Media

Bellwether League Foundation welcomes new year with look ahead

SCHAUMBURG, IL (Januray 9, 2026) — Bellwether League Foundation ™ and its Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership Hall of Fame™ open the New Year with a host of announcements and initiatives to promote supply chain performance improvement and to shine a light on supply chain leadership excellence.

First, BLF announces its elected governing Board of Directors (BOD) and Board-appointed operating Advisory Council (AC) members for 2026. The BOD includes:

• Chairman: Barbara Strain, Bellwether Class of 2021, principal, Barbara Strain Consulting, Charlottesville, VA
• Secretary: Rachel Anderson, Future Famers Class of 2023, vice president, Supply Chain, DCH Health, Tuscaloosa, AL
• Treasurer: Ed Hisscock, Bellwether Class of 2022, retired senior vice president, Supply Chain, Trinity Health, Livonia, MI
• Advisory Council Chairman: Gary Rakes, Bellwether Class of 2021, retired system vice president and Chief Supply Chain Officer, Aspirus Inc., Wausau, WI
• Outreach Ambassador: Fred Crans, Bellwether Class of 2020, Business Development Executive, St. Onge Co., Cleveland, OH
• Co-Founder and Executive Director: Rick Dana Barlow, president, Wingfoot Media Inc., Schaumburg, IL

AC Chairman Gary Rakes is joined by the following seven executives on the Advisory Council:

• Angie Bruns, Future Famers Class of 2024, senior director, Spend Management and Administration, The University of Kansas Health System, Kansas City, KS
• Ryan R. Burke, Future Famers Class of 2022, vice president, Strategic Sourcing, Pandion Optimization Alliance, Fairport, NY
• George S. Godfrey, Bellwether Class of 2025, vice president, Financial Shared Services & Chief Supply Chain Officer, Baptist Health South Florida, Miami
• Jacob J. Groenewold, Bellwether Class of 2021, retired vice president and Chief Supply Chain Officer, Froedtert Health, Milwaukee, WI
• Chico Manning, Future Famers Class of 2024, system vice president, Enterprise Supply Chain, PIH Health, Whittier, CA
• Carl P. Meyer, Bellwether Class of 2019, president, The Wetrich Group, Southlake, TX
• Susan M. Tyk, Bellwether Class of 2022, Independent Supply Chain Coach, SMT Supply Chain Innovations, Grafton, WI

• Submit nominations for the Bellwether Class of 2026, Ammer Honoree Class of 2026 and the Future Famers Class of 2026. The deadline is Monday, February 2. Download official nomination forms here — https://www.bellwetherleague.org/nominations.php — where you also can access videos about the nomination process and how the candidate assessment works.
  
• BLF is securing a specific date and location this fall for the 19th Bellwether League Foundation Induction & Recognition Event (BLFIRE19), which will feature the 2026 Collegiate Capstone Project team from Georgia Southern University as part of the Bellwether Leadership Symposium. Stay tuned for more information on attendance, registration and sponsorship that will be featured on BLF's website. Access photos and videos from prior events here: (https://www.bellwetherleague.org/sliders/gallery.php) and (https://www.bellwetherleague.org/sliders/videos.php).
  
• BLF calls for submissions from students and professionals for its 2026 dedicated scholarships. The Jamie C. Kowalski Scholarship recognizes critical thinking around leadership development and succession planning, the Robert A. Simpson Scholarship recognizes career and professional mentoring for supply chain advancement and the Lillian R. Matiska Scholarship recognizes entrepreneurial motivations and performance in healthcare operations. Learn more here: https://www.bellwetherleague.org/scholarships.php.
  
• BLF opens its collegiate outreach program called "BLF Goes Back to School" where BOD and AC members, Bellwether Honorees, Ammer Honorees and Future Famers can share their advice, experience and perspectives on the healthcare supply chain profession either in person or online with students pursuing supply chain degrees and careers. The goal is to educate, inform and promote mission/service-based supply chain as a viable and worthwhile choice.
  
