COHW Advisory Council

Jodi Berg '23 Hon. is an author, consultant and motivational speaker.

As the former president and CEO of Vitamix Corporation, Berg help catapult the brand from beloved to iconic, making it a world leader in high-performance blending. The company navigated 400% organic growth by creating an employee-centered culture focused on helping them discover and live their purpose.

Berg has been honored as a national EY Entrepreneur of the Year. She has earned the Jerry Noyce Executive Health Champion Award and Owler’s Most Likeable CEO in Cleveland. She is a member of the NEO Business Hall of Fame, among other honors.

Berg serves as the executive in residence and a faculty director for Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management. She serves on the advisory boards of Team NEO, an Ohio economic development organization, Playhouse Square and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She also serves on the Advisory Committee for Principle Business Enterprises at the Cooperrider Center of Appreciative Inquiry.

Berg’s research on personal and organizational purposes earned her a Ph.D. from CWRU. She earned a BSBA from Bowling Green State University, an MBA from Washington State University, and honorary doctorates from Baldwin Wallace University and Johnson & Wales University.

Michelle Collie, PT, DPT is the CEO at Highbar Physical Therapy, a practice with 24 clinics in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Born and raised on a sheep farm in New Zealand, Collie came to Rhode Island in 1996 for a one-year commitment working as a physical therapist at Memorial Hospital. She moved into the department supervisor role and with an underlying passion to teach and better the profession. She pursued her advanced master’s and doctorate at Mass General Hospital Institute of Health Professions (MGH-IHP).

In 2001, Collie joined Performance Physical Therapy when the practice was just a single clinic in Pawtucket, RI; she soon began to grow the practice. Performance evolved into Highbar Physical Therapy, a premier platform destined to revolutionize the industry.

Collie currently serves as the president of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association and treasurer for the APTA Private Practice Board. She is a board-certified orthopedic clinic specialist. She lives in Providence with her husband, teenagers, two dogs and two cats.

Alison Croke is the president and CEO of Wood River Health Services in Hope Valley, Rhode Island.

Croke provides leadership and guidance to ensure the health center complies with its established objectives and mission to deliver high-quality, affordable healthcare services.

Previously, she served as the vice president of Medicare-Medicaid integration at Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island.  In this role, she was responsible for Neighborhood’s managed long-term Services and Supports (LTSS) product, and Medicare-Medicaid Plan (MMP) duals demonstration product.

Prior to Neighborhood, she was with Xerox State Healthcare, working with the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS/Medicaid) for approximately 10 years.  In this capacity, she worked with senior Medicaid agency staff to create new managed care programs for Medicaid clients. 

Before that, Croke worked as a senior project mnager at Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island (2002-2005) and at the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) in Princeton, New Jersey (1998-2002). She also worked on several Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded programs focused on developing healthcare delivery systems for vulnerable populations.

Croke is active on the respective boards for the Jonnycake Center for Hope and Bay View Academy. She is also an adjunct professor at Rhode Island College in the Department of Health Studies. She holds a bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Vermont and a Master of Health Administration from the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University. She resides in South Kingstown with her husband, three dogs and two cats.

Dr. Robert Ducoff, DMD, is a native of Teaneck, New Jersey. He graduated from Rutgers University (1967) and Tufts School of Dental Medicine (1971). After graduating from dental school, he served as a captain in the US Air Force at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

In 1973, Ducoff moved to Rhode Island, where he began practicing dentistry with Dr. Michael Rubinstein. He retired in 2022.

Ducoff is a fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry and a founding member of the Seattle Dental Study Club’s Providence Chapter. He served as Johnson & Wales University’s official dentist from 1974-2022.

Ducoff has been married to Diane Friedman Ducoff for 55 years. They are the parents of three daughters and have four grandchildren.

Ducoff is the proud son-in-law of the late Frances and David Friedman and the brother-in-law of the late Larry Friedman.

