Board of Directors
Jeff Stevey, Chair
Jeff Stevey was born and raised in central Pennsylvania. He attended The Pennsylvania State University and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics. Upon graduation he was commissioned in the Air Force and spent 5 years as an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Launch officer in Great Falls, Montana. While in the Air Force, he completed a Masters degree in Management. Upon separation from the Air Force in 1999, he had the good fortune of being hired by Pfizer Inc and better fortune for being placed in the Tri-Cities area. During his time with Pfizer, he has promoted medication for a multitude of diseases, but those that have touched him the most have been neurological disorders. He dedicated his personal and professional life to understanding these disorders and offering whatever assistance he is capable of to improve diagnosis, treatment and understanding of the disorders to both medical professionals and the community at large. His career with Pfizer has taken him to Portland to work with the teaching institutions and research centers and has led him back to Eastern Washington. He is currently living in Spokane, WA and works for Genentech. He has been married to his wife since February, 2005 and has two golden retrievers and lab mix who are spoiled rotten. In their free time, you can find them at the gym, walking/hiking with the dogs, cooking a gourmet meal or perhaps wine tasting. While he was born in Pennsylvania, he considers the Pacific Northwest his home. He looks forward to living, working and serving in this community for years to come.
Don Miksch, Vice Chair
Don Miksch was raised in Vancouver, Washington. He is a proud Husky who has a B.A. from the University of Washington, and also attended their Graduate School of Social Work.
In 1995, Don retired after 16 years as the Founder and President of Rep-West, a manufacturing sales representative business. He has vast experience in marketing and sales. Don is a licensed massage therapist in the state of Washington. He specializes in on-site and in-home massages, with special attention to victims of automobile accidents.
In addition to serving on the KNRC Board of Directors, Don is on the Board of Directors for the Housing Authority of Kennewick and a member of the Community Development Block Grant Committee. He is very active in Rotary International, Tri-Cities Sunrise Chapter and has participated in Rotary International’s effort to eradicate polio in Ethiopia in 2002, and India in 2004. He is also and active skier, sailor and traveler.
Don assists his lovely wife, Linda Moran, with the marketing, promotion and sale of an educational video program that she developed.
Pam Knutson, Secretary
Pam Knutson was born and raised in Montana and spent three years at Montana State University before getting married. She was fortunate to have been able to spend the next twelve years at home with her children before going back to school and earning a B.S. Degree in elementary education from the College of Great Falls. The next few summers were spent working toward a K-12 library science endorsement from Western Montana College. After teaching six years, her family moved to Washington in 1992 where she received her Master’s Degree from Heritage College in 1998. Since 1993 to the present, she has been a teacher/library media specialist in the Richland School District. Her experience has given her the opportunity to mentor new librarians in the district as well as open two new libraries, one at Wiley Elementary in West Richland and the other in a school in Hashil, a village in Bangladesh.
She and her husband, Ken, have three adult children, two daughters, both living in Oregon, and a son in the United States Marine Corps.
Cary Blackburn, Treasurer
Cary Blackburn has a degree in accounting from Seattle University, an MBA degree from the University of Washington and has a CPA certification, currently inactive, issued by the State of Washington. He is retired after a career in corporate finance and information systems.
Mr. Blackburn has been a volunteer at KNRC for a number of years, an association that began when KNRC provided services for a family member. He also volunteers at a number of other local non-profit organizations, including the Tri-Cities Food Bank and organizations promoting paddle sports safety and skills. He is a builder and paddler of sea kayaks, and leads tours and provides other business assistance for local kayak touring and instruction business. He also enjoys assisting startup non-profit organizations in developing their organizing documents, and doing their filings and applications to government agencies.
Board Members at large
Doug Christensen
Doug has spent the last 16 years working in both the Richland and Kennewick School Districts. He graduated from Whitman College with a degree in Foreign Language and Literature and was a High School Spanish teacher for 7 years. He earned his Master's degree in 1999 and was an assistant principal at Kamiakin High school for 4 years. He is currently working as the Director of Special Services for the Kennewick School District. He is also currently enrolled in the Doctorate of Educational Leadership program through Washington State University.
