Our Talented Team
Craig Buffkin
Managing Partner
Craig Buffkin, the firm’s founder, serves as the Managing Partner, and as Head of the Private Equity and Transformation Practices, where he is actively involved with client engagements and business development. He has completed search work at the board, executive and senior level both nationally and internationally for a wide range of private, public, venture-backed, and private equity-back companies.
Before founding The Buffkin Group, which would later become Buffkin/Baker, Craig was a director in a national technology search firm with five offices and over 75 consultants. Before entering the search profession, he spent over 5 years as a turnaround specialist and over 10 years in marketing services. His last turnaround became a roll-up of seven healthcare companies with an eventual sale to a large public healthcare entity.
Craig holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He and his wife Heather reside in Nashville, TN with their three children, Caroline, Charlie, and Francie. He is an avid golfer and fisherman.
- Email:craig@buffkinbaker.com
Managing Partner
Martin Baker
Managing Partner
Martin has been in the executive search profession for 25 years and is based in our Winston-Salem, NC office. Martin is a Managing Partner of Buffkin / Baker and is the Head of the Higher Education Practice.
He previously worked in the Atlanta office of Korn Ferry, where he developed search strategy and executed searches for numerous senior level appointments. He began his career working in London, England as a Research Associate with Saxton Bampfylde, an executive search and management assessment firm.
Martin has conducted searches for the positions of Chancellor/President, Provost, CFO, CIO, Vice President, Dean, Director, and Professor, having worked on over 375 searches throughout his career. Martin has recently represented a number of AAU institutions, land-grant universities, faith-based institutions, liberal arts colleges, and regional universities, where he has led searches spanning most functions and academic disciplines.
Martin currently serves on the Parents’ Council at Wake Forest University and on the Board of Directors of Old Town Club. He previously served on the Board of Directors of SciWorks (The Science Center and Environmental Park of Forsyth County in Winston-Salem), both the Alumni Council and the regional selection committee for the Presidential Scholarship at Wake Forest, and the Development Committee for the Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem. He recently served on the Athletics Advisory Council at Wake Forest.
Martin earned his bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University.
- Email:martin@buffkinbaker.com
Managing Partner
Roland Lundy
Partner
Roland Lundy serves as a Partner at Buffkin / Baker. He is the Head of the Non-Profit Practice and is actively involved in the operational aspects of Buffkin / Baker. He also dedicates time to client management and business development for the firm.
Prior to joining Buffkin Baker in 2001, Mr. Lundy was the President and CEO of Word Entertainment, a $130M worldwide Christian media company. During his tenure with Word, he oversaw notable artist careers such as Amy Grant, Sandy Patti, Point of Grace, and the award-winning Veggie Tales children’s video series.
Roland was elected to the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2015. He currently serves as the President of the Gospel Music Trust Fund, which provides financial support to individuals from the Christian industry who have financial hardships due to medical issues. He is the past Chairman of the Nashville American Red Cross board and has continued to serve on the Red Cross board for the past eleven years.
He is a graduate of Baylor University, where he was a four-year baseball letterman. Roland is a “sports junkie” and loves to spend time at the beach and even more time with his two grandchildren.
- Email:roland@buffkinbaker.com
Partner
Jen Coleman
Partner
Jen Coleman serves as a Partner of the firm and is engaged in executive and senior-level assignments. She is actively involved in the firm’s Healthcare, Private Equity, and Digital Transformation Practices. With over 15 years of experience, Jen has expertise in working with public and private companies, and private equity backed companies to attract executive leaders in a competitive market. She brings her consulting to work directly with clients to understand their needs and goals in filling critical gaps in leadership and delivering successful outcomes. Prior to her career in executive search, Jen was employed in Treasury Management with Fifth Third Bank where she was responsible for client presentations, analysis, and training of treasury products. Before moving into Treasury Management, Jen spent three years in Institutional Sales for Fifth Third Securities and also managed corporate seminars and customer relations, organized trade shows, and developed new marketing materials for the subsidiary. Jen graduated with honors from Wittenberg University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. She also holds an Advanced Certificate in Executive Search and Leadership Consulting from Cornell University, School of ILR. Originally from Ohio, Jen moved to Nashville in April of 2006. She is a 7-time marathoner and member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. She played collegiate volleyball and has continued her passion for the sport as a club volleyball coach. Jen resides in Nashville with her husband Brian and daughters. .
- Email:jen@buffkinbaker.com
Partner
Steve Marsh
Partner
Steve Marsh serves as a Partner in the Healthcare Practice, leading the firm’s efforts in serving integrated health systems, AAMC institutions, not-for-profit and for-profit hospitals, and medical groups with physician executive and healthcare executive searches. As a nationally recognized expert in clinical & healthcare executive search, Steve has conducted and overseen hundreds of assignments at every level for academic institutions and health systems nationwide. With nearly 30 years of experience in the industry, he spent the first two decades of his career in clinical search and is one of the original co-founders of one of the largest clinical recruiting search firms in the country. Steve then founded an executive search subsidiary, successfully building an executive search team and conducting executive searches for a wide array of recognized healthcare clients nationally. Steve has been cited in numerous national and regional media publications and serves as a keynote and guest speaker at nationwide health care conferences and forums on various topics related to healthcare recruiting process best practices, maintaining a positive workplace culture, diversity/inclusion, and contract negotiation. Steve lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, Lynn, and is the proud father of four children. He enjoys golf, fly fishing, and traveling in pursuit of those activities.
