SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
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Mark Bonanno, JD, MPH
ASMAC President, Oregon Medical Association
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Mark Bonanno, JD, MPH is General Counsel and Vice President of Health Policy for the Oregon Medical Association. Prior to serving as in-house counsel, he enjoyed twenty years of private practice as an advocate for health care professionals and brought with him a dedicated interest in health care policy. In 2000, Mr. Bonanno founded the law firm Healthlawoffice.com to specialize in problem solving and regulatory guidance for health care companies and individual health care professionals. He remains of counsel to the firm.
Mr. Bonanno received his law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School and his graduate degree in public health from Boston University. He served as an adjunct professor of health law in the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University for twelve years, and served terms as chair of the health law section of the Oregon State Bar and the Multnomah Bar Association group insurance committee. In 2014, he completed a three-year tenure as Chair of the 2,400-member Fraud and Abuse Practice Group of the American Health Law Association. In that year, he was honored to receive the AHLA’s Patricia Meador Leadership Award. In 2015, Mark was appointed to the AHLA Board of Directors and reappointed for a second term in 2018. In 2022, he was elected to serve as Treasurer for the American Society of Medical Association Counsel and now serves as President-Elect. He is licensed in the District of Columbia and Oregon.
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Greg Pepe, JD
Partner, Neubert Pepe & Monteith, PC
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Gregory J. Pepe, JD heads the Healthcare Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution & Mediation and Corporate & Business Transactions practice areas. His experience in the healthcare market, its accompanying regulatory constructs and related business matters, spans decades.
Greg provides his clients the understanding necessary to navigate the changing healthcare landscape. Healthcare issues that Greg often addresses include how providers can successfully negotiate new market ventures and grow their business strategically while operating within policies and legal regulations. Greg has extensive experience in addressing the myriad of business issues facing healthcare providers. He skillfully provides counsel and solutions for his entrepreneurial clients. The business issues that hospitals, doctors, lab companies, and other healthcare providers face are extremely complex. Greg works with clients to establish business relationships such as partnership agreements, corporation agreements, noncompetition agreements, compensation arrangements, and provider contracts. He represents numerous physician groups, including large integrated practices, IPAs, PHOs, and others involved in healthcare law issues. Mr. Pepe is a past president of the American Society of Medical Association Counsel (ASMAC).
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Sarah Smeriglio, JD
Attorney, Neubert Pepe & Monteith, PC
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Sarah N. Smeriglio is a member of the firm’s Healthcare Law and Professional Malpractice & Insurance Defense practice groups. While in law school, she joined the firm as a legal extern assisting in the firm’s healthcare practice.
In 2020, Sarah graduated from Quinnipiac University in the three + three law program and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences, magna cum laude. Upon entering Law School, Sarah received an International Policy Award Scholarship based in part on her undergraduate studies in the Mandarin Chinese language. She earned her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Quinnipiac University School of Law.
Sarah assists in the representation of health care providers and their practices in a variety of matters including the sale and purchase of physician practices, guidance on Anti-kickback, STARK law, HIPAA, the corporate practice of medicine, contract disputes, and Medicaid and Medicare laws. Sarah has experience drafting motions and qui tam actions, conducting discovery, reviewing contracts, and analyzing and drafting case analysis for insurance companies. In her spare time, she enjoys playing golf and figure skating.
Sarah is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and American Society of Medical Association Counsel. She is admitted to practice in Connecticut.
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Molly Reese, JD
Lead Attorney, ARC at American Medical Association
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Molly Reese is a lead attorney in the Advocacy Resource Center at the American Medical Association, the state legislative arm of the AMA. In this role, she works on multifaceted advocacy campaigns around health care issues related to competition, private equity, and physician-led, team-based care. Often working in strong collaboration with state medical associations and national specialty societies across the country, Molly helps to shape laws, regulations, and policies to support physicians and patients. Molly is a graduate of Harvard Law School and the University of California, Berkeley.
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Suzanne Koenig
CEO, SAK Healthcare; Patient Care Ombudsman
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Suzanne A. Koenig is the Founder and CEO of SAK Healthcare, a nationally recognized healthcare management and consulting firm specializing in senior living, skilled nursing, long-term care, and healthcare restructuring. With more than 30 years of experience, she is widely regarded as one of the nation's leading experts in healthcare turnarounds, receiverships, operational improvement, and regulatory compliance. A Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, Licensed Social Worker, and Certified Turnaround Practitioner, Suzanne has successfully managed and advised more than 1,000 healthcare facilities across the United States, helping organizations restore quality care, strengthen operations, and achieve financial stability.
Throughout her distinguished career, Suzanne has served in numerous court-appointed roles, including Receiver, Chapter 11 Trustee, Examiner, and Patient Care Ombudsman in complex healthcare bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings nationwide. She is recognized as the most frequently appointed Patient Care Ombudsman in the country, advocating for patient welfare while navigating challenging healthcare transitions. An accomplished speaker, author, and industry leader, Suzanne has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives as an expert on long-term care funding and has held leadership positions with several prominent healthcare and restructuring organizations. Her contributions have earned numerous honors, including the University of Illinois Alumni Achievement Award, the IWIRC Hall of Fame Award, and the NYIC Women's Division Renaissance Award.
