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Commission Members

Commission Members

Per Section 2503 of Public Act 137-2006, the HIT Commission will include thirteen (13) members, with representation including:

(a) The director of the department (the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS]) or his or her designee	Ninah Sasy, MDHHS Executive Director Term expires August 3, 2027	MDHHS Executive Director for Policy, Planning, & Operational Support Ninah Sasy currently serves as the Policy and Planning Director with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Within this role, she is responsible for leading the development and implementation of Michigan’s statewide Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) Strategy. She is also responsible for directing program areas including the Office of Nursing Programs, the Strategic Alignment and Engagement Section and the Workforce Access and Grants Section. Throughout her career, she has managed several statewide public health, environmental health, and emergency response initiatives. Most recently she served as the inaugural Chief of the Office of the Clean Water Public Advocate. Throughout her nearly 20-year career, she has gained experience in continuous quality improvement, project management and strategic planning. Her diverse career working for several State agencies has equipped her with the background knowledge to understand the importance of bridging our regulatory, policy and funding efforts to support health communities.
(b) The director of the department of information technology (the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget [DTMB]) or his or her designee	Rex Menold, DTMB Chief Technology Officer Term expires August 3, 2027	DTMB Chief Security Officer Rex Menold is an innovative and client-focused IT professional serving as the State of Michigan Chief Technology Officer. In this role, Rex leads a team of approximately 600 IT staff who strategize, develop, and deliver technology supporting 19 State of Michigan agencies; 47,000 State of Michigan employees; and digital services serving 10 million Michigan residents. During his 25 years at the State of Michigan, Rex has led a variety of high-impact IT initiatives and has held a range of IT-focused roles, including oversight of cybersecurity, enterprise services, and application support. His leadership ensures the state’s technology is delivered with attention to security, privacy, and the business needs of all state agencies. Rex holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Management Information Systems and Management from Northwood University, and he is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Michigan.
(g) One individual representing purchasers or employers	Kaitlynn Lamie Term expires August 3, 2026	President and CEO of Michigan Association of United Ways Kaitlynn Lamie has served the Michigan Association of United Ways since 2012 and currently leads the organization as President and CEO. In this role, she supports more than 30 Local United Ways across Michigan, advancing the capacity, adaptability, and collective impact of the statewide network. Her work centers on strategic alignment, systems-level thinking, and building the conditions that allow local organizations to thrive and drive meaningful community change. Kaitlynn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and Policy from Michigan State University. She resides in East Lansing with her family.
(d) One individual representing hospitals	Jeffrey Chin Term expires August 03, 2029	Director of Data Collaboratives and Governance at Michigan Medicine Jeffrey B. Chin has over a decade of experience in the Health Informatics discipline specializing in the study and implementation of healthcare information technology products. In his role at Michigan Medicine, he helps to coordinate the strategic implementation of Health Information Exchange (HIE) activities, facilitates the implementation and operation of the health system’s first enterprise-wide data governance program, and supports statewide data collaborations aimed at improving the healthcare of Michiganders with specific diseases or conditions through the Michigan Data Collaborative. In conjunction with his role at Michigan Medicine, he is a third-year doctoral candidate in the Department of Learning Health Sciences in the University of Michigan Medical School.
(e) One individual representing Doctor of Medicine	Michael Zaroukian, M.D., Ph.D., M.A.C.P., F.H.I.M.S.S. *Co-Chair*** Term expires August 3, 2027	Professor Emeritus of Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing Dr. Michael Zaroukian is an Emeritus Professor of Medicine at MSU and former Vice President and chief medical information officer (CMIO) at Sparrow Health System (retired). During his tenure, Sparrow received HIMSS Stage 7 validation (2014) and re-validations (2018, 2022), as well as a HIMSS Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence (2018). He currently serves on the HIMSS Analytics North America Advisory Panel, and several American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) committees, with past service on informatics-related National Academy of Medicine committees, ONC Health IT Policy and Standards Committee workgroups and taskforces, the AMA Health IT Advisory Group, and the American College of Physicians (ACP) Medical Informatics Committee. In April 2025, Dr. Zaroukian will become Governor-elect of the Michigan Chapter of the American College of Physicians.
(f) One individual representing Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and surgery	Walker Foland, DO Term expires August 3, 2027	Emergency Department Physician, Covenant HealthCare Dr. Foland attended Michigan State University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Lyman Briggs College. Dr. Foland became board certified through the American Board of Emergency Medicine and pursued additional training in Tactical Medicine through the Department of Homeland Security’s Counter Narcotics and Terrorism Operational Medical Support. He also completed Special Deputy Training through the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Department and then joined the Saginaw County Emergency Services Team (SWAT). Dr. Foland is a Medical Operator on the Saginaw SWAT team, an attending Physician, and ER administrator at Covenant Emergency Department. In 2018, Dr. Foland was named Emergency Medicine Physician of the year by the Michigan College of Emergency Physicians. He served a 4-year term on the Michigan Board of Osteopathic Physicians from 2018 to 2022. Dr. Foland is a contributing author to multiple textbooks in Tactical and Emergency Medicine and is a nationally recognized podcaster on ER CAST and Emergency Medicine Reviews and Perspectives.
