Excellus names three new CNY Regional Advisory Board members

SYRACUSE — Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Central New York’s largest health insurer, announced it has named Jeremy Klemanski, John M. Marraffa, Jr., and William J. Simmons to its Central New York Regional Advisory Board.

“With their wide range of experience and expertise in community impact, health care, education and law, these individuals add breadth and depth to our board as we work to fulfill our mission,” Excellus Central New York Regional President Mark Muthumbi said in a news release.

Klemanski serves as president and CEO of Helio Health and the Helio Health Foundation. He has served as a private-equity consultant, specializing in the evaluation of behavioral health-care organizations. Klemanski regularly speaks and trains on the topics of nonprofit board development, leadership, management, communications, and team development. He has also served as an independent monitor for government and private treatment programs. Klemanski earned an MBA from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University and completed his bachelor’s degree at SUNY Polytechnic Institute. 

Marraffa, Jr. is president of Kinney Drugs. A graduate of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, he joined Kinney Drugs in 2019 as VP of government affairs and health-care services integration. Since then, he has introduced the new Kinnect division, a transformational onsite pharmacy for specialized health-care facilities; expanded the Delivery at Discharge program; and introduced a patient safety organization. Additionally, Marraffa led Kinney’s COVID-19 response. He is an adjunct experiential preceptor for several colleges and universities, including the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, the Wegmans School of Pharmacy at St. John Fisher College, and the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 

Simmons, Esq., is executive director of the Syracuse Housing Authority. He received his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law in 2004 and has been a member of the New York State Bar Association since 2006. Simmons also earned a New York state real-estate broker’s license in 2019. A native of the Bronx, Simmons has lived in Syracuse since 1975, was the director of airport services at Syracuse Hancock International Airport from 1986-1994, served as board commissioner on the Syracuse City School Board from 1989-1997, and was a 5th District Syracuse Common Council member from 2000-2008.