Dr. Jonathan Elion, MD, graduated from Brown University with a bachelor of science (BS) and a medical degree. In addition, he trained in internal medicine at the University of Wisconsin and in cardiology at Duke University.

Elion’s medical career spanned 45-plus years in clinical cardiology and the research and development of medical computer applications. He practiced for several decades at Miriam Hospital. He is a clinical associate professor emeritus of medicine at Brown University.

Elion has served on hospital finance committees and boards and chaired several international committees to create standards for healthcare information exchange. He founded and led two very successful companies that developed computer software for digital cardiac image review, data reporting and medical information storage and review. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated his commitment to innovations in high-value services and healthcare delivery to maximize efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Elion is also a budding singer-songwriter and an accomplished guitar player who often punctuates public speaking engagements with songs. Happily retired, he finds himself busier than ever, focusing on his interests in medical education, computer applications and music.

A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Shannon Emmanuel joined the American Heart Association (AHA) in 2014 as the Community Health senior director; she currently serves as the Charlotte region’s vice president of Community Impact. Before joining the AHA, she served the YMCA of Greater Charlotte.

Emmanuel leads the AHA’s mission-related strategies to achieve health impact and revenue goals. Strategic focus areas include chronic disease, nutrition security, mental well-being, workplace wellness and the Collaborative for Equitable Health, powered by Bank of America.

Emmanuel is a certified health coach who is skilled at developing and implementing community-wide strategic partnerships that drive sustainable community impact, generate revenue growth and cultivate trusted relationships.

Corey McCarty is the senior vice president of Provider Partnership, Product & Ancillary for Commonwealth Care Alliance, a mission-driven healthcare services organization offering innovative health plans and care delivery programs designed for individuals with the most significant needs.

McCarty oversees the strategic development and management of CCA’s provider network, ensuring high-quality care delivery through robust partnerships with healthcare providers. He also leads product development and ancillary services, focusing on innovative solutions that meet the unique needs of CCA’s members.

McCarty has more than two decades of experience in managed care and health plan administration, most recently serving as vice president of Consumer Segments for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI). As a member of the Blues Government Programs Strategy board subcommittee, he helped shape Medicare and Medicaid strategy for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. His career has been focused on developing solutions to advance equitable healthcare and improve care delivery for Medicare-eligible individuals and individuals with significant health needs.

McCarty earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from SUNY Geneseo and an MBA from Bryant University.

Chris Minette is the vice president of support services at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). He has executive oversight in non-clinical departments that aid in patient care within the Center. Prior to joining BIDMC, he worked in healthcare facilities throughout New England.

Minette is a healthcare executive passionate about creating healthcare standards that positively impact patient and staff experiences through service excellence. Throughout his career, he has dedicated himself to fostering patient-focused goals, leading performance improvement initiatives and creating thriving teams that empower effective management and drive.

Minette began his professional career in hospitality, including roles at the Ritz-Carlton, Kiawah Island Golf & Tennis Resort and Circa 1886.

He credits his career growth to his education at JWU, which included honoring Julia Child on her 90th birthday as part of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), cooking with colleagues at the James Beard House and now serving as an Advisory Council Member.

Mayank Misra has held senior executive positions at Takeda Oncology, Melinta Therapeutics and Pfizer. He currently serves as vice president of Commercial Strategy at Soleno Therapeutics. He specializes in pharmaceutical commercialization strategy and operations research. He has successfully led multiple biotech product launches and business development and alliance management programs.

Misra holds a master’s degree from Columbia University and an MBA from Johnson & Wales University.

Darlene Morris is a compliance and program management professional. Most recently, she served as the senior director of risk management & compliance and HIPAA compliance officer at Rhode Island Quality Institute, which operates the statewide health information exchange (HIE). She led the organization’s corporate compliance program, which includes auditing, risk assessments, incident response and resolution, data requests, and privacy and security compliance. She also managed deliverables associated with the state Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) contract.