(l) One individual representing health plans or other third party payers	Vacant Term expires August 3, 2025
(h) One individual representing the pharmaceutical industry	Allison Brenner, PharmD Term expires August 3, 2028	Senior Director, Clinical Informatics Medical Outcomes Specialist at Pfizer Allison Brenner is a student in the HILS online MS program. She completed her undergraduate work and her PharmD at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 2005. She completed a residency at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center and spent the next 12 years in ambulatory care clinical practice within the Department of Veterans Affairs. For six of those years, she held a joint position in clinical informatics within the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center. She now works for Pfizer within their clinical informatics group. In this role, she supports quality improvement and population health initiatives by partnering with large health systems across the United States.
(i) One individual representing schools of medicine in Michigan	Charles Hong, MD, PhD Term expires August 3, 2029	Chair of the Dept of Medicine & MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor at MSU College of Human Medicine Dr. Hong is a physician-scientist, practicing cardiologist, and entrepreneur. He has authored more than 130 peer-reviewed publications, edited two books, and holds dozens of patents. His scientific contributions include the discovery of the key role of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) in vein formation, laying the foundation for treating venous malformations using PI3K inhibitors. His research also encompasses the use of real-world data embedded in electronic health records to gain insights into human biology and discover new therapies. This work led to a Phase 2 clinical trial of a thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist for reducing metastasis recurrence in high-risk cancer patients. Moreover, using real-world data, he was among the first to demonstrate the association between low HDL cholesterol levels and COVID-19 severity. Recently, Dr. Hong chaired the NIH study section on New Approach Methodologies Technology Development Centers, championing human-based research platforms—including AI/machine learning and real-world data analysis—to accelerate translational discovery and improve human health.
(j) One individual representing the health information technology field	Chris Bailey Term expires August 3, 2030	CEO, CareConvene & Tandem Chris Bailey is a digital health leader with more than 25 years of experience in healthcare technology, interoperability, product innovation, and clinical transformation. He is founder and CEO of CareConvene and Tandem, where he leads the development of technology supporting health information exchange, care coordination, community-based services, and individual engagement. He has worked across health systems, health plans, HIEs, providers, community organizations, and public-sector partners, including leadership in EHR implementation, clinical data reporting, and Meaningful Use initiatives. His approach is grounded in understanding varied perspectives and working collaboratively to develop practical solutions across organizational and sector contexts. His current work focuses on responsible AI and governance, interoperability, and digital infrastructure that strengthen connections among healthcare, community services, and individuals. He is particularly interested in public-private collaboration and policies that use technology and data to improve access, efficiency, productivity, and health outcomes.
(k) One individual representing pharmacists	Vacant Term expires August 3, 2026
(c) One individual representing a nonprofit health care corporation operating pursuant to the nonprofit health care corporation reform act, 1980 PA 350, MCL 550.1101 to 550.1703	Maya M. Cleaver Term expires August 3, 2026	Senior Director, Health Care Value Operations and Execution Excellence at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Maya Cleaver has nearly 30 years’ experience in the health insurance industry. Maya is responsible for a wide range of vital shared service departments that are data driven. These include Data Analytics and Insights, Provider Financial Analysis and Provider Enablement; Project Management; Quality Management – responsible for maintaining NCQA Accreditation for the enterprise; Execution Excellence– responsible for workforce capacity management and process improvement/optimization and Divisional Vendor Management. Her prior roles within Blue Cross Blue Shield, include roles in Customer Service, Operational Effectiveness, and Product Development. Maya received her Bachelor of Business Administration from Eastern Michigan University and an MBA from Wayne State University.
(m) One individual representing consumers	Janée Tyus Term expires August 3, 2026	Head of Community Mobilization, IMPaCT Care, Inc. Janée A. Tyus, a life-long self-identified Community Health Worker (CHW), holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and a Master of Public Health from Drexel University’s School of Public Health. Janée was once the Executive Director of the Michigan Community Health Worker Alliance (MiCHWA) and most recently served as the Senior Program Director of the Mid-Michigan Community Health Access Program (CHAP) of the Greater Flint Health Coalition. She also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Michigan-Flint. Her passion for people, the underserved, and their health and health equity is a solid foundation and guiding light in her work. Janée was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and currently resides in Oakland County, Michigan with her two Shorkie puppies.