Drumroll, please…🥁 The results of the AHIMA 2026 National Election are in! We’re excited to introduce the newly elected Board of Directors, CCHIIM Commissioners, and CEE Council member. AHIMA's bylaws require a quorum of votes by at least 3% of professional members, and we exceeded that with a 4.3% eligible voter turnout. Thank you to every member who voted—your voice matters, and we’re so grateful for your participation.
Warmly,
Thea Campbell, MBA, RHIA, FAHIMA
AHIMA President/Chair
Please join us in congratulating the following individuals on their election:
Chrishonda Benson is an AI Readiness and Adoption Consultant, executive speaker, and founder of Benora Solutions, a consulting firm helping regulated industries build the strategy and workforce readiness needed to adopt AI responsibly.
She works with healthcare organizations and other regulated environments to bring clarity to AI adoption, helping leaders build a strong foundation before implementation. Her work focuses on decision-making, accountability, and risk-informed AI use in high-stakes environments.
Chrishonda is the author of AI Without the Overwhelm and the creator of the S.I.M.P.L.E. framework. She holds an MBA from Florida International University, the CompTIA Security+ certification, and is a CPD-certified AI Consultant. Personally, Joe lives in metro Detroit with his wife (Chelsea) and their 2 children (Brooke (6) and Bo (2)). They have a dog named Sally Brown (15). In addition to being heavily involved in his family’s church as the Sunday school superintendent, Joe is diehard Pistons and Tigers fan. He is part of the fan ownership group for the DCFC Soccer team and loves to shop!
Joseph C. Brown is the Davenport University’s Chair for the Allied Health and Health Information Management Department. He has 20 years of experience in the healthcare field. His “industry” background includes working in insurance, software management, data analytics, quality improvement, and the urgent care setting. The specific topics include HEDIS, RIsk Adjustment, and CMS Star Ratings.
Academically, Joseph has obtained a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications and mass media, a master’s degree in science in administration, and a doctorate in healthcare administration. Most recently, he obtained the AHIMA’s Certified Health Data Analyst (CHDA) credential.
His healthcare career has allowed him to visit Switzerland’s World Healthcare Organization, United Nations, and Red Cross offices. His published dissertation focuses on medical tourism in India and can be found at the following link. In addition to his academic and professional accomplishments, Joseph has been teaching at the collegiate level for 10+ years.
Personally, Joe lives in metro Detroit with his wife (Chelsea) and their 2 children (Brooke (6) and Bo (2)). They have a dog named Sally Brown (15). In addition to being heavily involved in his family’s church as the Sunday school superintendent, Joe is diehard Pistons and Tigers fan. He is part of the fan ownership group for the DCFC Soccer team and loves to shop!
Dr. Melissa Koehler, DHA, MBA, RHIA, CHDA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, CCDS, CSBI, CRCR, CSPR, FAHIMA, is the AVP of Health Information Management for Inova Health System, where she leads enterprise HIM operations across coding, CDI, and health information services within the revenue cycle. She is a nationally recognized speaker on AI in healthcare, coding transformation, revenue integrity, and HIM workforce strategy, presenting at AHIMA national conferences, state HIM associations, and executive healthcare forums across the country.
Dr. Koehler is a Fellow of the American Health Information Management Association and a Past President of the Tennessee Health Information Management Association. She has held numerous national leadership roles within AHIMA, including House Leadership Co-Chair in the House of Delegates and multi-year service on the AHIMA Annual Conference Program Committee, where she currently serves as Past-Chair. She has also contributed to the profession as a technical reviewer for AHIMA textbooks and credentialing examinations.
She serves on the Health Informatics Advisory Council at Morehouse School of Medicine and remains actively engaged in national and state-level HIM leadership initiatives.
Dr. Koehler earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics and Information Management, a Master of Business Administration, and a doctoral degree in healthcare administration.
David Marc, PhD, CHDA is a leading expert and educator in the field of health informatics and information management. He is an associate professor, the department chair, and the graduate program director at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN, where he teaches courses on artificial intelligence, data analytics, healthcare research, and health information systems. He holds a master’s degree in biological sciences and a PhD in health informatics from the University of Minnesota, and he is a certified health data analyst (CHDA).
He has held various leadership roles in professional organizations such as AHIMA, HIMSS, and AMIA. Dr. Marc is a prolific writer and speaker, with a multitude of contributions to peer-reviewed journals, books, and magazines. He is a highly respected speaker, frequently invited to present at conferences, workshops, and events at state, national, and international levels. His presentations offer valuable insights into subjects such as the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare, data-informed decision-making, and trends in the health informatics and information management workforce.
His research is primarily centered on two areas: the application of machine learning techniques to identify trends in the healthcare workforce, and the creation of innovative indexing methods for the publication and sharing of public healthcare data.
