Healthcare Leadership & Administration Faculty & Staff
Learn more about our faculty, staff, and board of advisors.
Education
- PhD | Peking University
- BA | Beijing Normal University
Education
- DBA: Business Administration | University of the Potomac
- EdD: Organizational Leadership | Argosy University
- MS: Community Health Professions | Old Dominion University
- BS: Health Sciences | Old Dominion University
Education
- EdD | Capella University
- MS | University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
- BS | University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
Education
- MS | Iowa State
- BS | University of Wisconsin – Stout
Education
- PhD: Statistics | Kansas State University
- MS: Statistics | Kansas State University
- BS | Winona State University
Education
- EdD | A.T. Still University
- MHA | Walden University
Education
- PhD: Health Science | Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions
- MS: CEP | University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
- BS: Sports Management | Southwest Minnesota State University
- AS: Business Administration | Southwest Minnesota State University
Education
- PhD: Communication Studies | Ohio University
- MA: Communication Theory | Ohio University
- BA: Organizational Communication, Public Relations | University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
Education
- MA: English – TESOL | Winona State University
- BA: English Literature & Language | Winona State University
Healthcare Leadership & Administration Advisory Board
Ron is the Senior VP and Chief Administrative Officer at Davis Health System/Vandalia Health where there are 3 medical centers and a series of medical offices in central West Virginia (Davis Medical Center, Broaddus Medical Center, and Webster Medical Center).
He is responsible for all aspects of performance, growth, and strategic direction of Davis Health System.
Valarie Bere is the Radiography Program Director and Instructor at Minnesota State College Southeast, where she has served for 15 years advancing healthcare education and workforce development.
A Winona State University alum, Valarie holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and brings expertise in academic leadership, curriculum development, and student success.
Liz has 13 years of healthcare experience in varying sectors, including long-term care, many outpatient clinic departments, county public health, Medicaid case management, non-profit program management, and allied health instruction and program oversight.
She earned an AAS in Medical Assisting from South Central College in 2013 and is an alumnus of Winona State University’s Healthcare Leadership & Administration program, earning a BAS and Outstanding Student Award in 2017.
Currently dual-credentialed as a CMA and CHUC, Liz began teaching as an adjunct faculty at SCC in 2020, where she currently serves as the Medical Assisting Program Director and Instructor.
Sam Diem is the Nursing Education Coordinator at Olmsted Medical Center. She has prior experience as a nursing clinical instructor and inpatient staff RN at Mayo Clinic.
Sam’s duties as Olmsted Medical Center’s Nursing Education Coordinator include orientation training for new nursing staff, coordination of undergraduate nursing clinicals, preceptor training, leadership and development training, and coordination of required nursing competency and education items.
Alex graduated from the Radiography program at Western Technical College in La Crosse in 2003. In 2013, he went to further his education and graduated from Winona State University with a degree in Healthcare Leadership & Administration in 2016 and a master’s in Educational Leadership in 2019. He’s currently working on an EdD in Education Leadership from Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Alex served as an instructor and clinical coordinator at Minnesota State College Southeast’s (MSCS) Radiography program from 2012-2022. He then served as the Dean of Academic Innovation at MSCS for 18 months.
He has worked at Winona Health in some capacity for 24 years where he’s now back full time. In Fall 2024, he also began as an adjunct instructor for Western Technical College’s Radiography program.
Tanya Johnson is the Director of Environmental & Risk Management Services at Winona Health with 25 years of experience in the healthcare service industry.
At Winona Health, she oversees several service departments, including Food & Nutrition, Environmental & Laundry, Bio-medical Services, Security Services, and Risk Management Services, where her teams work to provide innovative solutions to support healthcare challenges. Her work is driven by a passion for technology, innovation, and caregiving.
Tanya graduated with her Healthcare Leadership & Administration BA and Master of Science in Healthcare Leadership from Winona State University. She also serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors for Winona ORC Industries.
Brent Millikin is a board-certified athletic trainer and is the Manager of Sports Medicine, Podiatry and Orthopedics Services with Allina Health based out of Minneapolis, MN. He supports the sports medicine, podiatry, and orthopedics services, including strategic growth and development with the organization and is actively involved in the sports medicine community.
He coordinates community outreach and medical coverage for several high school, college, amateur, and professional sports teams. He has been with the group since 2002. Prior to joining the group, he worked in the University of Minnesota athletic department for 13 years, coordinating medical care, including injury prevention for several of their athletic teams.
Brent is currently a member of the Minnesota Athletic Trainers’ Association Honors and Awards Committee. He is a Past President and Vice President of the Minnesota Athletic Trainers’ Association and is a past Minnesota Representative to the State Association Group NATA-Division III Caucus. He is a former GLATA COR Chair and District IV Representative to NATA COPA. Brent has given presentations to various groups regarding the athletic training profession and injury prevention and management.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Iowa and his Master of Education degree from Southwest Texas State University. He resides in Bloomington, MN with his wife and 3 children.
Mitchell is a CAPM and CSM certified project management professional with 7+ years of healthcare operations experience at Mayo Clinic.
