JOHN ALCHEMY, MD, AAFP, QME, is a distinguished physician, entrepreneur, and innovator with over three decades of clinical and legal experience in occupational medicine. Dr. Alchemy has identified and solved critical inefficiencies in workers' compensation systems throughout his career. He founded RateFast, a pioneering company that uses technology to determine fairer impairment. As a QME, he holds eight USPTO patents in insurance, impairment rating, and database validation and design.

PAUL BARTA, JD, specializes in workers’ compensation law, advising clients in Nebraska and Iowa. Mr. Barta is experienced in handling the defense of workers’ compensation cases for clients ranging from local family-owned businesses to multi-national corporations. Mr. Barta has traveled extensively throughout Nebraska and Iowa, successfully defending employers’ interests in workers’ compensation trials and mediations. Mr. Barta is fluent in Spanish and assists the firm’s bilingual clients as needed.

MATTHEW J. BOLLIER, MD, FAOA, is the Ralph and Marcia Congdon Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery, sports medicine fellowship director, and team physician at the University of Iowa. He joined the University of Iowa Sports Medicine team in 2010 after completing a sports medicine fellowship at the University of Connecticut. He has worked closely with many Iowa Hawkeye teams, including men’s basketball, wrestling, volleyball, field hockey, tennis, and softball. In addition to caring for University of Iowa athletes, he performs knee and shoulder surgery on active patients of all ages. Specific interests include rotator cuff repair,  AC joint, biceps tendon, ACL reconstruction, meniscus surgery, cartilage resurfacing, and patellofemoral instability. During his career, Dr. Bollier has pioneered several new shoulder and knee technologies and implants and is involved in new product innovation and development. In addition. He is actively involved in clinical outcome projects and basic science research as part of the sports medicine and work comp team at the University of Iowa. He has a busy work comp practice and has enjoyed developing relationships with case managers, lawyers, and adjusters over the last 15 years.

STEVE BROWN, JD, enjoys practicing in workers' compensation, personal injury, and liability claims.  He takes pride in interacting with each client to reach the best result possible, including a quick resolution or proceeding to trial and through the appeal process. Steve is also a board member for the Tiger Athletic Club, helping garner enjoyment and participation in youth sports for the Adel-DeSoto-Minburn School District.  Dana has her own graphic design business, and she and Wilson quickly remind Steve that he needs new material for his jokes and stories. Before joining Cutler Law Firm, Steve worked in road construction, tarring road cracks.

JOSEPH S. CORTESE, II, JD, has served as the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner since February 2015. He earned his JD with Honors from Drake University Law School in 1980. He was admitted to the bar in 1981 and, for the next 34 years, practiced primarily in workers’ compensation at Huber, Book, Cortese & Lanz, PLLC in West Des Moines.

JENNA L. CRUISE, JD, is a dedicated personal injury attorney and shareholder at Hupy and Abraham. Based in the firm’s West Des Moines office, Jenna joined Hupy and Abraham in 2016 as an Associate Attorney and quickly rose to the role of shareholder in 2020. Before joining Hupy and Abraham, Jenna spent four years as an insurance defense trial lawyer and two years practicing family and employment law. Jenna is licensed to practice in Iowa, including state and federal courts. Jenna serves as a Board Member on the Iowa Foundation for Justice, a core group member of the workers’ compensation section for the Iowa Association for Justice, and section counsel for the Iowa State Bar Association workers’ compensation section, among other things. Jenna served as the symposium co-chair for IWCAC from 2022 to 2023. 

DEL DOHERTY, PhD, PharmD, MBA, MPH, is founder and CEO of Prodigy. Del loves solving complex problems. He has spent most of his career in the PBM industry helping patients access the proper treatment and partnering with payers to ensure their healthcare dollars go further without sacrificing quality. Before Prodigy, he was committed to aligning the interests of patient, pharmacist, prescriber, and payer as a PBM consultant and, later, cofounder of a national network of independent pharmacies. He has served thousands of patients in various clinical settings as a pharmacist for over a decade. A lifelong learner, Del has served in multiple faculty roles teaching pharmacology, health economics, and research methods to prepare future clinicians for a meaningful career in clinical practice. At Prodigy, Del continues his passion for service by empowering payers to provide access to efficient, cost-effective care so patients can live healthy and productive lives. Del earned his BA in Biochemistry from Wartburg College, PhD, PharmD, MPH from the University of Minnesota, and MBA from Rice University.

MICAH HAWKER-BOEHNKE, JD, specializes in litigation and Workers’ Compensation Law in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Micah received his Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2019 with numerous accolades in trial advocacy, appellate advocacy, and academic excellence. Within 2 years of graduating from law school, Micah handled three appeals to the Supreme Court of Nebraska. While Micah has exceptional experience handling appeal cases, he has also been a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom and at the settlement negotiation table. Micah is passionate about keeping his clients informed and protecting their interests.

WHITNEY KOLBE, is the Global Fitness and Wellness Manager for Kemin Industries, where she has dedicated over eight years to enhancing employee health and wellbeing. With nearly 20 years of experience in worksite wellness, Whitney brings a wealth of expertise and a passion for creating impactful programs that promote holistic wellbeing. Whitney’s dedication to employee wellness extends beyond the workplace, as she actively seeks opportunities to learn from and collaborate with other wellbeing and HR professionals. Her commitment to fostering a healthier, more engaged workforce continues to drive meaningful change at Kemin and within the broader wellness community.

MICHAEL LUNN, MBA, JD, is the Deputy Workers’ Compensation Commissioner at Iowa Workforce Development. Before accepting the position of deputy commissioner, Michael worked as an attorney with Smith, Mills & Schrock, where he defended employers, municipalities, and insurance carriers against workers' compensation, employment, and civil litigation in Iowa and Nebraska. Michael attended the University of Northern Iowa, receiving a bachelor's degree in economics. He subsequently obtained his MBA from Drake University. He graduated with his Juris Doctorate from Drake University Law School.

SEJLA NUMIC, JD, is an Associate Attorney at Loney & Schueller, focusing primarily on workers’ compensation and PI. She attended UNI as an undergrad, earned a Master’s in Public Administration from Drake, and earned her JD from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, MN in 2023. Before becoming an attorney, she worked as a Paralegal at Loney & Schueller for nine years. Sejla came to the United States as a refugee from war-torn Bosnia at age 10, and credits our country with giving her a second chance at life. Her passion and dedication to helping injured Iowans stems from that journey. She is her way of giving back to the community that gave so much to her; she advocates for others the way others once advocated for her.

RON POHLMAN, MBA, MS, JD, was a Deputy Workers' Compensation Commissioner from 2000-2015, a workers' compensation defense attorney for the Scheldrup Law Firm from 2015-2016, and a representative of injured workers in Iowa since October 2016. He is a Workers' Compensation Core Group member and serves on the Board of Governors for the Iowa Association of Workers' Compensation Lawyers.

JENNIFER SHYMANSKI, JD, focuses on assisting customers in developing and implementing their Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) compliance programs. She also creates the training content and educational programs at IMPAXX, including their monthly knowledge series of webinars.  Jennifer holds a law degree from Northern Illinois University College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. She is an instructor for the Certified Medicare Secondary Payer (CMSP) and CMSP-Fellow designations and an adjunct instructor of Business Law.

CHRISTY STOLZE-JOSTA, MSN, CCM, CNLCP, oversees the daily operations of case managers (CM) services in SD, Western IA, NE, CO, ND, and NM, ensuring quality, customer, and compliance requirements. She works directly with CMs to provide the best possible outcomes, and RTW is achieved. She has been in healthcare for over 35 years and in CM for over 20 years. She holds an MSN as well as CCM and CNLCP. Christy has extensive experience in the area of rehabilitation across multiple regions.

PAT WALDRON, JD, has practiced law with Patterson Law Firm since 1995 and became an Equity Partner in 2000. He focuses on statewide personal injury litigation, workers’ compensation, and mediation. Pat is active in numerous legal associations and serves as President of the Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. He values family, community involvement, and coaching soccer outside of work.

JOSEPH WALSH, JD, graduated from Drake Law School in 1996 and practiced at the Hedberg Law Firm for 11 years, practicing in workers’ compensation and labor law. In 2007, he left law practice and served as the Deputy Director of Iowa Workforce Development. In 2011, Joe became Chief Administrative Law Judge of the Unemployment Appeals Bureau, where he served until 2013. In 2014, Joe was appointed Deputy Workers’ Compensation Commissioner. Joe was also the Executive Director of the Iowa Athletic Commission, overseeing the regulation of combat sports in Iowa from 2011 through 2021.

RACHEL WARDEN, brings over 25 years of experience in human resources, including more than two decades at Ag Processing Inc. (AGP). Since joining AGP 21 years ago, she has begun her journey in recruiting and quickly expanded her responsibilities. For 19 years, Rachel has overseen the company’s workers’ compensation claims, short-term disability, FMLA, ADA compliance, and drug testing program. Her deep knowledge and steady leadership have made her a trusted resource in managing complex employee support systems.