Cesar Villalpando takes the reins from Dr. Virginia Miller
(Watertown, Wis.) – At its most recent meeting, Bethesda’s Board of Directors elected Cesar Villalpando the new Chairman of the Board, succeeding Dr. Virginia Miller, who has stepped off the board after nine years of service. In addition, three officers on the Executive Committee – the Rev. Jay DeBeir, Randall Odzer and Catherine Brondos – were re-elected to their roles, and a new director, Jim Rymarcsuk, has joined the Board. Each leader brings significant expertise and a shared commitment to Bethesda’s mission.
“I wish to congratulate Cesar on his new role,” said Mike Thirtle, Ph.D., president and CEO of Bethesda. “His expertise in operational quality and his financial acumen will serve Bethesda well as we transform our industry and expand our support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the U.S. I am also deeply grateful to all of our Executive Committee and directors for their leadership and their commitment to Bethesda’s future.”
The officers are:
Cesar Villalpando, Chairman of the Board: Villalpando, of Burbank, Calif., has been a member of the Board of Directors since November 2017. He is the former corporate senior vice president, Enterprise Shared Services at Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest integrated health system. During his more than 29 years with Kaiser Permanente Villalpando oversaw a broad range of services, including hospitals, pharmacy, construction, support services, and financial and strategy divisions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, including graduate studies in Human Factors from California State University, Northridge.
Rev. Jay DeBeir, Vice Chairman of the Board: A member of the Board of Directors since May 2018 and the incumbent Vice Chairman, DeBeir, of Eureka, Mo., is executive vice president and chief operating officer at Lutheran Hour Ministries in St. Louis, where he provides leadership for strategy and operations, finance, information technology, human resources, and marketing/creative services. Rev. DeBeir was ordained through Concordia Seminary St. Louis and previously earned his MBA from Benedictine University, his master’s degree in clinical psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, and his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Aurora University.
Randall Odzer, Treasurer: A member of the Board of Directors since November 2017 and the incumbent treasurer, Odzer is also chair of the Business Committee and is chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bethesda Foundation. From Des Moines, Iowa, Odzer is the chief financial officer of the U.S. Insurance Solutions division of Principal Financial Group, a Fortune 500 global financial services company. Odzer has diverse health care and insurance experience as CFO of several organizations, including OptumHealth Care Solutions, United Behavioral Health and Cigna Behavioral Health. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Catherine Brondos, Secretary: Brondos, of Haymarket, Va., has been a member since November 2011 and continues to serve as secretary. She is currently a trainer/coach specializing in peer teaching. As a high school teacher and administrator in three states, Brondos initiated innovative programs for underachieving and special populations, and was instrumental in creating two alternative high schools. She also taught at a private university in Colorado where she helped establish its special education teacher certification program. Brondos completed post-graduate programs in special education and school administration at the University of Denver; and has an master’s degree in botany (ecology) from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s degree in education from Concordia University.
Rymarcsuk joins Board of Directors
New to the Board of Directors is Jim Rymarcsuk of Bethesda, Md., who is a Distinguished Career Institute Fellow at Stanford University. He previously served as chief marketing and strategy officer for Honeywell Aerospace, a $15 billion diversified industrial and technology company, where he was responsible for overall business strategy, strategic planning, growth, new product development, customer engagement, mergers and acquisitions and transformation to a digital leader. He held senior leadership positions with iRobot Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Stanford University, an MBA in Finance from Golden Gate University and a master’s degree in technology and public policy from MIT.
Continuing to serve on the Board of Directors are:
- Karen Carter, formerly with Riverfront, Inc., and president of the Bethesda Auxiliary, Whitehall, Wis. (advisory director)
- Malcolm Conner, CEO of NanoSmart Lights, Malvern, Pa.
- Ardis Loeber, retired from Bethesda, Fort Myers, Fla.
- Deaconess Tiffany Manor, Human Care of the New England District of the LCMS, New Hartford, Conn.
- Christine Tricoli, H.W. Kaufman Group, Broomfield, Mich.
- Ellen Trytek, WipFli, LLP, Elm Grove, Wis.
- J. Larry Tyler, Practical Governance Group, Sandy Springs, Ga.
- John Wiktor, J.D., Horwood Marcus & Berk Chartered, Valparaiso, Ind.
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About AbleLight
AbleLight is a national leader in pioneering life-changing services that empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to thrive. Founded in 1904 in Wisconsin as a Christian mission, AbleLight promotes independence and inclusion across the U.S. through comprehensive and individualized supports that include housing, employment, spiritual life and much more. For details, go to AbleLight.org, like our Facebook page and follow us on LinkedIn.