Doug and his wife Denise have 3 daughters, Courtney, Makenzie and Natalie. They all enjoy family trips, dancing, and following their favorite schools and sports teams.
Terry Marie Fleischman
Terry Marie has nearly thirty years experience in various leadership, management and consulting positions in government and private industry involving organizational development, management and information systems, education and administration, facilitation and systems change. During the last 15 years she has focused on education, family systems and parenting programs, childcare and early childhood development, and the integration of community health care and human services for regional families. She is a college professor and trained facilitator on current neuroscience research and its application to learning and performance with a strong interest in education and health care reform. Her particular bias is towards identifying root causes in order to effect real systemic change and Terry’s breadth of knowledge and experience allow her to “connect the dots” for a wide range of audiences by communicating complex subjects in layman’s terms.
Marilyn Hodgson
Marilyn brings a wide variety of skills and experience to us through her 19 years at Hanford performing such duties as Total Quality Management Program Administrator, Communications Coordinator, and Public Relations Liaison. While at Hanford, she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Business, along with a Master of Science in Project Management. Marilyn is currently the Senior Advocate for the City of Richland, a position which she finds both challenging and rewarding.
Along with her husband Jim, Marilyn operates River Meadow Farm located outside of Richland near the Yakima River. The farm is a park-like haven for their 17 Arabian horses, and a variety of dogs. Marilyn enjoys competing in shows and although she rides both Western and English, she is specializes in Dressage. While her animals are great fun, time with her husband, three children, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren is what she values most.
De Martucci, R. N.
De Martucci became a Registered Nurse in the State of Texas with psychiatric training at the John Sealy Hospital in Galveston. She is certified in Geriatric Mental Health specializing in Alzheimer’s and mental health. De became an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner in 1983 and retired as a Geriatric ARNP in December 2007. De was employed for over twenty years at Lourdes Counseling Center. She worked in medication management, was the Coordinator of Assessment and Referral Services, appointed as a County Designated Mental Health Professional, and began her private consulting practice in 1991 with Consulting Solutions. In 1999 she retired from Lourdes and has continued her professional consulting services. De is a consultant for Aging and Long Term Care and has taught Powerful Tools for Caregiver’s for the past nine years in the Tri City area. She also facilitates caregiver support groups and Alzheimer’s groups. De served on the advisory board for Aging and Long Term Care in Benton and Franklin Counties and the board of The Emmaus Christian Counseling Center.
Nancy McMurray
Nancy McMurray is a native of the Tri-Cities. She retired from Kadlec Medical Center, following 26 yrs of service. Her extensive healthcare experience includes physician recruitment, staff recruitment, marketing/advertising and community relations. Nancy is excited to be a board member of KNRC and believes Kadlec Neurological Resource Center is an integral part of bringing a neuroscience center to the Tri-Cities community.
Jodi Melland
Jodi Melland has worked for Battelle at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory since 1992. In her current role, Jodi manages strategic marketing projects for PNNL’s Energy and Environment market sectors. She also consults scientific staff and management on their presentations—from content and slide development to delivery. Before coming to Battelle, she was a communications specialist and graphic designer for local businesses.
Jodi enjoys volunteering in the community, tackling remodeling projects, and reading up on topics such as marketing, business, relationship management, and neurological disorder publications. After seven years of providing foster care to teens, she and her husband, Duane, adopted two of their three children through the Washington State Foster Adopt Program. These children both have multiple neurological disorders.
Kadlec Officers
Larry Christensen
Vice President Resource Development Executive Director, Foundation
Larry Christensen was born, raised and educated in Richland and Walla Walla. He received a BA degree from Washington State University in 1970 in History & Education. He spent 34 years in the frozen food distribution business living in Portland, OR, Bettendorf, IA, Watsonville, CA and has been in the Tri Cities since 1980. He came to work for Kadlec Medical Center in December of 2004 as VP Resource Development, Executive Director of the Foundation for KMC. His current duties include oversight of Kadlec Neurological Resource Center.