- Email:steve@buffkinbaker.com
Partner
Jackson Ross, PRC
Partner
Jackson Ross serves as a Partner for the firm where he is actively engaged in searches for our Healthcare, Private Equity, and Digital Transformation Practices. He is a passionate results-driven leader with over 20 years of experience building brand awareness across the healthcare and digital continuum. Innovative strategy and loyal customer servitude have generated a history of exceeding client expectations and market share growth through roles in sales management, business development, corporate accounts, and general management. Jackson’s broad experience in both mature and entrepreneurial environments provides him with a strong foundation to drive enterprise growth, quality, and culture for Buffkin / Baker.
Jackson has extensive expertise in establishing relationships that result in customer-focused outcomes and increasing organizational efficiency. In 2014, he launched and operated the IT business unit for Vaso Healthcare, a Healthcare IT firm focused on the Diagnostic Imaging modalities, cyber security, and Radiology workflow. As General Manager, Jackson was responsible for all aspects of business operation. Prior to his time with Vaso Healthcare, he spent 12 years in corporate accounts and management-related positions with Siemens Healthcare, including the business development of corporate relationships for the GPO and IDN community. Jackson has received multiple awards and industry recognition for his ability to architect client solutions that meet and exceed the business and the financial needs of his customers.
Most recently, Jackson served on the leadership team for United Imaging Healthcare and was responsible for launching the US operations of Shanghai-based United Imaging Healthcare. In his role of Vice President of Strategic and Corporate Accounts, Jackson was instrumental in supporting the staffing, finance, information security, and commercial development for United Imaging’s nationwide business.
Jackson holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing from the University of Mississippi. As a native Nashvillian, Jackson enjoys time at home with his wife and two boys, and most any outdoor-related activity.
- Email:jackson@buffkinbaker.com
Partner
Ken Carrick
Partner
Ken has managed numerous search engagements throughout his more than 38 years as a search consultant while cultivating a diverse roster of clients in the education, retail, nonprofit, manufacturing, healthcare, and government sectors. Ken was a student-athlete and graduated summa cum laude with a BA degree in accounting and business administration from Catawba College and earned an MBA from Wake Forest University.
Ken began his career as an accountant with Duke Energy and later worked for a national insurance company before entering the executive search profession. Prior to joining Buffkin / Baker, he served as president of a national retained search firm with dual headquarters in New York and Charlotte. Ken currently serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and Museum where he holds the position of Treasurer and is a member of the Executive Committee. He recently completed a seven-year term as a director on the Mecklenburg County ABC Board where he also served as a member of the North Carolina Association of ABC Boards’ legislative committee. He previously served two terms as a member of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC)’s Council of the Americas board. Ken has been the President of the Catawba College Alumni Board, and on the boards of the Greenwood Genetic Center Foundation, Greater Carolina’s Chapter of the American Red Cross, and Covenant Day School. He has also been involved with numerous volunteer service groups and youth sports associations in the Charlotte area. He and his wife have three grown children.
- Email:ken@buffkinbaker.com
Partner
Megan Berlinger
Partner
Megan Berlinger, MHA, serves as a Partner, leading our academic medicine searches with a focus on serving AAMC institutions and health systems. Her expertise is conducting administrative and physician executive searches, including Dean’s office positions, Virtual/Digital Health, Population Health, Public Health, and Department Chair and Division Chief positions.
A healthcare executive with 16 years of experience in school of medicine and health system administration, she worked for 14 years at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, serving in key administration roles including Heart & Vascular Service Line Administrator and Department Administrator. Prior to working at Wake Forest, Megan completed her Administrative Fellowship with Johns Hopkins Medicine. Megan holds both her Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree and Master of Healthcare Administration degree from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Megan is certified within executive coaching and a founding partner of Elevate Institute. Megan also serves as an adjunct professor in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health where she teaches courses and advises students within Health Policy and Management.
Megan has been involved nationally in administrative circles, serving as President for the board of the Association of Academic Surgical Administrators (AASA) and Editorial Advisor for the Cardiovascular Business Magazine. She also currently serves as Membership Director for TechPACT.
Megan resides in Winston Salem, NC with her husband and two daughters. She currently serves on the board for Westlawn School and served as Board Chair for the local YMCA. Megan enjoys spending time with her family, supporting her kids’ activities, and cheering the Carolina Tar Heels in any sporting event.
- Email:megan@buffkinbaker.com
Partner
Ann Yates
Partner
Ann Yates serves as a Partner in the Higher Education Practice. With a career spanning over two decades, she brings a commitment to quality client service and engagement, and an understanding of higher education and leadership.
Ann’s executive search career includes prior experience at two national executive search firms, most recently at ZRG Partners and before that at Witt/Kieffer where she served as a Senior Partner. She is well-versed in every area of academic leadership, enabling her to serve her clients broadly and across multiple functional areas. She has completed more than 300 executive-level searches throughout her career, including engagements for Presidents, Provosts, Deans, and Vice Presidents at leading public and private colleges and universities.
As a strategic partner, clients repeatedly rely on her expert counsel and aptitude for identifying talented, diverse, and dedicated leaders in mission-driven organizations. In particular, she brings a strong reputation for advancing women and candidates with diverse backgrounds.
Ann is a recognized thought leader, having contributed articles to the Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Education. Additionally, she has been an invited presenter at ACE Women’s Network and AACSB’s ICAM conference. She received her master’s degree in industrial psychology from the University of New Haven and her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bethany College.
Ann resides in Virginia with her husband and two sons.
- Email:ann@buffkinbaker.com
Partner
Chelsie Whitelock, CDR
Associate Partner / Practice Operations
Chelsie Whitelock serves as an Associate Partner where she is a key member of the Higher Education Practice and Academic Medicine in the Healthcare Practice. Chelsie, bringing 16 years of experience in Higher Education, joined the firm from Vanderbilt University, where she had several roles, including overseeing the Chancellor’s Faculty Fellows Program, managing the administrative staff of the Faculty Senate Office, and leading the recruitment of staff within Academic Affairs. Additionally, she is an AIRS Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter (CDR). Utilizing the AIRS search techniques enables our recruiters to locate diverse candidate pools using a variety of resources, including the internet.
