Karen B. Johnson takes over as chair of MVP Health Care board

MVP Health Care’s board of directors has elected Karen B. Johnson as its board chair. Johnson recently took over leadership of the MVP board, after serving as vice chair since January 2009. Alan Goldberg is now MVP’s vice chair.

Johnson, who has been a member of MVP’s board for the past 15 years, recently led the search committee that named Denise V. Gonick MVP’s new president and CEO. Gonick replaced David Oliker, who retired after leading the nonprofit health insurer since its inception in 1982.

Johnson said the board’s priority will be to support MVP’s leadership as the insurer continues to adapt to a rapidly changing health-care marketplace, including preparing for the new state health-benefit exchanges.

“This is an exciting and interesting time to be working in health care,” Johnson said in a news release. “MVP’s focus on helping to make our members and the communities we serve healthier demonstrates our overall commitment to wellness.”

After having been elected to the Schenectady City Council in 1975 and serving as president of the City Council from 1980 to 1983, Johnson served as mayor of Schenectady from 1984 to 1992. She has been a member of the Schenectady County Legislature since 2000, and is currently its vice chair.

Johnson holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard College and a master’s degree in urban and environmental studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She led the successful $30 million expansion campaign at Proctor’s Theatre in Schenectady, where she continues to work as manager of planned giving, according to MVP.

Vice chair of the MVP board, Alan Goldberg, was formerly president and CEO of First Albany Corp. He has held many community leadership roles including currently serving as chairman of the board of the Palace Theater in Albany, MVP says.

MVP Health Care offers fully insured and self-funded employer health-benefits plans, dental insurance, and additional products, such as flexible-spending accounts, to more than 650,000 members in New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. MVP has about 44,000 members in Central New York and 464,000 members statewide, according to the 2013 Book of Lists.

Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com