Announcements

Providence Health Plan Board of Directors welcomes three new members

23 January 2024

Mike Alexander, Graciela Gomez Cowger and Kimberley Goode will attend their first meeting in February 2024

Providence Health Plan (PHP) is pleased to introduce Mike Alexander, Graciela Gomez Cowger and Kimberley Goode to our Board of Directors. They will join current Board members Rhonda Medows, MD, PHP Board Chair; Don Antonucci; Joseph Blankenship; Isiaah Crawford, PhD; Byron Scott, MD; and Cecilia Sun.

PHP’s Board of Directors is comprised of distinguished leaders in various fields committed to guiding PHP’s growth and success as a multi-state health plan and furthering our Mission and Promise to provide high-quality, affordable coverage to members we serve.
 

Mike Alexander

Portland State University named Mike Alexander, the former president and CEO of the Urban League of Portland, interim vice president for Global Diversity and Inclusion in May 2018. He served in that role until his retirement in June 2019.

Prior to his time at PSU, Mike headed the Urban League of Portland from 2012 to 2015. Before that, he served in executive roles at Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Magellan Behavioral Health, Human Affairs International and Aetna, including four years as vice president and executive director of the Aetna Foundation.

Mike was appointed by Gov. Brown to the Port of Portland Commission in 2016 and serves as vice chair. In February 2023, Portland City Council appointed him to the city’s planning commission.

Currently, Mike chairs the boards of The Black United Fund, the Albina Vision Trust and sits on the community advisory board of Wells Fargo. Mike’s past service includes membership on the boards of LifeWorks Northwest, the Northwest Health Foundation (chair), The American Leadership Forum of Oregon (chair), the Portland Parks & Recreation Advisory Board (vice chair), the United Way of the Columbia Willamette Campaign Cabinet (vice chair) and founding chair of the Cambia (Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield) Foundation.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Mike earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill., and his master’s degree in social work from Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, in Bryn Mawr, Pa. He holds certification from the Academy of Certified Social Workers. The proud father of three and grandfather of seven, Mike and his wife Nancy live in Sellwood.

“Over the 19 years I have lived in Portland, I have served in several positions in both nonprofit community and healthcare service organizations. Each of the positions had a deep and targeted focus on advancing a broader scope of health equity impacts and efforts to mitigate the discrepancies that exist in underserved communities. I have been impressed with the initiatives that Providence Health Plans had undertaken to infuse strategies for addressing these issues in its vision and core operating principles.”
 

Graciela Gomez Cowger

Graciela Gomez Cowger has served as chief executive officer of Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt since 2017. The seventh largest law firm in the Pacific Northwest, Schwabe has an industry focus in key sectors including health care, technology, ports and maritime, and real estate.

Graciela practiced as an intellectual property attorney for over 20 years, helping individuals and companies protect innovations in technology and health care and build enduring brands. Before joining Schwabe, she served as managing partner at StoFoCo LLP, a firm she founded and managed with two other partners. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Graciela was a design and manufacturing engineer for Hewlett-Packard Co. in San Diego, Calif.

In addition to her chief executive officer duties, Graciela is a member of the Portland branch of the San Francisco Bank of the Federal Reserve (as director of the Federal Reserve), the Oregon Business Council and the Downtown Seattle Association. Past service includes Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber (co-chair and board member), Oregon Community Ministry Board for Providence Health & Services (board member), Latina Commission for the Hispanic National Bar Association (commissioner), Oregon Hispanic Bar Association (president and board member) and Oregon Patent Law Association (president).

Graciela was born in Mexicali, Baja Calif.; when she was a toddler her family moved to Tijuana, where she lived until she was 18 years old. She earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at San Diego State University and her Juris Doctorate in Patent Law from the University of Washington. A mom of two, Graciela is deeply invested in her communities in both Vancouver and Portland and enjoys skiing and bee keeping.

“I am excited to join the Providence Health Plan board to uphold PHP’s mission of providing holistic and compassionate care to all. PHP’s dedication to not just treat illness but to nurture wellness in our communities, recognizing that health is influenced by a spectrum of social, economic, and environmental factors is appealing. I am dedicated to PHP continuing to foster a healthier tomorrow for everyone we serve.”
 

Kimberley Goode

Kimberley Goode is an accomplished corporate executive and non-profit board member with experience in a variety of industries, including health care. She currently serves as chief communications and social impact officer for BMO Financial Group, which provides personal and commercial banking, global markets and investment banking services to 13 million customers. In support of its purpose, the organization provides more than $60 million annually in charitable giving, which includes a $10 million contribution to Rush University System for Health to create the Rush-BMO Center for Health Equity.

In her role as chief communications and social impact officer, Kimberley is responsible for shaping the organization’s reputation among multiple internal and external stakeholders including employees, consumers, government and the community. Prior to joining BMO, Kimberley served in leadership roles for a number of large industry leading companies including American Express, Prudential Financial, Kellogg Company, Northwestern Mutual and Blue Shield of California, where her team created a signature program to address youth mental health. Her work as a strategic communications and public relations professional earned her induction in the PR Week Hall of Fame, one of the industry’s highest honors.

In addition to her duties at BMO, Kimberley serves on the board of the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, the California State University Foundation and Chicago United. She is a proud member of the Executive Leadership Council, Page, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Jack and Jill of America, Inc., and The Links, Inc.

Kimberley was born in Detroit, Mich. and earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. She enjoys life with her spouse and fellow Northwestern University Wildcat Andre Goode; they are the proud parents of three.

“I am excited to join the Providence Health Plan board because of our shared passion for health equity and access to quality care for all. I am also drawn to the caliber and commitment of leadership and the organization’s values. Health and wellbeing is key to helping people and communities reach their full potential. I look forward to supporting how we advance the plan’s mission to serve more members through innovative and inclusive products and services.”