In September 2026, BetterLife will be conducting the election of the Board of Directors under the provisions of its Bylaws. Four directors will be elected to serve four-year terms that begin on January 1, 2027. Along with the CEO and the four directors whose terms end December 31, 2028, these individuals preside as the Board of Directors of BetterLife and accept the responsibility and duties of guiding the Society as it conducts its business and plans for the future.
Your Vote Matters
Voting in the Board of Directors election is how you have a say in the future direction of BetterLife. We encourage all members to take part and make sure your vote is counted. The 2026 ballot includes a mix of current board members and new candidates, marked with a star.
How Voting Works
We’ve partnered with YesElections to manage this year’s election. You can vote by mail or online, whichever is easiest for you.
All eligible members will receive a ballot by mail in early September. The ballot package includes instructions for both voting methods. Only one vote per member will be accepted, by either method.
Voting by Mail
Voting Online
If we have a valid email on file for you, you’ll also receive an email from YesElections in addition to your paper ballot.
A Few Tips to Make Sure Your Vote Counts
Questions about your ballot or the voting process? Contact YesElections customer support using the information included in your ballot package or available on their website.
Daniel BiankDaniel Biank is the Vice President of Regulatory & Government Affairs for Accuray, the leading USA-based manufacturer of radiation therapy systems for treating cancer. He has over twenty years of engineering, regulatory, and leadership experience across major medical imaging manufacturers and Accuray, as well as experience in law practice advising investors and ventures in launching new medical technologies for global markets. He is passionate about building community and collaborations both in Wisconsin and industry. He has successfully led advocacy among member-driven trade associations and political stakeholders to shape policies to accelerate the practical availability of healthcare innovations to patients.
Daniel is a National Association of Corporate Directors certified director (NACD.DC). He earned his Juris Doctor (JD) from UW-Madison, Master of Engineering (MEng) from U of Illinois-Chicago, and Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Valparaiso University. Daniel lives with his wife and seven children outside of New Glarus, Wisconsin, where they enjoy serving in their church and local community with the Wilhelm Tell Festival, 4-H, running, and soccer programs.
Bradley BodellBradley Bodell brings over 25 years of experience driving technology transformation for the insurance industry. For the past four years, Brad has led Ryan Specialty’s technology teams and is responsible for developing the vision, strategy, and technology capabilities needed to enable and support revenue growth, drive operational excellence, integrate new acquisitions, and mitigate risks across the enterprise. Brad is currently focused on setting the AI strategy and driving hands-on enablement of AI capabilities across Ryan Specialty — with particular emphasis on insurance operations and underwriting.
Previously, Brad was the CIO at Trustmark Insurance in Lake Forest, IL, where he led their cloud migration. Prior to Trustmark, Brad was the CIO at CNO Financial Group in Carmel, IN, where he led their sourcing transformation. In addition, he spent 13 years at MetLife in Bridgewater, NJ, in software engineering and business operations roles.
Brad currently serves on the BetterLife Board of Directors, where he chairs the AI Transformation Committee. He has also served on the boards of two non-profit organizations — as Finance Chair at the Indiana Youth Institute and as a Board Member at the Indiana Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Brad received a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, and his master’s degree in management from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He and his wife, Katie, have two adult boys and live in Chicago, IL.
Russell Denk is a recently retired Partner at a CPA firm, having worked his entire career in the insurance industry. As a CPA, he served life, health, and property/casualty insurers for almost 30 years. He was also the President of a property/casualty insurance company and Executive Director of an associated member benefits organization serving Wisconsin public educators for ten years. Over his career, Russ has earned designations as a CPA, a CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter), and Series 7, 24, and 63 investment licenses. He has been very active in leadership roles and as a board member of his professional associations and nonprofit community organizations.
Russ’ core values include “leaving the world a better place than when you entered it,” “finding opportunities to serve those in need and others in your community,” and “life is a continuous learning adventure.” Those values, along with his financial, insurance industry, and board experience, fit ideally into the work and vision of BetterLife.
Maria Ferrante-SchepisAfter serving in various marketing leadership roles in both small and large insurance carriers, Maria Ferrante-Schepis became a published author, consultant, and established thought leader for insurance and finance professionals and executives.
Her Amazon bestselling book, “Flirting with the Uninterested; Innovating in a ‘Sold Not Bought’ Category,” published in 2012 and co-authored with Mike Maddock, explored the challenges and opportunities in the insurance industry. Her second book, “Unfair Comparisons; Nuancing The ‘Sold Not Bought’ Category”, released in 2025, continues this insightful journey, exposing subtle and not so subtle nuances that will help the industry make further progress.
Maria’s mission is to help close the gap between consumer perceptions and the industry’s intentions. As founder of ThinkWorthy Consulting, LLC, Maria helps passionate leaders to think differently about persistent industry challenges and prioritize those most worthy of their attention for better results.
Maria has served on the board of directors at BetterLife since 2022 and as lead independent director since 2025. She also serves on the board of directors for Homesteaders Life Company in Des Moines, Iowa, and has advised several Insurtech startups in the US, UK, and Ukraine.
Maria holds her Bachelor of Business Administration degree and Master of Business Administration degree from Hofstra University, a Chartered Life Underwriter designation from the American College, and is a Fellow of the Life Management Institute of LOMA. She also holds the NACD.DC designation from the National Association of Certified Directors.
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