BOSTON — March 20, 2015 — Francis (Frank) X. Callahan, Jr. and Donald Stern have been elected to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Blue Cross) Board of Directors effective March 17, 2015. While organized as a not-for-profit, Blue Cross is a large, complex, tax-paying commercial enterprise that operates in a competitive marketplace and is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of accomplished and experienced leaders who help shape its strategy and mission to make quality health care affordable.
"We are honored to have Don and Frank join the Board. Don is a highly skilled and respected attorney and Frank has dedicated his career to helping working people improve the quality of their life. Both will provide valuable insight and expertise to shape our overall direction," said Phyllis R. Yale, Chair of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts' Board of Directors. "We operate in a highly competitive and regulated business environment and their knowledge and skill will enable Blue Cross to continue to meet the evolving needs of our members and employer customers."
In selecting new members, the Board follows best practices to ensure the election of skilled directors who possess the requisite content expertise and leadership skills. In addition, by statute, Blue Cross is required to have three directors who are officers or agents of contributing employers and two directors who represent labor. Consistent with good governance, the Board is committed to the important principle of transparency and public disclosure.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (www.bluecrossma.com) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are the trusted health plan for more than 30,000 Massachusetts employers and are committed to working with others in a spirit of shared responsibility to make quality health care affordable. Consistent with our corporate promise to always put our 2.8 million members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.
About Francis (Frank) X. Callahan
Mr. Callahan has served as the President of the Massachusetts Building Trades Council since 2007. He began his career in the labor movement with the Pioneer Valley Building and Construction Trades Council. He was appointed Legislative Director for the Massachusetts Building Trades Council in 1996. He is a member of the International Union of Painters & Allied Trades Local 939. Mr. Callahan is also a Vice President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO; delegate to the Greater Boston Central Labor Council; President of the Construction Institute; faculty member of the Boston Labor Guild School of Labor Management Relations; member of the UMass Building Authority, School Building Advisory Board of the Massachusetts School Building Authority and the Board of Directors at the Friends For Children. He earned his Master of Science in Labor Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from Providence College.
About Donald K. Stern
Mr. Stern is the Managing Director of Corporate Monitoring and Consulting Services at Affiliated Monitors and Of Counsel at Yurko, Salvesen & Remz, P.C. He has had a diverse and distinguished legal career evenly split between private practice and public service. He has been a partner at three major law firms including Cooley, Bingham McCutchen, and Hale & Dorr (now Wilmer Hale). Mr. Stern has served as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, the chief legal counsel to Governor Michael S. Dukakis and the Chief of the Government Bureau in the Massachusetts Attorney General's office. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, the Boston Bar Association and the co-chair of the American Bar Association Department of Justice White Collar Liaison Committee. Mr. Stern is the past President of the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys, and a former Faculty Member at Boston College Law School. He serves on the Advisory Boards of Facing History and Ourselves, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston and Youth Connect. Mr. Stern earned his Master of Laws from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University and his Bachelor of Arts from Hobart College.