Prior to Vanderbilt, Chelsie was the Faculty Recruitment Manager in the Haas School of Business at the University of California Berkeley. In this role, she was responsible for the recruitment process for all faculty hires within the Haas School of Business, overseeing the full lifecycle recruitment process and onboarding of new faculty members.
Chelsie graduated from Robert Morris University with a degree in Business Administration and Management. She relocated to Nashville in the summer of 2013 with her husband, Andrew, and their son, Finnegan.
- Email:chelsie@buffkinbaker.com
Associate Partner / Practice Operations
Ryan Baggett, CDR
Associate Partner
Ryan Baggett has been in engaged in executive search, recruitment, and business development for over 20 years and is based out of our Nashville office. Ryan is an Associate Partner within the firm, where he is a key member in Healthcare, Private Equity, Digital Transformation, Academic Medicine, Entertainment, and TMT practices. In addition, he is an AIRS Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter (CDR), utilizing search techniques that enable him to locate diverse candidate pools using a variety of resources, including the internet.
He takes a highly professional and consultative approach with his clients and candidates, relating to clients and candidates as partners and maintaining communication with them long after he’s made a placement. He provides candid advice, market guidance, and consistent feedback throughout the recruiting and hiring process.
Ryan has conducted hundreds of searches in his career for the positions of CEO, COO, CFO, CIO, CTO, CMO, CAO, President, GM, and other senior-level roles nationally and internationally for a wide range of private, public, venture-backed, and private equity-backed companies.
Before joining Buffkin/Baker, Ryan was a national recruitment executive for Maxim Healthcare. Responsible for the full-cycle recruitment efforts, management of 100 healthcare professionals, payroll, compliance, and HR strategy. Before entering the recruitment and search industry, he worked in business development and management roles for Troon Golf. In addition, he planned and facilitated NCAA championships and PGA-sanctioned events.
Ryan earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi, where he was a member of the Ole Miss football team.
- Email:ryan@buffkinbaker.com
Associate Partner
Pelema Ellis, Ph.D.
Associate Partner, Higher Education
Pelema Ellis is an Associate Partner in the Higher Education Practice and splits time between our Los Angeles and Boston offices. Dr. Ellis brings 25 years of experience as an executive and strategic thought partner in higher education.
Dr. Ellis has served as a senior executive or staff member in various institutional settings: private and public research, public regional, liberal arts, community college, and faith-based. Dr. Ellis draws on this broad set of experiences to provide best-in-class executive search support that is personalized and grounded in care for your campus community.
Dr. Ellis holds a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Michigan’s Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education, an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in higher education and bachelor’s degree in organizational psychology from San Jose State University. Dr. Ellis also attended Cabrillo Community College and earned a GED at age 23.
- Email:pelema@buffkinbaker.com
Associate Partner
Janny DeLoache, CDR
Associate Partner, Higher Education
Janny DeLoache serves as an Associate Partner in the Higher Education Practice. For over 20 years, she has provided research, sourcing, and candidate development on numerous search engagements, with a particular focus in the areas of education, nonprofit, and governmental entities as well as sales and marketing. She also is active in client relations, consultations, and assisting clients with neutral site interviews. Additionally, she is an AIRS Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter (CDR). Utilizing the AIRS search techniques enables our recruiters to locate diverse candidate pools using a variety of resources, including the internet. Janny attended Converse College, where she earned a BFA degree with honors and an MEd degree. Early in her career, she served as an Admissions Counselor and as Assistant Dean of Students at Converse, and later as Assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs at Georgia Institute of Technology. She also worked in account services as Vice President for Marketing Outreach, Inc. in Atlanta, and as a Southeast Regional Manager for New York-based, US Concepts, Inc. Both firms specialized in the execution of marketing campaigns, sales/retail promotions, and special events for Fortune 500 firms.
Janny is a member of the Mint Museum Auxiliary, the Junior League, as well as an ENCORE! Life Member at the Children’s Theater of Charlotte. She has served on the Converse Alumnae Board and the Wofford College’s Parent Advisory Council. A recipient of the Converse 100 Award, Janny and her husband have two grown children.
- Email:janny@buffkinbaker.com
Associate Partner
David J. Ballard, M.D., F.A.C.P., M.S.P.H., Ph.D., M.B.A.
Chief Clinical Officer
David J. Ballard, M.D., F.A.C.P., M.S.P.H., Ph.D., M.B.A., serves as Chief Clinical Officer, supporting the healthcare delivery vertical of the firm’s Healthcare Practice.
As a global healthcare executive, Dr. Ballard brings proven expertise in improving healthcare value and organizational financial performance, while providing international thought leadership. Recognized by Becker’s four consecutive years as one of the top 50 experts leading the field of patient safety, he is the past president of the International Society for Quality in Healthcare, and received the distinguished alumnus awards from the University of North Carolina Schools of Medicine and Public Health in 2008 and 2019. Widely recognized as a global scholar in healthcare quality and value, his two books on healthcare quality leadership received Shingo awards for their contributions to operational excellence.
