Teri Barichello, DMD
Dr. Teri Barichello is a dynamic leader and well-respected dental clinical expert, currently serving as the Vice President Government Affairs & Chief Dental Officer for Moda Health and Delta Dental of Oregon and Alaska. With over a decade of experience running a successful private practice, she joined Moda/Delta Dental in 2011, bringing a wealth of dental expertise and leadership.
In her role, Dr. Teri provides strategic direction for both the dental Medicaid and Commercial lines of business. She leads critical functions including Dental Professional Relations, Dental Medicaid Services and Arrow Dental – a series of dental clinics focused on improving access to care for Medicaid members. She also oversees the operations of the Tooth Taxi mobile dental program, a collaborative partnership with the Dental Foundation of Oregon that provides free dental services directly to schoolchildren throughout Oregon.
As the leader of Government Relations, Dr. Teri plays a key role in advocating for policy initiatives that align with the mission and purpose of Moda/Delta Dental. She excels at building collaborative relationships with key policymakers and legislators.
Dr. Teri holds a Bachelor of Science from Oregon State University and a Doctor of Dental Medicine from Oregon Health and Sciences University.
James Barone, JD
Jim Barone is the chief sales and marketing officer at Delta Dental of Missouri. He joined the organization in 2020, and currently directs all aspects of sales, marketing, account management, charitable giving and product development, and provides executive leadership for strategic goal setting, brand development and ongoing business plan metrics.
Mr. Barone has more than 30 years of sales and marketing experience. He previously served in a variety of roles at Ameritas, including as senior vice president of business development and wholesale distribution, senior vice president of group distribution, senior vice president of group business development and MGA distribution, and as national vice president of group business development. He has also held other executive positions, including as vice president/partner at Curtis Visual Communications, chief sales officer at ARAG North America, vice president of marketing and sales at Luxottica/Eyemed and vice president of marketing and sales at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Mr. Barone earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from the University of Cincinnati and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Toledo College of Law. He was named “40 under 40” Top Business Leader by the Denver Business Journal.
Nevin Mathai, DMD
Nevin Mathai, DMD, joined the Delta Dental of Missouri in 2024, and is responsible for managing its dental networks, serving as primary liaison with dental professionals, as well as interpreting and implementing dental policy and procedures.
Dr. Mathai has more than five years of dental care management experience. In addition to his role at Delta Dental, he serves as assistant clinical professor in operative dentistry at Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine. Previously, he practiced dentistry in the St. Louis metro area as an associate dentist at Advanced Dental Arts, Family and Cosmetic Dentistry and Pacific Dental.
Dr. Mathai earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine. He also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in health management and policy from Saint Louis University, and a Master of Arts degree in biblical and theological studies from Covenant Theological Seminary.
He has received many honors in dentistry, including the Outstanding Achievement Award in Operative Dentistry from the Academy of Operative Dentistry. He has also volunteered at Give Kids A Smile® dental events in the St. Louis metro, which provide vital free care to children in need. .
John Lahr, OD, FAAO
Dr. John Lahr is a senior executive with more than 40 years of experience in eye care delivery and work within the vision care industry, including more than 20 years with EyeMed.
As vice president of provider relations and medical director, he is responsible for the interaction and relationship development with EyeMed's health partners in the areas of wellness and disease management support, HEDIS and Stars support programs plus a leadership role in EyeMed's quality assurance and improvement, network development, product development, and continuing educations program development and presentations to benefit professionals.
Before joining EyeMed, Dr. Lahr owned a healthcare consulting group for ophthalmic and optical corporations, managed care organizations and eye care practices. In addition to his clinical experience serving patients, he has extensive experience providing product development and processes leading to FDA approval, professional education concerning company products and surgery proctoring, as well as developing clinical protocols for eye care, utilization review/management standards and processes and new plan design products.
Dr. Lahr received his Doctor of Optometry degree, as well as a B.S. degree in optometric science from Indiana University.
Heather McGowan
One of Forbes' Top Futurists, Heather E. McGowan brings fresh energy and actionable insights to the future of work. A sought-after strategist, keynote speaker, and 2x bestselling author, she equips organizations to navigate relentless change by activating their most critical resource: their people.
Heather’s audiences range from startups to publicly traded Fortune 500 companies, including Google, JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, and Kaiser Permanente. Through data-driven insights and powerful visual frameworks, she helps leaders and teams transform their distinctly human capabilities—adaptability, empathy, and curiosity—into strategic advantages.
Often quoted in The New York Times, with Thomas Friedman calling her an ``oasis`` for her insights, Heather’s bestselling books include The Adaptation Advantage and The Empathy Advantage, which was named a Top 10 Business Book of 2023.
By teaching people to ask better questions, she enables them to adapt at the speed of possibility to Solve Tomorrow's Problems™.
