Executive Leadership
Our Executive Management Team knows that a vibrant, personal and energetic organization starts by having the right people. Since 1979, we've built a solid reputation through a team of healthcare professionals and partners who understand the meaning of integrity.
Jeffrey M. Knight
President & CEOJeff has held several positions since joining The Health Plan in 1998. Prior to being named THP’s president & CEO, he served as the president & COO for two years and chief financial officer...
Jeff has held several positions since joining The Health Plan in 1998. Prior to being named THP’s president & CEO, he served as the president & COO for two years and chief financial officer for over ten years. As president & CEO, Jeff works closely with the board of directors and strives to look for opportunities to reduce the cost of care for THP members.
Jeff attended the School of Business and Economics at West Virginia University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in business administration, majoring in accounting. He is a certified public accountant and member of the West Virginia Society of CPAs. Jeff is also a proud alumnus of Leadership West Virginia’s Class of 2018.
Jeff serves on the Board of Directors for the Wheeling Area Chamber and is the Chairman of their Special Projects/MEWA Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Regional Economic Development Partnership (RED) and the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley (CFOV).
Jeff enjoys all outdoor activities and is an avid golfer. He resides in Wheeling with his wife and two children.
Ed Kairis, MD, MMM
Chief Medical OfficerDr. Kairis has 16 years of managed healthcare experience. Prior to his transition to the insurance industry, he served as a primary care pediatrician for 10 years...
Dr. Kairis has 16 years of managed healthcare experience. Prior to his transition to the insurance industry, he served as a primary care pediatrician for 10 years. As chief medical officer at THP, Dr. Kairis leads the utilization management, case management, member outreach, population health, pharmacy, and appeals teams. He and his team focus on improving health outcomes for all members of The Health Plan, especially those who have medical or social challenges.
Dr. Kairis earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and his Master of Science in Medical Management from Carnegie Mellon University. He is board-certified in pediatrics and holds an unrestricted medical license in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Dr. Kairis is married and the father of two adult daughters. He enjoys hiking and golf. Dr. Kairis is a board member for Light of Life Mission that serves the homeless population in Pittsburgh.
Dave Mathieu
Sr. VP, Underwriting and Regulatory ServicesSince 1989, David has held a number of positions with The Health Plan, including marketing director, vice president of Commercial Sales, and is currently...
Since 1989, David has held a number of positions with The Health Plan, including marketing director, vice president of Commercial Sales, and is currently senior vice president of Operations & Underwriting. As SVP of Operations & Undewriting, David oversees commercial underwriting activities, product development, payment integrity, risk adjustment and state regulatory filings. Prior to his career with The Health Plan, David was the marketing director in South Florida for MetLife Healthcare Network of Florida, Inc. He received his bachelor's degree in business administration from West Liberty University and his Masters of Business Administration from West Virginia University. David is a former, two-term board member for the Ohio County Board of Education, former chair for Wheeling Health Right Board of Directors, current Main Street Bank board member, Ohio Association of Health Plans delegate, and past marketing committee chair for the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley. David enjoys biking, softball and pickleball, and has also coached youth baseball and fast-pitch softball in the greater Wheeling area. David resides in Wheeling, WV with his wife, Jill and four children.
Ken “Buck” Bryan
Chief Information OfficerA 30-year veteran in business and information technology (IT), Bryan’s extensive experience in IT strategy and project management delivers world-class technology systems...
A 30-year veteran in business and information technology (IT), Bryan’s extensive experience in IT strategy and project management delivers world-class technology systems, operations and services that enable corporate growth, customer support and facilitation of business transformations.
Bryan served as North American vice president of IT for two United Kingdom-based organizations, Shire Pharmaceuticals and FirstGroup. As owner of Husker Consulting, Inc., Bryan provided guidance to small and mid-size businesses looking to maximize their value and flexibility within their IT departments. As senior consultant and business analyst for Corus360, Bryan designed and built the business case for implementing RPA into the corporate A/P process for Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah, GA, saving them over $4M in the first 3 years.