Jennifer Mueller, MBA, RHIA, SHIMSS, FAHIMA, FACHE, FACHDM, is the Senior Vice President of Health Information Career Advancement at AHIMA. In this role, she leads initiatives to assess and meet the professional and training needs of the health information (HI) workforce. She oversees AHIMA’s CEU development, educational quality initiatives, and member career advancement strategies.
Previously, Jennifer served as the Vice President and Privacy Officer at the Wisconsin Hospital Association Information Center in Madison, Wisconsin. She has also held leadership roles such as Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Watertown Regional Medical Center. Her extensive experience includes a term as President of AHIMA and a three-year tenure on its Board of Directors.
Jennifer is deeply engaged in professional organizations at both the national and state levels. Nationally, she is a member of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), holding Fellow certifications from both, as well as from the American College of Health Data Management (ACHDM). She is also a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) and a Senior Member of the Health Information and Management Systems Society (SHIMSS). In Wisconsin, Jennifer has served as a two-time Past-President of the Wisconsin Health Information Management Association (WHIMA), participates in the Wisconsin Chapter of HIMSS, contributes to the HIPAA Collaborative of Wisconsin (HIPAACOW), and held the role of Treasurer on the board of the Wisconsin Statewide Health Information Network (WISHIN).
Her accolades include WHIMA’s Rising Star Award, Motivator Award, Distinguished Member Award, and Professional Practice Mentor Award. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Anthony Roscoe, MSL, RHIA, FACHDM, is the Director of Education for Applied AI in Health Information at AHIMA. With over 25 years of experience in data architecture, governance, and health law, he has led enterprise-wide data initiatives at AmeriHealth Caritas and Highmark Health, enhancing standards in interoperability, data quality, and governance. Throughout his career, he has aimed to leverage data and technology responsibly to improve healthcare outcomes.
In his role at AHIMA, Anthony focuses on integrating applied AI into professional education, equipping health information professionals with the knowledge and confidence to use AI tools effectively and ethically in their daily work. He works to translate complex innovations into practical, real-world learning that supports areas such as coding, revenue cycle management, informatics, and privacy and security.
As a long-standing member of AHIMA and a credential-holder, Anthony has actively contributed to industry initiatives with HL7, HIMSS, and various AHIMA advisory groups. He remains committed to preparing health information professionals for the future, ensuring they continue to play a vital role in safeguarding data integrity and shaping the digital transformation of healthcare.
Lakeisha "Keisha" Tolbert, MA, RHIA, CHPS, is a nationally recognized health information leader, innovator, and fierce advocate for the profession she loves. In her current role as Director of Health Information Practice Advancement at AHIMA, she oversees Communities of Practice - including Privacy, Artificial Intelligence, Revenue Cycle Management, and Health Data Access & Use - developing industry-driven resources and guidelines that serve HI professionals, the broader healthcare community, and the public.
With more than 24 years of experience spanning outpatient, inpatient, long-term care, and pediatric settings, Keisha has built something rare: a career defined not just by what she knows, but by what she builds. She has opened and rebuilt entire Health Information departments from the ground up in hospitals, surgery centers, and specialty clinics. In a corporate setting, where colleagues saw exactly who she was inside and out, she earned Employee of the Year - a testament to the leadership and character she brings to every role. Her expertise spans operational leadership, HIPAA privacy and security, information governance, coding, CDI, risk and compliance, EMR implementation, revenue cycle integrity, and far more.
At the national level, she has served on AHIMA's Professional Ethics Committee and as a charter member of the AHIMA Governance Task Force. As former TxHIMA President, she championed state-level advocacy, and locally she has supported Collin College's HIM Advisory Board, opening her department to students as interns, volunteers, and employees. But what truly sets Keisha apart is her energy. She is a volunteer, a mentor, an author of resources built on real industry needs and a woman on fire for teaching every single day! She doesn't just find her seat at the table. She creates a name tag for it and then shows everyone around her how to do the same.
Elizabeth Vainder, MD, FAAP is a board-certified pediatrician with 26 years of experience and the founder of DrVCares Pediatrics, a concierge pediatric practice in South Florida specializing in personalized, direct-access care for families.
Dr. Vainder has dedicated her career to the intersection of clinical medicine and innovation, with experience spanning public health, academic medicine, and private practice. Through DrVCares Pediatrics, she leverages technology to enhance the care experience for both patients and families, offering telehealth, digital resources, and direct physician access. Over the past two years, she has expanded her focus to the evolving role of AI in healthcare, advising on digital health tools and advocating for the safe and responsible implementation of technology in medicine, with a commitment to ensuring that both patients and physicians are protected as the landscape continues to evolve.
BE THE FIRST TO KNOW WHEN REGISTRATION OPENS
CEE Council Member
Aerian Tatum
DBA, MS, RHIA, CCS, FAHIMA
Special thanks to the 2026 AHIMA Nominating Committee:
