Executive Bios

Carolyn Pare, President and Chief Executive Officer

Carolyn is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Minnesota Health Action Group. Fueled by her belief that everyone deserves high-quality, affordable health care and the chance for a vibrant future, she leads efforts to unite employers around common issues, amplifying the voice of those who write the checks for health care, and improving patient experience and outcomes.

Carolyn is currently on the Board of Directors for the National Quality Forum (NQF) and its Finance and Audit Committee. She also participates as a member of the National Advisory Council to the California Health Benefits Review Program (CHBRP). Carolyn is past Chair of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions and served on the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Standards Committee for eight years. Additionally, past work includes serving on the Multi-Payer Alignment Task Force for Minnesota’s Accountable Health Model, and as interim Program Director of the Minnesota Chartered Value Exchange.

Carolyn was previously a director of human resources, responsible for benefits, risk management, and human resource information systems at Target Corporation. She holds a B.S. in Environmental and Public Health from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and has over 35 years of experience in occupational health and safety, risk management, and health care. Carolyn’s most popular blogs include, “Is Health Care Transparency Truly Possible?” Summit Adds Momentum to Health Care Affordability Debate,” and “Excellence in Health Care Can be a Reality for All Minnesotans.” To view all of The Action Group blogs, please click here.

Deb Krause, Vice President

Deb is Vice President of the Minnesota Health Action Group. In this role, she is directly involved in major Action Group initiatives, including the Mental Health Guiding Coalition, Annual Employer Benefits Survey, Annual Employer Leadership Summit, Community Dialogues, and member meetings. She collaborates with other purchasers nationally by representing The Action Group on work groups led by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. Deb also represents employers/purchasers on Minnesota Community Measurement’s Measurement and Reporting Committee (MARC), Measure Review Committee (MRC), and Cost Technical Advisory Committee (TAG). Additionally, she participates on the Minnesota Department of Health’s Health Care Homes Financial Sustainability work group.

Before joining The Action Group, Deb was a partner at Hewitt Associates and a principal at Mercer, where she provided strategic guidance to employers on their benefit plan strategy, design, administration and communications for over 25 years. Deb also served as the director of social responsibility for UnitedHealth Group where her responsibilities included strategic planning, business unit consulting, measurement and reporting, and program development and management. Deb has been an active volunteer leader with nonprofit health and community organizations for more than 25 years. She served as the 2018 chair of the American Cancer Society’s Minnesota/Dakota Area Board and has held other ACS volunteer leadership positions at the state and regional level. She has held national, regional and local volunteer leadership positions with the American Heart Association as well.

Deb has a new series of blogs on taking action to ensure mental health parity, found here.  Click here to view her blog titled, “Mental Health Parity — It’s Time to Fulfill the Promise!” Or here for another blog on mental health, “Let’s Make it Happen.”

Deb has a B.S. in Business Administration from Valparaiso University, and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Wisconsin—Madison.

Sue Jesseman, Director of Operations

As Director of Operations for the Minnesota Health Action Group, Sue oversees the day-to-day operations of the Minnesota Health Action Group and manages the full range of administrative, logistical, and operational duties in a wide variety of program areas. This includes community-wide dialogues, member meetings, and the Annual Employer Leadership Summit. Sue’s additional responsibilities include member and external communications, financial support, and website maintenance, among other things.

Sue joined the Minnesota Health Action Group in 2003. Prior to her employment with The Action Group, Sue provided administrative support for Minnesota Healthcare Network, a care system of independent physicians. Her other work experience includes 17 years at Target Corporation where she supported the director of compensation, benefits and risk management, and the director of financial planning and analysis.