Dr. Ballard previously served as Chief Quality Officer of Baylor Scott & White Health, where the organization received both the Leapfrog Patient-Centered Care Award and the National Quality Forum Health Care Award under his leadership. Additionally, he has held leadership roles at Emory University, University of Virginia, and the Mayo Clinic. He has completed five degrees with honors in economics, public health, epidemiology, medicine, and business at the University of North Carolina, where he was a John Motley Morehead Scholar. He is a board-certified internist, completing his residency training in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Ballard continues to serve as Healthcare Policy Section Editor for the Mayo Clinic Proceedings and Associate Editor for the Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes. Additionally, he serves on the boards of several global health care companies, including as a director and audit committee member for Mentice (MNTC.ST), the world’s leading endovascular simulation performance solutions company. Dr. Ballard holds several leadership roles at the University of North Carolina, where he is Adjunct Professor of health policy and management, a member of the UNC Chancellor’s Global Leadership Council, and a member of the UNC Center for the Business of Health Leadership Advisory Board.
- Email:david@buffkinbaker.com
Chief Clinical Officer
Kellee Kirby
VP of Finance & Technology
Kellee Kirby serves as the Vice President of Finance and Technology. Prior to joining the firm in 2005, she was employed at Community Health Systems as an Executive Assistant to the EVP of Revenue Management. Previously, Kellee was an Executive Assistant at Spalding Regional Medical Center in Griffin, Georgia, where she was responsible for daily executive duties to the CEO, CFO, and COO.
Kellee, her husband Chad, and two children, Mackenzee and Jace.
- Email:kellee@buffkinbaker.com
VP of Finance & Technology
Jessica Carter
Sr. Director, Marketing & Operations
Jessica Carter joined Buffkin / Baker in 2020 as the Director of Marketing focusing on the marketing and communication efforts. With over 15 years of marketing experience, she was previously the Marketing Manager for Odyssey Behavioral Healthcare where she managed content development for both print and digital platforms, email marketing, advertising, all facility websites, social media, and branding. Additionally, she has ten years of experience in website content development and marketing campaigns in the insurance industry. Her experience also includes freelance writing for multiple industries and websites. Jessica holds an MBA and graduated from Belmont University with a bachelor's degree in Marketing.
- Email:jessica@buffkinbaker.com
Sr. Director, Marketing & Operations
Jeannine Centanni, CTR
Principal
Jeannine Centanni serves as a Principal focusing on searches in our Digital Practice. Additionally, she is an AIRS Certified Technical Recruiter (CTR). Utilizing the AIRS search techniques helps recruiters understand technical recruiting and the sourcing landscape to support an effective IT recruiting strategy, from research to communicating with candidates.
Residing in Charlotte, NC, she comes to us with a diverse background, including experience in consumer products merchandising and marketing with both Maybelline and Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products. She also has experience in human resources, training, and recruiting, and most recently worked in professional development with Cornell in the technology and data sciences verticals. Jeannine was born in New Jersey but has called Charlotte, NC home for the last 17 years. She graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and a minor in Marketing. In her free time, she enjoys watching sports (especially football) and wandering through local festivals and farmers' markets with her three daughters.
Principal
Britt Adams
Senior Associate
Britt Adams serves as a Senior Associate and joined the firm in 2017. She previously worked at Ethicon, a medical device sales company, where she executed clinical education and training regarding Ethicon’s key platforms including wound closure, endo-mechanical, energy, and biosurgery/hemostatic adjunct products. She leads Professional Development Training for new hire sales classes, members of the field sales organization, and divisional managers.
Britt was born in Georgia and raised in Knoxville, TN. She attended Middle Tennessee State University, graduating in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in Marketing and a minor in Business Administration. She now lives in Nashville and in her free time enjoys hiking, yoga, swimming, and spending free time with family and friends.
- Email:britt@buffkinbaker.com
Senior Associate
Ashley Stephens, CDR
Senior Associate
Ashley Stephens began her career with Buffkin Baker in August of 2022. Her love for people, attention to detail, and passion for recruiting create the perfect skill set to serve our clients. She is an AIRS Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter (CDR), utilizing learned AIRS search techniques to locate diverse candidate pools using a variety of resources. Before diving into the field of Executive Recruiting, Ashley worked as the Director of Operations for the Kirkland, WA location of the national restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A, and as Director of Operations for Holloway Home Group, Keller Williams Realty. There, she used her skills to navigate day-to-day processes, serving her team and clients with excellence. Her experience in these roles has been an asset as she continually strives to provide quality, detailed service to candidates and clients. Ashley is originally from Clearwater, Florida. She and her husband met in school at Florida State University (FSU), and they then relocated to Seattle, WA, but eventually made their way to the hills of Tennessee. An adventurer at heart, she loves to hike and is looking forward to seeing more Tennessee trails, as well as trails in the surrounding states. Her active lifestyle has also led to her love of football, wither her favorite team being Florida State University (Go Noles!).
- Email:ashley@buffkinbaker.com
Senior Associate
Ben Williams, CDR
Senior Associate
Ben Williams joined Buffkin/Baker in 2022. As a Sr. Associate, he works directly with our Partner-led teams and supports them in their daily search activities. He plays a vital role in conducting research and working with Partners to present a diverse slate of candidates to clients. He is an AIRS Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter (CDR). Utilizing the AIRS search techniques enables our recruiters to locate diverse candidate pools using a variety of resources, including the internet. A Nashville native, Ben graduated from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a minor in Business Administration. He enjoys spending free time with his family, playing hockey/exercising, and attending Nashville Predators games.
- Email:ben@buffkinbaker.com
Senior Associate
Dinah DeWitt
Associate
Dinah DeWitt joined Buffkin/Baker in 2023 and serves as an Associate with the Higher Education Practice. She has a genuine love for people and desire to help them navigate their professional journeys.
Her passion for higher education and recruiting was formed during her time at the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, where she served as a member of the Admissions and Career Management Center teams, as well as a Campus Recruiter for the Master of Accountancy program. After eight years at Vanderbilt, she continued to enhance her recruiting skillset at Ernst & Young as the Talent Management Recruiter for accounting profiles in the Southeast region within Campus Recruiting.
A Nashville native, Dinah now lives in the surrounding Washington, D.C. area with her husband and their young son, Henry. In her free time, she enjoys being with her family, architectural photography, traveling, baking new recipes, and exploring D.C. She earned her degree in Spanish from Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee.
- Email:dinah@buffkinbaker.com
Associate
Deanna Irizarry
Associate
Deanna Irizarry joined Buffkin Baker in 2024 as an Associate focused on our Healthcare practice, bringing over 15 years of recruiting experience from the Consulting, FMCG, and FinTech sectors. Originally from Philadelphia, she earned a degree in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. Her passion for helping others led her to a career in recruitment.
Having lived across the East Coast, Midwest, Costa Rica, and recently in Shanghai, China, she now resides in the Nashville area with her husband and son. Deanna enjoys traveling and exploring new cultures through food, as well as history, reading, and entertaining family and friends at home.
- Email:deanna@buffkinbaker.com
Associate
Dani Reiser
Research Manager
Danielle Reiser joined Buffkin / Baker in early 2022 as the Research Manager in the Higher Education Practice. She brings 10+ years of operational management experience in supporting the development, diligence, and execution of search activities in support of Partner teams and the firm. Previously, Dani worked as a marketing coordinator after earning her degree in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing at Southern New Hampshire University. Dani and her husband recently relocated from Central Illinois to Nashville where they enjoy the great outdoors, live music, and trying new cuisines.
- Email:dani@buffkinbaker.com
Research Manager
Kim Trama
Senior Project Coordinator
Kim Trama joined Buffkin/Baker as an Administrative Assistant in September of 2017. Before relocating to Nashville in 1997, Kim and her family lived in New York where she enjoyed a professional music career. She received a degree in paralegal studies and began her law experience in legal administrative management and family law in 2010.
Kim enjoys cooking, hiking, and traveling, and has two grown children, Nick, and Alyssa. She also enjoys spending time with her extended family and pets. Kim is currently the drummer in a local rock band.
- Email:kim@buffkinbaker.com
Senior Project Coordinator
Adelina Idrizaj
Sr. Project Coordinator
Adelina Idrizaj joined the Buffkin/Baker firm in November 2021. As a Sr. Project Coordinator, she works with our Digital Transformation Practice, supporting the tactical workflows and the needs ensuring search assignment deliverables are achieved. Adelina brings over six years of customer experience to the role. She previously worked as an Intern Case Planner at a foster care agency. A New York native, Adelina graduated from Lehman College in the Bronx with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and History with a minor in Aging. During her free time, she enjoys traveling and going on walks with her husband.
- Email:adelina@buffkinbaker.com
Senior Project Coordinator
Brianna Grutadaurio
Project Coordinator
Brianna Grutadaurio serves as the Project Coordinator, supporting the Higher Education team. Brianna brings over 3 years of Executive and Administrative Assistant experience to the role.
She was born and raised in Georgia, and graduated from the University of North Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. In her free time, Brianna enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.
- Email:brianna@buffkinbaker.com
Project Coordinator
Abbie Buffkin
Project Coordinator
Abbie Buffkin serves as a Project Coordintor supporting the Healthcare Delivery team to ensure the needs of each search assignment are successfully achieved.
Previously, she worked for a real estate company where she was responsible for conducting market research and leading survey calls. Additionally, in her role, she collaborated with the property management team to develop new strategies to increase resident experience.
Abbie was born and raised in South Georgia and graduated from Samford University with a bachelor's degree in finance. At Samford, she was a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority, where she served as the Rho Delta Chapter, Internal Philanthropy Chair focused on a yearlong strategy of goals to raise funds and awareness. In her free time, Abbie enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending with friends and family.
- Email:abbie@buffkinbaker.com
Project Coordinator
Jerry Baker
Advisor
Jerry Baker
Advisor
Jerry Baker has been an executive search consultant for over 45 years. Prior to establishing Baker and Associates in 2007, he was a partner with Baker-Parker, Inc. for 16 years. He spent nine years as a Senior Partner and Member of the Board of Directors of Lamalie Associates. Before that, he was President of MSL International, the executive search division of The Hay Group, Inc., and, earlier, a Vice President with Billington, Fox & Ellis, Inc.
Jerry has conducted approximately 900 searches for a diverse corporate and not-for-profit clientele. He has served corporations in many industries but has significant experience in consumer-packaged goods, the food and beverage industry, consulting, commercial banking, and consumer durables. His searches have been for chief executive officers, senior corporate officers, division management, and most functional disciplines. He has conducted 450 searches in the academic and not-for-profit sector, including the positions of president, provost, dean, and vice president of most functional disciplines. Before becoming an executive search consultant, he was a member of the human resource staff of two major corporations.
He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Wake Forest University, currently serving on the Executive Committee, the Academic Affairs Committee, and the Compensation Committee. He recently was a member of the Overseers’ Committee to Visit the Divinity School of Harvard University, the Board of Visitors of the Wake Forest University Divinity School, the Council of University Resources at Harvard University, and the Dean’s Council at the Harvard Divinity School. He previously served as a member of the Board of Visitors of Wake Forest University, President of the Wake Forest University Parents’ Council, President of the Harvard Divinity School Alumni Association, a Director of the Harvard University Alumni Association, and member of the Board of Directors and Secretary/Treasurer of the Association of Executive Search Consultants. In 2007, he was recognized as the first recipient of the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award of the Harvard Divinity School.
Mr. Baker’s biography is included in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in Finance and Industry, and Who’s Who in the South & Southwest.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Wake Forest University and a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard University.
