Leadership

At New West we believe in connecting Montanans to simplified, quality healthcare. We know that in order to achieve our goal we must have top leadership that recognizes our vision to be the best health care plan in Montana.

Meet our Leadership Team

David Kibbe, President & Chief Executive Officer David moved from Virginia to "Big Sky Country" in September, 2006 when he assumed the role of New West's Chief Executive Officer. David has a diverse background in the health care industry with over 30 years' experience as a senior-level, health care professional. He received a MBA in Health Care Administration and Financial Management from Wharton Graduate School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. His undergraduate degree in Business Administration, Accounting and Labor Relations was obtained at Drexel in Philadelphia.

Dr. Robert Shepard, Medical Director Dr. Shepard is a Family Practice physician who practiced in Helena Montana for 26 years before joining New West in 2004 as its Medical Director. He was the leader in the campaign for the Helena Smoke Free ordinance, and co-authored the landmark Helena Heart Attack study. He obtained his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine with an undergraduate in biochemistry from Harvard University.

Greg Loughlin, VP of Strategic Growth Greg joined New West Health Services in September, 2008. He has held senior management positions with Economic Development Council of the ESCOC, Xante Corporation, PrimeHealth of Alabama and Lamar Life Insurance Group. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Mississippi.

Dory Hicks, CIO, VP of Operations and Security Officer Previous to her employment with New West in 2005, Dory served as CIO to L.A. Care Health Plan in Los Angeles. She has held similar positions with various health plans in Kentucky, Texas and Colorado. She completed her BA in Anthropology/Archaeology from Arizona State University.

Tanya Ask, VP of External Relations Tanya joined New West on April 30, 2007 following an extensive career with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana as VP of Government Affairs. She helped found and implement the Caring Foundation of Montana, a program that provides primary and preventive health services to uninsured children. Tanya, a fervent Grizzly fan, graduated from University of Montana with a degree in political science and concentration in business finance.

Rick Gorenflo, Chief Finance Officer Rick joined New West in March 1, 2007 as its Chief Finance Officer. Prior to that, Rick was a consultant in the health/financial industry and held senior level positions with MidAtlantic Medical Services in Maryland, Health Plan of the Upper Ohio Valley, Inc. and Vision Service Plan. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Franklin University, Columbus, Ohio.