Buck enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, and experiencing the great outdoors on his 120-acre farm as a counterbalance to his technology profession.
Christy Donohue
Sr. VP, Mountain Health TrustChristy joined The Health Plan in February 2015 and has over 30 years of government programs experience...
Christy joined The Health Plan in February 2015 and has over 30 years of government programs experience. Prior to joining THP, Christy worked with various Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) companies focusing on State Medicaid Programs including WV, MD, LA and UT and two local WV HMO’s, PrimeONE and Coventry Healthcare.
Christy leads The Health Plan’s Medicaid and CHIP lines of business with The Health Plan. Her expertise is comprised of a hands-on direct approach in every aspect of managing government program contracts.
Christy graduated from WV State University and attended Mountain State University’s Organizational Leadership Program.
Christy lives with her husband Joe in Boone County. Together they have five children and 5 grandchildren.
Ryan Ralston
Chief Financial OfficerRyan joined The Health Plan's Finance Department in 2016. Prior to joining the company, Ryan worked in public accounting at KPMG...
Ryan joined The Health Plan’s Finance Department in 2016. Prior to joining the company, he worked in public accounting at KPMG and in the industry at both public and private firms, serving in increasingly progressive financial management roles.
Ryan received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Ohio University where he majored in accounting. Ryan also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with a concentration in finance from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. Ryan is a certified public accountant and member of the American Institute of CPAs.
Richard H. Legg
Sr. VP, Sales & Account ManagementRichard has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare arena from the hospital to the insurance sides of the business. Prior to The Health Plan, Richard was...
Richard has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare arena from the hospital to the insurance sides of the business. Prior to The Health Plan, Richard was Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at HealthSmart Benefit Solutions. He was Senior Vice President and Chief OperatingOfficer at Wells Fargo and Acordia National Third Party Administrators.
Richard is directly responsible for managing and growing the self-funded capabilities of The Health Plan. He has led the expansion of the various self- funded products service model from a regional approach to a national platform.
Richard received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Accounting and Management from West Virginia University. He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from West Virginia Wesleyan University. Richard is licensed in life and health insurance and is active in the Society of Professional Benefit Administrators (SPBA), Self-Insurance Institute of America (SIIA) and National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU).
Richard is an avid golfer and skier. He is married and the proud father of two daughters and grandad to two grandsons.
Jamie Leary
Chief Legal CounselJamie joined The Health Plan as Chief Legal Counsel in October 2021. Prior to joining the company, Jamie was a partner at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC with a practice in ERISA...
Jamie joined The Health Plan as Chief Legal Counsel in October 2021. Prior to joining the company, Jamie was a partner at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC with a practice in ERISA and Employee Benefits law. Jamie received her bachelor’s degree from Marshall University and her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. She clerked for The Honorable Charles H. Haden II, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, and was an associate at Goodwin Procter LLP in Boston, Massachusetts. Jamie served as Treasurer for the Wheeling Symphony Auxiliary and for the Viennese Winter Ball Committee. She resides in Wheeling with her husband and two children.
Antoinette Geyer
Sr. VP, Provider Delivery ServicesAntoinette brings over 30 years of healthcare delivery experience to The Health Plan. In her role at THP, she provides strategic vision and operational experience...
Antoinette brings over 30 years of healthcare delivery experience to The Health Plan. In her role at THP, she provides strategic vision and operational experience to the provider contracting, provider servicing and provider onboarding teams. Antoinette is responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with The Health Plan’s key hospitals and health systems, physician groups, community leaders, and health care associations. She is passionate about partnering with providers to create innovative reimbursement models to increase access and quality while delivering health care at a fair and reasonable cost.
Antoinette earned her Master of Business Administration, cum laude with a focus on finance from Duquesne University and Bachelor of Arts in Business and Communications from the University of Pittsburgh.
Antoinette resides in Wheeling and is the proud mom of two sons, each of whom earned undergraduate degrees from her alma maters. She serves on the YWCA Board of Directors and United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley board. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, oil painting, traveling, and visiting her family, most of whom live in her hometown of Pittsburgh.