- Email:jerry@buffkinbaker.com
Senior Advisor
Ted Jadick
Senior Advisor
Ted Jadick
Senior Advisor
Ted Jadick serves as a Senior Advisor. He joined the firm in January of 2018 from Heidrick & Struggles, where he held the position of Vice Chairman. Ted was a member of their Executive Committee, as well as a Managing Partner of their New York Office and recipient of the John E. Struggles Partnership Award. He was also a founding member of their Board Practice.
Prior to joining Heidrick & Struggles, Ted served as SVP at Frank W. Hastings Associates and Staff Accountant and Auditor for Haskins & Sells. He began his career at Arthur Young & Company. Some of his past clients include Major League Baseball, Office Depot, Abercrombie & Fitch, Bausch & Lomb, DIRECTV, Dollar General, Hershey Trust Company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tiffany & Co., Toys “R” Us, Unilever NV, and Xerox. Ted has been nominated by clients as one of the top executive recruiters in America in all three editions of John Sibbald’s Career Makers. He was also listed among the top 200 executive recruiters in the world in The Global 200 Executive Recruiters by Nancy Garrison Jenn.
Ted is a former Trustee of the University of Scranton and was recently inducted into the Kania School of Management’s Business Leaders Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the University’s President’s Business Council. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Scranton.
Ted and his wife, Rosemary, split their time between New York City, Guilford, CT, and Longboat Key, FL. They have one daughter.
- Email:ted@buffkinbaker.com
Senior Advisor
Tom Rosenwald
Senior Advisor
Tom Rosenwald
Senior Advisor
Tom H. Rosenwald serves as a Senior Advisor focusing on senior-level search in corporate, digital, and mass marketing communications. Mr. Rosenwald is engaged in the board, executive, and senior-level assignments both nationally and internationally for a wide range of private, public, venture-backed, and private equity-backed companies. He is also involved in business development and client management for the firm. Previously, Tom was a Managing Director in the New York office of Diversified Search Ray Berndtson. He led the Consumer and Healthcare Products Practice for the U.S and was an active member of the Board of Directors Practice. Tom brings more than 14 years of experience in executive search, and 25+ years in sales, marketing, and advertising in healthcare and consumer packaged goods. For ten years, Tom was a Senior Partner at Heidrick & Struggles in New York City, where he was a member of its Consumer and Healthcare Products Practices, a member of the E-commerce practice, and founder/head of the Marketing, Advertising, and Corporate Communications Practice within the Consumer Practice.
Prior to entering the executive search field, he was Executive Vice President and General Manager of Medcom, a healthcare multi-media publishing and marketing services company specializing in producing and marketing healthcare information to both healthcare professionals and consumers in multi-media formats. Tom’s corporate clients have included American Express, Italian Pasta Company, Baccardi, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Calvin Klein, Coca-Cola Company, Compaq Computer, The Estée Lauder Companies, Federal Express, Gateway, Hasbro, Heineken, Johnson & Johnson, Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Novartis, Resort Condominiums International, Rodale, Rolex, Schering-Plough, Solvey Pharmaceuticals, the Washington Redskins, and Weill Cornell Medicine. His executive search clients among advertising agencies and communications companies have been, Ammirati Puris Lintas, Bates Worldwide, Burson-Marsteller, DDB, DMB&B, Grey Advertising, Grey Healthcare, Grey Interactive, Omnicom Worldwide, Lowe McAdams, Publicis Healthcare, Snyder
Communications, Sudler & Hennessey, TBWA/Chiat Day, True North Communications, Ventiv, Wunderman Cato Johnson, and Young & Rubicam. Prior to leading Medcom, Tom held product management positions in the Post Division of General Foods. He was a Senior Account Manager of Young & Rubicam on the General Foods account and he founded the agency’s first healthcare advertising division, Y&Rx.
Tom received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from Dartmouth’s Amos Tuck School of Business Administration. Tom resides in Manhattan where he is a member of the Dartmouth Club of New York and was previously Chairman of the New Milford Hospital Foundation Board and a member of the hospital’s Executive Committee
Ted and his wife, Rosemary, split their time between New York City, Guilford, CT, and Longboat Key, FL. They have one daughter.
- Email:tom@buffkinbaker.com
Senior Advisor
Brenda Doherty
Senior Advisor
Brenda Doherty
Senior Advisor
Brenda Doherty serves as a Senior Advisor in our Washington, DC office, where she leads client engagements and is actively involved in expanding the Healthcare Practice. She has spent the last 20 years, securing leadership talent for hospitals, healthcare systems, long-term care, senior living, and healthcare associations. She specializes in the placement of CEOs, COOs, CNOs, Chief Marketing Officers, CFOs, and executive leadership in for-profit and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining Buffkin / Baker, she was a Partner at Korn/Ferry International, as well as Managing Director of the Charleston Group, a boutique firm specializing in healthcare.
Prior to her career in executive search, she worked with the former National Medical Enterprises, now known as Tenet Healthcare. As a Senior Vice President, she was operationally responsible for their contract management division, which involved the startup and ongoing operations of specialty units in general hospitals throughout the United States. Following this acute care experience, she held the position of Vice President Operations for Summerville Healthcare Services (now Emeritus Senior Living) where she was operationally responsible for freestanding assisted & independent living properties on the Eastern seaboard.
Brenda holds a Master of Science from the University of Maryland. She lives in Alexandria, VA, and serves on the Board of The Carpenter’s Shelter, Northern VA’s largest homeless shelter.