He is experienced in coordinating healthcare projects across clinical, laboratory, and operational teams, leveraging Agile, Lean, and predictive methodologies to deliver measurable improvements in quality, access, and efficiency.
Mitchell started in health care while in high school by enrolling in the Health Science Academy, which is a 2-year program for juniors and seniors in La Crosse, WI, and the surrounding areas to experience different careers in health care through field experiences, job shadows, and mentorships. This program has a direct partnership with Bellin-Gundersen Health System (Gundersen Region), Mayo Clinic Health System (SW Region), and Western Technical College to have healthcare experiences while receiving high school and college credits as a dual option for students.
He started at Bellin-Gundersen Health System in August 2021 as an administrative support within the Hospital Operations division including the Hospital Float Pool, Intensive Care Unit, and Gundersen Region’s Organ and Tissue Donation Program, while obtaining his Associate of Applied Science Degree in Medical Administrative Professional. After completing his associate’s degree, Mitchell transferred to Winona State’s HLA program for his bachelor’s degree in Fall 2022. With his experience, he has about 6 years of experience in health care.
Dr. Joshua Pearson is the Program Director for the graduate Healthcare Leadership program at Winona State University.
Prior to moving into academics full time, Dr. Pearson primarily worked with federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in various consulting and leadership roles.
In addition to teaching at Winona State, Dr. Pearson is a Senior Research Fellow with The Harkin Institute (Drake University), and he has held various part-time and contingent faculty positions with other undergraduate and graduate healthcare administration degree programs.
Eric Pool is a project manager and adjunct instructor. He currently works at Mayo Clinic and has served on the board of directors for the Project Management Institute (PMI) La Crosse – Rochester chapter, Healthcare Information & Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Minnesota chapter, and on the Executive Committee for TEDx Zumbro River. He received his EdD in Organization Development from the University of St. Thomas and Master of Science in Major Program Management from the University of Oxford. He also serves as an advisor to the Compathy Method organization.
Dr. Pool holds certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute (PMI) and Change Management through Prosci. He has presented at the University of Oxford, Cal Poly University, the Project Management Summit, Nokia Corporation, and Logistics Health Inc. (LHI), a subsidiary at OptumHealth Holdings, Inc., part of the UnitedHealth Group (UHG) family of businesses.
Kim has a total of 17 years of clinical healthcare experience in Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, with 4 years of experience in a healthcare leadership or administrative role. She joined Winona State University in 2023 as an Assistant Professor and serves as the current HLA Undergraduate Program Director.
Prior to coming to Winona State University, she has 7+ years teaching allied health related courses as an Associate Teaching Professor, Executive Director of the La Crosse Exercise & Health Program, and 2 years as the Director of the Clinical Exercise Physiology Program at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.
Dr. Rita Rahoi-Gilchrest joined the HLA faculty as a full-time instructor in Fall 2024, bringing her experience as one of the founding faculty of the program as well as a decade of teaching HLA courses and learners.
She also previously served Winona State since 2000 as a Professor and Department Chair in Communication Studies, General Education Program Director, and Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Most recently, she served at Minnesota State College Southeast as the Dean of Faculty & Academic Operations.
Dr. Rahoi-Gilchrest delights in working with HLA learners and finds out something new and fascinating about healthcare issues every semester!
Dan Roberts is the Director of the Agile Center of Excellence at Emplify Health, where he leads enterprise-wide efforts to embed Agile principles, foster collaboration, and drive exceptional outcomes.
With a 28-year career dedicated entirely to Gundersen Health System—now part of Emplify Health—he has progressed through a variety of roles in information technology and project management, guiding transformative initiatives that enhance patient care, streamline operations, and advance technological capabilities within one of the region’s premier healthcare systems. Notably, Dan played a key leadership role in the successful integration of Bellin Health and Gundersen Health System, helping to unite 2 major organizations into a stronger, more innovative healthcare network.
Dan holds a bachelor’s in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a master’s in Servant Leadership from Viterbo University; this unique combination fuels his deep passion for agile methodologies, particularly in creating and empowering high-functioning teams that consistently deliver outstanding results. He is honored to bring his expertise in technology, agile transformation, team empowerment, and large-scale organizational integration to Winona State as a member of the HLA Advisory Board, supporting the development of future professionals equipped for success in dynamic environments.
Dan resides in West Salem, WI, with his wife and their son and daughter, both of whom are students at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Brian Zeller, PhD, LAT, ATC is the Dean for the College of Nursing & Health Sciences and the Dean for the School of Graduate Studies at Winona State.
Dr. Zeller has also served in the following roles during his time at Winona State: Chair of the Health, Exercise & Rehabilitative Sciences Department; Director of the Master of Science Athletic Training program; Clinical Coordinator of the Undergraduate Athletic Training program; and Co-Head Athletic Trainer.
He currently serves as the President for the World Federation of Athletic Training & Therapy and is the past chair for the NATA International Committee. Dr. Zeller is the recipient of the Minnesota Athletic Trainers’ Association Athletic Training Service Award (2014), the NATA Athletic Training Service Award (2014), and the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award (2022).