Morris has 30-plus years of experience in healthcare, performing roles in technology, quality improvement, risk management/compliance and information privacy. She also has extensive experience in quality improvement, serving as QI Coordinator and Human Rights Officer in a community mental health center.

Morris earned a computer information systems degree from Roger Williams University and an MBA with an organizational leadership concentration from Johnson & Wales University. She is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP).

Elena Nicolella BIO Elena Nicolella began her career in healthcare policy at the federal level, working for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as a health insurance specialist for the Medicaid program.

Following that, Nicolella gained an appreciation for healthcare policy implementation at the state level through her work at the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health & Human Services (EOHHS) as the director of Medicaid and then as the director of Policy & Innovation.

While at EOHHS, Nicolella recognized the need to invest in state employee development to ensure the effective implementation of programs like Medicaid. She took that lesson to her leadership role at the New England States Consortium Systems Organization, where she developed and implemented state employee peer-to-peer learning collaboratives in New England and nationally.

In parallel, Nicolella had the opportunity to serve as a Patient Board Member and then chair of a community health center, where she realized the unique and valuable role that health centers play in our healthcare landscape. In 2021, she became the CEO and president of the Rhode Island Health Center Association, allowing her to combine her knowledge and passion for health and human service programs, her experience running associations and her commitment to the community health center model.

Michael Nula, MS, DPT Adjunct Professor Exercise & Sports Science Michael Nula is a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and the founder and executive director of Nula Training Systems, a physical therapy business consulting and professional development firm.

Nula founded Elite Physical Therapy and served as its CEO. He grew the company to 15 locations before integrating it into Ivy Rehab Network, a world-class national physical therapy network partner. Under this leadership, Elite PT received local and national recognition, including the Advance for Rehabilitation Medicine Magazine’s Practice of the Year Award.

Nulas interest in education was sparked during his time at the University of Rhode Island and Temple University, where he earned his MS in Physical Therapy and his doctorate, respectively. Nula is an adjunct in JWU’s Exercise & Sports Science department and also helped establish the Physical Therapy doctorate.

Nula resides in East Greenwich, RI, with his wife, Lisa, and their three daughters. He enjoys paddleboarding, traveling and philanthropy. He is a wild NBA enthusiast who hopes to hang out with Michael Jordan one day.

Johnny Owens is the CEO and director of clinical research & education at Owens Recovery Science, an Inc. 500 company.

Formerly serving as the chief of human performance optimization at the Center for the Intrepid at San Antonio Military Medical Center, Owens has extensive experience in managing lower extremity trauma and complex foot and ankle injuries in combat veterans.

Owens completed undergraduate coursework in biology at the University of Texas at Austin and earned a Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) from the University of Texas Galveston. His pioneering work includes the development of the Return to Run Clinical Pathway, aimed at returning service members who have experienced trauma back to high-level physical activity. He is also recognized for introducing blood flow restriction (BFR) training as a novel technique to accelerate strength recovery after injuries.

Owens is involved in numerous multi-center research projects in regenerative medicine, sports medicine, and rehabilitation for combat casualties. In addition to his clinical and research endeavors, he serves as a consultant to professional and collegiate sports teams. His groundbreaking work has been featured by major outlets, including NPR, Time Magazine, ESPN and “60 Minutes.”

Kunal Vaishnav is the co-founder and chief operating officer (COO) of Exxat, a cloud-based, all-in-one education management software for health science programs.

Vaishnav oversees Exxat’s operations, sales and implementation of business strategies. He is dedicated to continually improving customer support and operations efficiency to ensure Exxat delivers the best possible experience for a growing user base of more than 1,000 United States-based health sciences programs.

Before joining Exxat, Vaishnav was a healthcare senior manager with Deloitte, managing a multidisciplinary team of consultants to deliver strategic project value. He holds an MBA and a Computer Sciences master’s degree from the University of Southern California.