Board of Directors

Dana Erickson is president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) and its parent company Stella, where she is responsible for overseeing the strategy and operations of the state’s largest nonprofit health plan.

Prior to her appointment as president and CEO, Dana served as senior vice president and president of health services at Blue Cross. She joined the organization in 2015 as senior director of care management before being promoted to vice president of the same division the following year.

Dana also previously held clinical and medical leadership roles at Univita Health and Optum Health and spent two years serving as a nursing leader in Anoka County, where she oversaw home-based services for senior and at-risk populations. A registered nurse and respiratory therapist, she has administered direct patient care in addition to leading rehabilitation center operations.

Dana studied social work at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

In addition to her leadership of Blue Cross, Dana also serves on the board of Portico Healthnet, a longtime grantee partner in the Foundation’s Access to Coverage portfolio.

She and her husband Dan live in Blaine and have two daughters attending college.

Bukata Hayes joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota as vice president of racial and health equity in 2021. Before that, he served as the executive director of the Greater Mankato Diversity Council since September 2006. He also previously served as the coordinator of the Multi Ethnic Center at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, the first-ever position of its kind at the college. He received his bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. He is actively involved in numerous community-based organizations, including the Mankato Chapter of the NAACP (president), Mankato Family YMCA (membership committee), Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Board (president), Latin American Multicultural Association for Networking and Opportunity (LA MANO) (board), Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (board), and the Blandin Foundation Board of Trustees. His greatest pride is that he is the son of Dia Damani Courtney and Karen Hayes, husband to Lisa, and father to Damani, Jalen, Zavier, and Zuri.

As Chief Legal, Advocacy & Compliance Officer at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Emily Piper leads a diverse array of functions at the nation’s largest nonprofit system of substance use disorder treatment, mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention and education services.

Emily is a member of Hazelden Betty Ford’s Executive Leadership Team, with responsibilities that include law, compliance, government relations, advocacy, media relations and communications. She also leads several organization-wide initiatives, serves as corporate secretary, and is the executive liaison to multiple Hazelden Betty Ford board committees.

Prior to joining the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Emily served as commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Human Services under former Governor Mark Dayton from 2015-2019. Before being appointed commissioner, Emily served as general counsel and deputy chief of staff in the Office of Governor Mark Dayton and Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith. She also worked at the Minnesota Department of Commerce, first as general counsel focusing on insurance regulation and health reform implementation, then as chief of staff and deputy commissioner.

Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in biology from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. and a J.D. from the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis.

In addition to her role on the Blue Cross Foundation board of directors, she is a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota board of trustees and has participated in numerous efforts to influence federal policy to support state innovation, including through the National Governor’s Association’s Bipartisan Health Reform Learning Network. She has been recognized multiple times by Minnesota Physician magazine as one of the 100 most influential health care leaders in the state. When she’s not working, you can find Emily in schools, gyms, and hockey rinks across Minnesota with her husband and five kids.

As director of the Office of American Indian Health at MDH and as founder and chief executive officer of Asemaake, LLC, Kris leverages her decades of public health experience to provide strategic and collaborative support to improve programs and systems centered on the health of Indigenous communities. Her approach is rooted in tribal values and wisdom, and incorporates relevant scientific data for innovative, sustainable, and culturally grounded solutions.

Prior to founding Asemaake in 2021, Kris was the chief executive officer of the American Indian Cancer Foundation. In that role she focused on raising awareness of the burden of cancer on Indigenous communities, building community capacity, and supporting research and evaluation to identify and develop Native-led solutions.

Kris is an enrolled citizen of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and a descendant of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She earned a Master of Public Health in Public Health Administration & Policy and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Community Health Education, both from the University of Minnesota.

In her free time, Kris enjoys time in, on or by the water and always cherishes sharing new experiences and old traditions with her greatest joys: Jason, and their adult children, Ty and Miigwan.

Nash joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota in 2013 and is the chief of staff to the CEO. Beyond this role, she is a leader of diversity and inclusion within the organization, chairing the Asian Circle associate resource group and sitting on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. She has two master’s degrees — one in human resource development management and one in commerce management.

Nash is also a dedicated community leader outside Blue Cross, serving as the former president and current board member of the India Association of Minnesota and mentoring at Hope for Tomorrow. She is passionate about connecting with community and taking every opportunity to give back.

In her free time, Nash enjoys Bollywood dancing, Zumba, and spending time with her family, including her husband and two children.

As senior vice president and chief medical officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Dr. Mark Steffen oversees medical management strategies that encompass the organization’s medical policies, clinical programs, community health and health equity initiatives, and leads the charge in addressing upstream social determinants of health. Mark is also responsible for leading health care quality and affordability initiatives within the company’s medical management programs.

Prior to joining Blue Cross in 2018, Mark held multiple leadership positions in the health care industry including medical director roles at Humana, the Mayo Clinic and Fairview Red Wing Medical Center. He began his work as a physician in rural Family Medicine and worked clinically in a variety of settings including community hospitals and academic medical centers.

Mark received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Minnesota Duluth and both his medical degree and master’s in public health from the University of Minnesota.

In his free time, Mark enjoys spending time with his wife Melissa and chasing after their two young children. (To keep up with them, Mark gives credit to his morning routine of Crossfit and coffee.)

May Vang rejoined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) as vice president of treasury and chief investment officer in 2021, after previously serving as assistant treasurer and director of treasury operations in the organization from 2010-2017.

In her role, she is responsible for setting Blue Cross’ strategy for balance sheet, capital, liquidity, capital markets, investor relations, rating agencies, shared services and investments. She oversees treasury and investment performance and its strategic vision, reporting to all corporate boards and investment and audit committees. She also develops strategic relationships in the banking, investment banking, investment management, insurance and general business sectors.

Prior to rejoining Blue Cross, May was corporate treasurer & investor relations leader at American Family Insurance. She has also held treasury and financial roles at Lawson Software, G&K Services and Ecolab.

May holds an MBA and B.S. from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. She also previously served as president of the Minnesota Association for Finance Professionals (AFP), instructor for the Certified Treasury Professionals (CTP) with AFP, and as a board and finance committee member of the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota.