & Families, Energy & Utilities, Health, Local Government, and Public Benefit Reform Committees, Vice-Chair of the Adoption Task Force, and on the Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules.

Lara Sutherlin, Administrator of the Division of Trade and Consumer Protection

Lara Sutherlin is the Administrator of the Division of Trade and Consumer Protection at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). She is an attorney with extensive experience in complex litigation, having worked 13 years for the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Consumer Protection Unit. As an Assistant Attorney General, she was the lead Wisconsin attorney for numerous multistate investigations and cases against multinational pharmaceutical companies, regarding the off-label marketing of prescription drugs. She was also on the litigation team for the State of Wisconsin’s Average Wholesale Pricing (AWP) cases against a number of multinational pharmaceutical companies.

Prior to joining the DOJ, she practiced law in Boston, Massachusetts, where she specialized in wage-and-hour class actions, and she clerked in Iowa for then United States District Court Judge Michael Melloy. She is a frequent trainer and presenter on consumer protection matters both locally and nationally.

Among her other volunteer activities, she is the co-founder of the Wisconsin Coalition on Student Loan Debt, Inc., an organization designed to positively impact the student debt landscape in Wisconsin, and a trainer for the Anti-Human Trafficking Program with Lawyers Without Borders.

Yolanda Tolson-Eveans, Pharmacist in Charge at St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy

Yolanda Tolson-Eveans, BSPharm, is the Pharmacist in Charge at the St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy (SVdPCP) in Madison, Wisconsin. She oversees day to day operations and manages drug inventory through a combination of wholesale purchases, donated drugs, and free medications through patient assistance programs. Her team is creating a progressive, interdisciplinary environment utilizing the diverse skills of community-based and UW Madison affiliated volunteers to deliver direct patient care, and is working to obtain Wisconsin Pharmacy Quality Collaborative (WPQC) certification.

Yolanda received her B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1995. In addition to St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy Management, she serves as a faculty assistant and preceptor at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and is a relief pharmacist for local pharmacies in the Madison area.

Tyler Vorpagel, State Representative, 27th Assembly District

Tyler Vorpagel currently serves in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 27th Assembly District. He graduated from Plymouth High School, 2003; B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Public Administration. In 2016, he completed the Emerging Leader Program at University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

Prior to his election to the State Assembly Tyler served as District Director for Congressman Tom Petri.

He is a member of the Sheboygan County Youth Apprenticeship Grant Advisory Committee, Sheboygan Elks #229, and the National Association of Parliamentarians. He also serves on the Republican Party of Sheboygan County (former member of the executive committee); 6th District Republican Party of Wisconsin (former vice-chair); and the Republican Party of Wisconsin (former member of executive committee).

Tyler is a major in the Wisconsin Wing, Civil Air Patrol Legislative Squadron (official Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force).

Sue Wilhelm, Interim Clinical Officer and Director of Pharmacy Services for Security Health Plan

Sue Wilhelm, BSPharm, RPh, is the Interim Clinical Officer and Director of Pharmacy Services for Security Health Plan. She has more than 20 years of experience as a health care leader and pharmacist, and a strong history for taking action to reduce pharmacy drug costs and improve quality of care for Security Health Plan members and Marshfield Clinic Health System patients. Over the course of her career, she has led and implemented programs aimed at reducing the cost of prescription medications, and improving the quality and efficiency of care for people taking those medications.

As Interim Clinical Officer and Director of Pharmacy Services at Security Health Plan, she led efforts to allow the health plan to sustain significantly reduced prescription drug costs for members. In addition, she has implemented programs that allow Security Health Plan to conduct evaluations of employee drug coverage for employer clients, and recommend strategies for reducing their drug spending. She also has oversight of the health plan’s Quality Department managing NCQA, Star and HEDIS ratings, and accreditations.

Wilhelm received a Bachelor of Science pharmacy degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.