• BLF's Supply Chain Maturity Assessment Tool (SCMAT) is available for licensing by provider organizations to assess their own internal operations. Contact BLF for details.
  
• BLF's "Leaders & Luminaries" online content repository includes podcasts, webcasts, influential commentary, our bimonthly email newsletter "REMEMBER," Leaders & Luminaries e-magazine and executive-level fireside chats and interviews with Hall of Famers and Sustaining Sponsors. Access content here: https://www.bellwetherleague.org/leaders-luminaries.php
  
• Follow BLF's LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin.com/company/bellwether-league/ for updates on BLF activities.
  

BLF salutes its six sustaining sponsors at the Founding/Platinum level — GHX, Northwestern, Owens & Minor, Premier, Vizient and Wingfoot Media — and more than 20 additional sustaining sponsors at the Gold, Silver and Bronze levels, consisting of manufacturers, distributors, group purchasing organizations (GPOs), integrated delivery networks (IDNs), consulting firms, professional associations and media outlets.

For more information on how to become a sustaining or event sponsor; how to donate to BLF, Collegiate Capstone Project or dedicated scholarships; or register for the 19th Annual Bellwether League Foundation Induction & Recognition Event, contact BLF headquarters via email at rickdanabarlow@bellwetherleague.org .

About Bellwether League Foundation

Bellwether League FoundationTM (BLF) is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization that offers programs to educate, endow and evaluate professionals in healthcare supply chain performance excellence. BLF accomplishes this through its primary operation, the Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership Hall of FameTM, its growing philanthropic efforts, which include Collegiate Capstone Projects and scholarships and its various multimedia properties.

The Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership Hall of Fame evaluates and validates professionals submitted for consideration in its three award programs: Bellwether Honorees, Ammer Honorees and Future Famers. The Hall of Fame also offers educational and professional development content via the annual Bellwether Leadership Symposium and its "Leaders & Luminaries" multimedia properties of online and printed content.

The Hall of Fame selects deceased, retired and currently active professionals with a minimum of 25 years of exemplary service and leadership performance in supply chain operations that meet its criteria to be recognized publicly as Bellwether Class Honorees.

Future Famers represent supply chain professionals early in their healthcare careers (first 10- 12 years) who do not yet qualify for Bellwether consideration but have contributed meaningfully to the profession and industry.

Honorees who receive the "Dean S. Ammer Award for Healthcare Supply Chain Performance Excellence" represent noteworthy executives and professionals in the middle of their careers who, through their innovative leadership and influential project management experience, best exemplify the practice and spirit of healthcare supply chain performance excellence.

To date, the Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership Hall of Fame has inducted 148 innovators, leaders and pioneers in healthcare supply chain management in seven distinct categories: Provider- Based Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing, Distribution, Group Purchasing, Consulting Services, Academia and Media. The Hall of Fame also has recognized 42 Future Famers and six Ammer Honorees.

BLF's philanthropy efforts support capstone educational and developmental projects, grants and scholarships to college-bound high school students who plan to study supply chain curricula, current college students who major in supply chain-related careers and professionals who pursue continuing education through associations and universities.

BLF salutes its six sustaining sponsors at the Founding/Platinum level — GHX, HealthTrust, Owens & Minor, Premier, Vizient and Wingfoot Media — and more than 21 additional sustaining sponsors at the Gold, Silver and Bronze levels. This is a dedicated group that represents manufacturers, distributors, group purchasing organizations (GPOs), integrated delivery networks (IDNs), consulting firms, associations and media outlets. BLF also appreciates and thanks its devoted corporate and professional donors for their generosity, participation and partnership.

Launched in late July 2007 by a group of influential veterans in the healthcare supply chain industry, Bellwether League Foundation began as a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit corporation that upgraded to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in January 2021.