Carolyn Pare, Chief Executive Officer
As Chief Executive Officer of BHCAG, Carolyn provides leadership and strategic direction to the coalition. Carolyn was previously a director of Human Resources, responsible for Benefits, Risk Management and Human Resource Information Systems at Target Corporation. She currently serves as Chair of the National Business Coalition on Health and sits on the NCQA Standards Committee and the Steering Committee of the Minnesota Alliance for Patient Safety. Carolyn also participates as a member of the National Advisory Council to the California Health Benefits Review Program and serves on the Minnesota Health Care Reform Review Council, a group charged with oversight of the implementation of the health care reforms passed in the 2008 legislative session.
Carolyn has served the State of Minnesota as a member of the State Quality Improvement Institute and a member Governor Pawlenty’s QCare (Quality Care and Rewarding Excellence) Council, an advisory body setting goals and standards to improve health care performance in the state. Carolyn was an originating board member of the Minnesota Health Care Connection and continues to assist in the development of Minnesota’s health information technology policy through her service on the Minnesota HIT Advisory Group. Carolyn is also co-chair of Minnesota’s Smart Buy Alliance, an alliance of public and private purchasers committed to the alignment of value purchasing strategies.Carolyn has a BS in Environmental and Public Health from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and over thirty years experience in occupational health and safety, risk management and health care.
Kris Soegaard, Chief Operating Officer
Kris is responsible for managing the operations of BHCAG. She optimizes member satisfaction by identifying services and educational and networking opportunities that meet the business and professional needs of BHCAG’s members. Kris represents BHCAG on a number of local and national initiatives, such as Aligning Forces for Quality, the Minnesota Shared Decision Making Collaborative, the Measurement and Reporting Committee for Minnesota Community Measurement and the eValue8 Purchasers Advisory Group.
Before joining BHCAG in 2006, Kris spent 15 years as a senior health and welfare benefits executive at Target Corporation, where she was responsible for the management of their health and welfare programs. Prior to her employment with Target, Kris managed benefits for a laser manufacturer in San Jose, California. Kris has been involved with improving the health care system throughout her career. She was on the Board of Directors of the Buyers Health Care Action Group from 2001 to 2005. While in California, Kris worked closely with the Pacific Business Group on Health from 1991 to 2001, serving as the co-chair for Value-Based Purchasing, as an Executive Committee Member and as a Board Member.