New appointees bring significant experience and expertise to the Board during pivotal moment for public health
BOSTON, MA – March 10, 2021 – Commonwealth Care Alliance® (CCA), an integrated care system serving individuals with significant medical, behavioral health and social needs, today announced that Alexandra DaCosta, Stephanie Dyson, RN, MA and Rizal Hamdallah have been appointed to its Board of Directors. The appointment expands the CCA Board to 14 directors, 13 of whom are independent directors, and ensures the strong leadership necessary to advance CCA’s commitment to transform the nation’s healthcare for those with significant needs.
“We are pleased to welcome Alexandra, Stephanie and Rizal as new directors to the CCA board,” said Robert Gittens, CCA’s Chair of the Board. “They are joining CCA during a time of great public health challenges as the organization continues to provide exceptional care to our members and patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The addition of these directors complements our board of directors’ skills and experiences, and we are confident they will provide valuable perspectives as we continue to execute our strategy and reach more members.”
“I am thrilled that the Board appointed these three highly skilled professionals who each bring complementary expertise, perspective and diversity to the CCA Board,” said Christopher D. Palmieri, President and CEO of Commonwealth Care Alliance. “These appointments come at a crucial time when CCA remains committed to fulfill our mission to improve the health and well-being of the individuals we so proudly serve amidst a rapidly changing and increasingly complex healthcare environment.”
Each new board member brings important and unique expertise to the organization, and will contribute greatly to CCA’s strategic direction:
- Alexandra DaCosta is the Managing Director of Structure Products Sales at Cantor Fitzgerald, where she is head of Boston Fixed Income and co-head of Canada distribution. Prior to joining Cantor Fitzgerald in 2018, she spent 9 years at Nomura Securities as a Managing Director and head of the Boston office. Alex began her career at Deutsche Bank in London and New York. Alex serves on the Board of the University Cottage Club at Princeton University where she is the acting Secretary and part of the Executive Committee for the Glinka Fund which seeks to ease the financial burden of Club participation. Alex is also a member of the Advisory Board for Mass General Hospital for Children and was a Board member of the Boston Center for the Arts where she served on the Executive Committee, co-chaired the Fundraising Committee, and chaired the inaugural BCA Ball. Alex volunteers with Community Cooks, providing monthly home cooked meals for a local women’s shelter. She also volunteers with American Corporate Partners, acting as a mentor to veterans looking to transition to the civilian workforce. Alex graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, and certificate in Political Theory. Ms. DaCosta will join CCA’s Audit, Compliance and Risk Management (ACRM) and Finance Committees.
- Stephanie Dyson is Vice President of Public Policy & Government Affairs for Biogen. She has had a distinguished career as a health policy strategist and government affairs executive focusing on a wide array of issue areas in both the private health sector and government that spans more than 20 years. Mrs. Dyson brings cross-industry perspective, combined with expertise in executing strategy aligned with business priorities with an emphasis on innovative and realistic strategies for changing markets. Prior to joining Biogen, Mrs. Dyson was Vice President of Care Delivery Policy at United HealthGroup. She previously served as Head of Public Policy and Reimbursement at Genentech, Vice President of Government Affairs at DaVita (now Healthcare Partners) and Vice President, Government Affairs & Policy at Achaogen. Mrs. Dyson has also served in multiple senior-leadership positions at the US Department of Health and Human Services’ agency, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), culminating her tenure as the Deputy Office Director of External Affairs. Mrs. Dyson is a registered nurse and received a graduate degree in Political Management and Policy from The George Washington University. Ms. Dyson will join CCA’s ACRM and Quality Committees.
- Rizal Hamdallah is Chief Innovation Officer at Clif Bar and Company, joining the company in 2020. Prior to this role, he held the positions of Chief Global Growth Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at Ocean Spray Cranberries where he led several successful product launches and was instrumental in the creation of Lighthouse, the company’s innovation incubator. From 2017 to 2019, Mr. Hamdallah spearheaded the Innovation Lab at Tyson Foods where he helped shape the company’s investment in plant-based protein and developed a revolutionary new product model for reducing food waste. Earlier in his career, Mr. Hamdallah held positions at leading consumer packaged goods industry brands, including SC Johnson, Unilever, and Nestlé. He also founded GetBetty, Inc., a Chicago-based start-up offering on-demand beauty services. In 2019, Mr. Hamdallah was named one of the Boston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” honorees. Mr. Hamdallah earned a Master of Product Design and Development Management from Northwestern University. Mr. Hamdallah will join CCA’s Quality Committee, Innovation & Investment Advisory Committee and Consumer Voice Advisory Council.
For more information about the CCA Board of Directors, please visit the Leadership Section of our website https://www.commonwealthcarealliance.org/about-us/leadership/.
About CCA
Commonwealth Care Alliance® (CCA) is an integrated care system influencing innovative models of complex care nationwide. A not-for-profit, community-based payer and provider serving individuals with significant health needs, CCA’s uncommon care® model is proven effective in addressing unmet social determinants of health, behavioral health and medical needs. Mission-based and person-centered, CCA is singularly focused on sustainable and evidence-based healthcare breakthroughs that fill important gaps in care and improve the health and well-being of people with complex needs. This includes advocating for affordable, high-quality and cost-effective healthcare policies that lead to healthcare equity for individuals who need it most. For five consecutive years, CCA One Care earned a top rating from a consumer survey conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and CMS rated CCA Senior Care Options 4.5 out of 5 stars for 2021. Learn more about CCA’s pioneering healthcare solutions and validated care model at https://www.commonwealthcarealliance.org/ or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.