- Email:brenda@buffkinbaker.com
Senior Advisor
Advisory Board
Joseph C. Hutts
Healthcare Advisory Board
Joseph C. Hutts
Healthcare Advisory Board
Joseph Hutts began his healthcare career working in administrative roles for hospitals in Wisconsin and Kansas City before joining Hospital Affiliates International as the Vice President of Operations where he had direct responsibility for up to six hospitals under the company’s management. Several years later, he joined Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) where he held several roles, including Senior Vice President of Operations and President of HCA Management Company. Mr. Hutts had direct responsibility for approximately 90 of HCA’s owned hospitals which together generated revenue of approximately $1.5 billion. Mr. Hutts later helped to merge HCA Health Plans into a joint venture with Equitable Life Assurance Society of America to form Equicor, a new managed care company generating annual revenues over $2 billion and where he served as Chief Operating Officer and Vice-Chairman.
After the emergence of Equicor, Mr. Hutts co-founded Phycor, a private practice management company. As Phycor’s CEO, Mr. Hutts led the company from a start-up to a publically traded company generating $1.5 billion in revenue through the operations of 55 multispecialty clinics with 3,900 physicians and an additional 35 Independent Physicians Associations representing another 19,000 physicians and a disease management company. After Phycor, he co-founded and served as CEO of Surgis, a private equity-backed outpatient surgery center company. Under Mr. Hutts’ leadership, Surgis quickly grew to become the largest privately held ambulatory surgery center company in the country. It was after the sale of Surgis, that BreatheAmerica was formed.
Healthcare Advisory Board
Eugene (Gene) C. Fleming
Healthcare Advisory Board
Eugene (Gene) C. Fleming
Healthcare Advisory Board
Gene Fleming currently serves on the board of directors of PhyMed Holdings, a leading provider of anesthesia services, and Aspire Health, a rapidly growing palliative medicine provider.
A lifelong healthcare executive, Mr. Fleming most recently served as Executive Chairman of the Rehab Documentation Company until its purchase in May 2014. He was Chairman and CEO of Cogent Healthcare from 2005 until its acquisition in 2011. Prior to Cogent, he held several executive management roles, including President and CEO of Surgical Alliance Corporation until its sale in 2005 and Executive Vice President and COO of Quorum Healthcare.
Mr. Fleming moved to Nashville, TN in 1993 to serve as President of the Eastern Group, a three-billion-dollar division of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). He previously served as CEO of three HCA hospitals. He is a retired Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, served on the Boards of the Florida Hospital Association, the Federation of American Hospitals, the Regional Policy Board of the American Hospital Association, and as Chairman of the Florida League of Hospitals. Prior to his private sector healthcare career, he was an officer in the United States Air Force Medical Services Corps. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and MBA from East Carolina University.
Healthcare Advisory Board
Donald B. Taylor
Healthcare Advisory Board
Donald B. Taylor
Healthcare Advisory Board
Donald Taylor is an Operating Partner for Primus Capital, an Ohio-based private equity firm focusing on Health Care Services and IT, Digital Marketing, EdTech as well as Fin Tech. Donald is based in Nashville, TN, and supports Primus in due diligence, management assessment, sales, marketing, and growth initiatives as well as board representation. He is also an individual investor and active in the Nashville VC community and is Principal of Base Consulting LLC.
Prior to Primus, Mr. Taylor served as EVP and COO of Healthways, and was instrumental in helping the company grow profitably from $70 million to over $700 million in revenue and a market cap from $300 million to $2.8 billion. Before joining Healthways he was President of FISI*Madison Financial in Franklin, TN a Cendant subsidiary. He was with FISI for over 16 years and helped build the company into a $650 million organization. Additionally, he was the Managing Director for the international division of FISI. He lived in London and created an operation that spanned 14 countries with 750 employees and over $100 million in revenue.
Mr. Taylor has been actively involved with community service for many years. He currently serves on the boards of the Monroe Carell Junior’s Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, and LEAD Academy Nashville a Charter School Organization.
Donald is married to Kristin Taylor, and they have two boys, Chase and Brooks.
Healthcare Advisory Board
George I. Lazenby, IV
Healthcare Advisory Board
George I. Lazenby, IV
Healthcare Advisory Board
George Lazenby has over 24 years of experience in the Healthcare Information Technology (HCIT) field both as an entrepreneur and serving in various executive leadership and advisory roles. He is the co-founder of OrderInsite, LLC., a leading provider of cloud-based supply chain and inventory management software for the pharmacy industry, and currently serves as CEO. Mr. Lazenby is also a partner in Socii Capital, LLC., a venture investment firm focused on healthcare IT with investments in MedOne, ScriptCyle, and ProviderScience. He has worked with several Private Equity firms including General Atlantic, Hellman and Friedman, Blackstone, and Crescent Capital.
Mr. Lazenby currently serves on the Board of Directors for ProxsysRx, CarePayment, LLC, XSOLIS, and ClarisHealth. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors and CEO of Emdeon, the nation’s largest health information network from 2007 to 2013. In 2009, Mr. Lazenby led Emdeon through a successful IPO and in 2011 sold the company to Blackstone for $3 billion. Before Emdeon, Mr. Lazenby served as COO of Medifax EDI, one of the nation’s leading revenue cycle management companies that was acquired in 2004 by WebMD.
Mr. Lazenby graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in accounting.