He and his wife, Kathi, have three grown daughters and four granddaughters.
Al Wichtendahl
Expert in Neurological Disorders
Executive Director, Kadlec Neuroscience Center
Al Wichtendahl was born and raised in Iowa and attended the University of Northern Iowa before graduating from Weber State University with a BS degree in Healthcare Administration. Al previously worked as a Radiologic Technologist and Radiology manager in north Idaho, and later moved to Spokane where he completed his Master’s degree in Business Administration from Gonzaga University. He worked as the Radiology Director for Holy Family Hospital in Spokane for several years before leaving to pursue physician practice management. In January of 2009 Al accepted the position of Executive Director of Kadlec Neuroscience Center and joined the Board of KNRC shortly thereafter. Al and his wife Kathy have two children.
Rand Wortman
President/CEO, Kadlec Health System
Rand Wortman became the President and CEO of Kadlec Medical Center in November 2000. He is a leader dedicated to patient safety and patient centered care and is committed to providing the highest quality care to the patients in the Tri-Cities and surrounding region.
The following is a list of just a few of the things that the Kadlec team has accomplished under his visionary leadership:
- Established adult hospitalist, pediatric hospitalist and intensivist programs
- Established the first accredited Chest Pain Center in the Northwest and the first Chest Pain Center in the Northwest to receive Level 2 accreditation
- Developed a physician “portal” which allows Kadlec physicians to access patient information, including radiology images and reports, over the internet
- Joined the PlaneTree Organization, a group of prestigious hospitals that are committed to improving the patient experience during hospitalization
- Participates in various regional and national quality care programs
- The first community hospital in the State to create a Rapid Assessment Team
- Construction of the Outpatient Imaging Center
- Establishment of an open heart program
- Construction of a new emergency department in 2003
- Construction of a new critical care unit in 2004
- Construction of a new 38-bed surgical unit with all private rooms
- Raised over $7.4 million in the community to build a state of the art Pediatric Center opening December 2009.
- Opening a new 29 bed Medical Unit in June 2010.
- Currently working on state approval to increase licensed beds from 188 to 329.
- Kadlec donated $2 million to local community college to relocate and expanding its degree programs for health professions to the Kadlec campus.
- Reorganized community hospital into a regional health system comprised of seven operating companies including Kadlec Clinic, Kadlec Medical Associates, Kadlec Neurosciences, Kadlec Foundation, and Kadlec Regional Medical Center.
- Over the past eight years, Kadlec Medical Center has grown from a 700 employee community hospital generating $100 million a year in revenue into a 1700 employee regional medical center doing in excess of $560 million.
- Kadlec Clinic is a physician led, physician governed multi-specialty clinic with over 40 physicians and mid-levels. Clinic has built and opened three new neighborhood primary care clinics in the last 15 months.
- Kadlec Neurosciences is the newest company. It brings together neurosurgery, neurology, pain management, and rehab services into a collaborative practice. It has attracted six new providers to the community in the last 12 months and will begin construction of a new office tower on the Kadlec campus in early 2010.
Mr. Wortman was also the driving force behind the expansion and construction of a six-story “tower” which includes a 36-bed clinical decision unit, 10 new operating rooms and 28 private rooms. The design allows for future expansion of up to 10 stories and 12 operating rooms. The project brought many new jobs to the Tri-Cities. The Tower was completed in April of 2008. Preliminary plans are now being developed for the remaining four stories to be completed subsequent to receipt of the CON from the State of Washington. Completion is planned in 2014.
Mr. Wortman is also participates in numerous health care related boards and committees including the Board of the Washington State Hospital Association.
Mr. Wortman received his BS in Business Economics from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio and obtained his Masters in Hospital and Health Administration from the University of Iowa in 1975. He has managed hospitals in a range of locations from Florida to Alaska from 45 to 500 beds.
Mr. Wortman is married with three grown children and five grandchildren. In his spare time, he loves to ride his Harley Davidson.