Healthcare Advisory Board
Kathy Harris
Healthcare Advisory Board
Kathy Harris
Healthcare Advisory Board
Kathy currently serves as a strategic advisor to Claritas Health Ventures, a private equity firm that has invested over $350 million in companies focused on transforming access and outcomes in patient care. She is also on the advisory board of medZERO, a healthcare-focused fintech company that is creating a platform for employers that allows their employees to better understand, manage and maximize their healthcare benefits. From 2011 to 2022, she served as executive vice president of corporate development of Sharecare (NASDAQ: SHCR), a pioneer in digital health, where she led the company’s M&A effort; the company completed 15 acquisitions under her leadership ranging in size from pre-revenue to over $200 million in revenue across the enterprise, provider and life sciences channels. She assisted in raising over $450 million in private equity and debt capital and in its IPO process via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
Before joining Sharecare, Kathy was a general partner at Noro-Moseley Partners, a 40-year-old early growth equity firm that invests in emerging software and healthcare innovation hubs across the US; Sirrom Capital Corporation, a national mezzanine debt provider; and she spent more than 10 years at J.C. Bradford & Co. (now UBS) in the investment banking group. Kathy began her career as a CPA with KPMG.
Kathy currently serves on the board of Kindbody, a company that offers fertility and family-building services through over 30 women’s health clinics nationwide, and previously served on the board and audit committee of Progyny (NASDAQ: PGNY), a fertility benefits management company. She also served on the board of Valor Healthcare, a nationwide operator of community-based outpatient clinics providing veterans with medical and behavioral health services. Kathy’s non-profit experience includes the Clemson University Research Foundation board, where she was chair of the finance and audit committees, The Women's Leadership Board at Harvard's Kennedy School and the board and executive committee of The Metro Atlanta Chamber. Recognition for her civic leadership and various professional contributions includes the 2018 “Women Who Mean Business” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and being a top finalist for the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association’s “Woman in Healthcare Leadership Award.”
Kathy holds an MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University and received her BS in Accounting from Murray State University. She resides in Nashville, Tennessee.
Healthcare Advisory Board
Charles H. Baker
Digital Advisory Board
Charles H. Baker
Digital Advisory Board
Charles Baker’s corporate practice encompasses mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate finance, and restructurings, with a core focus in the sports, media, and consumer sectors. Mr. Baker is currently a Partner and Head of Global Media, Sports and Entertainment practice at DLA Piper, one of the largest corporate law firms in the world. He has represented buyers and sellers of sports franchises in the National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and many of the European football leagues.
Mr. Baker has also developed specific experience representing investment banks and consulting firms on corporate finance advisory matters, including fairness and solvency opinions, and has lectured extensively on these matters to various groups, including the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and various private seminar organizations. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the American Bar Association—Business Law and Sports Law committees, Financial Advisor Task Force, and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. He has been repeatedly recognized in both Chambers USA and The Legal 500 United States for his work in mergers and acquisitions, and sports law. In 2015, his work on the Atlanta Hawks sale was recognized by Global M&A Networks and awarded USA Deal of the Year at the M&A Atlas Awards.
Chuck serves on the Board of Directors for the Ivy Sports Symposium, an Independent Director on the Board of Directors for USA Triathlon, Executive Officer and Director for the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Board of Trustees and Sports Luncheon Committee for the March of Dimes. He holds a Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School.
Digital Advisory Board
Claude Sheer
Digital Advisory Board
Claude Sheer
Digital Advisory Board
Claude Sheer is a digital media industry veteran, and he is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Vizsafe. Additionally, he is currently an investor and advisor to several digital media companies. Mr. Sheer's corporate assignments have focused on the management of growth, mobilizing new technologies, acquisition of capabilities, and building management teams. Writing on this work in an article entitled New Growth Platforms (Reprint R0605D), he was published in the May 2006 issue of Harvard Business Review.
In addition to serving on the board of Ziff-Davis (ZDI), Claude led the largest operating group of the company and was responsible for over $700M in revenue. He has been CEO of Vault, Chairman of MenuPages, and Interim CEO of Beliefnet. Mr. Sheer's current Board of Directors' assignments include publicly-traded LionBridge Technologies, VizSafe, Great Local, and The VIA Agency.
Digital Advisory Board
Mitch Thrower
Digital Advisory Board
Mitch Thrower
Digital Advisory Board
Mitch Thrower is a financier, entrepreneur, author, and 22X Ironman triathlete. He is the Founder and Chairman of Events.com, an innovative cloud-based Event Management Platform provider that provides a state-of-the-art mobile-first SaaS application that enables the full event life-cycle, connecting event organizers and event-goers.
Mr. Thrower also serves as Chairman of The La Jolla Foundation, a 501c3 foundation whose primary initiative is Project Active, providing funding, mentoring, encouragement, and education to areas of world tension. Specifically — sending sports equipment to children in war zones. He is the co-founder of Active.com (The Active Network, Inc.), and also launched ActiveEurope.com (Active Europe Network) as Co-Founder and CEO. Active went public before selling to Vista for 1.05 billion.
Mr. Thrower was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Triathlete Magazine, the world’s largest triathlon magazine where he also served as Chairman. He has also served as the Chief Interactive Officer, Strategist & Senior Correspondent for the Competitor Group (CGI), the active lifestyle industry’s leading media and event entertainment company. He is an active member of TED.com and the Executive Producer of TEDxLaJolla, an independently organized TED event. He is the author of “The Attention Deficit Workplace: Winning Strategies for Success in Today’s Fast-Paced Business Environment,” published by Lyons Press and he was the author of the popular monthly column, “Starting Lines” in Triathlete Magazine for more than a decade. He was also co-author of the travel guide “The Passport” which, for several years was distributed to 50,000 college students before traveling abroad each year.
In 1990, Thrower co-founded his first company and served as CEO of The College/Rail Connection, Inc., serving American Express, AT&T, and Eurail until he sold the venture in 1997.
Mr. Thrower holds a bachelor’s degree from Saint Lawrence University and an MBA from the University of San Diego. He has competed in 22 Ironman Triathlons, including 13 World Championships. He is the only photojournalist to ever photograph and film the Ironman Triathlon World Championships while competing in the event.
Digital Advisory Board
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