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Hon. Nancy A. Peterman
Unites States Bankruptcy Judge
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Nancy A. Peterman was appointed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, in Chicago, Illinois. She succeeds Bankruptcy Judge Carol A. Doyle who retired in 2023. Judge Peterman took the oath of office and joined the bankruptcy bench in Chicago on February 19, 2026. She earned her bachelor’s degree with high distinction and her law degree, cum laude, from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She began her legal career at Winston & Strawn in Chicago, Illinois representing clients on bankruptcy and restructuring matters and later joined Holleb & Coff. After leaving Holleb & Coff, she opened Greenberg Traurig, LLP’s Chicago office along with some of her colleagues and was with the firm for twenty-seven years. Her experience has focused on corporate restructurings and M&A transactions involving distressed businesses with a specific focus on healthcare restructurings. She has appeared in bankruptcy courts in Chicago and around the country as well as in district courts and state courts representing clients in healthcare receiverships. She assisted in drafting the healthcare bankruptcy provisions that were added to the Bankruptcy Code in 2005. She is a Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy and an active member in the American Bankruptcy Institute, having served on the board, executive committee and as chair of various committees.
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Julie Kulovits, JD
General Counsel/SVP of Legal Affairs, American Osteopathic Association
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Julie Kulovits is a seasoned healthcare and association attorney with extensive experience advising nonprofit organizations, medical societies, and accreditation bodies on complex legal, governance, and compliance matters. As General Counsel and Vice President of Legal Affairs for the American Osteopathic Association, she oversees the organization's legal and compliance functions, advises executive leadership and the Board of Trustees, and serves as a key member of the executive leadership team. Known for her strategic mindset, practical approach, and collaborative leadership style, Julie has successfully guided organizations through evolving regulatory landscapes while helping them achieve their business and mission-driven objectives.
Prior to joining the American Osteopathic Association, Julie served as General Counsel for the North American Spine Society and as Counsel with Tenenbaum Law Group, where she advised national nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations on governance, accreditation, ethics, contracts, risk management, and organizational compliance. She began her legal career as a litigator with The Collins Law Firm, representing clients in complex litigation and transactional matters. Julie earned her Juris Doctor, summa cum laude and first in her class, from Northern Illinois University College of Law and holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Augustana College. An active leader in the association and healthcare communities, she frequently presents on governance, ethics, compliance, and legal issues affecting professional societies and currently serves on the Wheaton-Warrenville Community Unit School District 200 Board of Education.
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Maura Biszewski
SVP of Engagement, American Osteopathic Association
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Maura Biszewski is Senior Vice President of Engagement at the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), where she provides executive leadership across certification, education, membership, research, and affiliate initiatives. She has spent her career at the intersection of graduate medical education policy, accreditation, and professional selfregulation, with deep experience translating complex system change into operational outcomes that support learners, educators, and institutions nationwide.
Maura played a central leadership role in the transition to a single graduate medical education (GME) accreditation system, guiding the successful conversion of AOAaccredited residency and fellowship programs into the ACGME framework and fostering sustained collaboration among national physician and accrediting organizations. Her work has been published in Health Affairs and peer-reviewed medical education journals, and she is a frequent national speaker on accreditation, workforce development, and certification. Maura also currently serves as a public member of the Board of Pharmacy Specialties.
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Jonathan Havens, Esq
Co-Chair, Cannabis Law at Saul Ewing LLP
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Jonathan Havens is the Baltimore office managing partner, Regulatory & Compliance Practice chair, and co-founder of the Cannabis Law practice at Saul Ewing LLP. He counsels state cannabis license applicants and awardees, ancillary service and product providers, investors, management companies, and various other entities that are affected by federal and state cannabis laws. In addition to his cannabis law practice, Jonathan maintains an active food and beverage practice, particularly with regard to cannabidiol (CBD) products, in which he counsels manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers of conventional foods, dietary supplements, and beverages on product development, claim substantiation, labeling, promotion, registration, reporting, and recall issues to ensure compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and state and local requirements.
Since 2019, Chambers USA has recognized Jonathan as one of America’s leading lawyers in cannabis law. In 2021, Law360 selected Jonathan as a cannabis law rising star, making him one of only five attorneys nationwide to receive that honor. He is regularly interviewed by mainstream and trade press outlets, alike, and has been quoted by or authored pieces for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Reuters, CNBC, WIRED, MarketWatch, Engadget, Law360, High Times Magazine, and Marijuana Business Daily, among others. Jonathan currently serves on Law360’s Cannabis Editorial Advisory Board and the Food and Drug Law Institute’s Board of Directors.
Before entering private practice, Jonathan served as a regulatory counsel with FDA, where he focused on compliance and enforcement related to promotion, advertising, and labeling. Prior to law school, Jonathan served as a legislative aide in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
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Daniel Blaney-Koen
Senior Attorney, ARC atAmerican Medical Association
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Daniel Blaney-Koen, JD, is a senior attorney with the American Medical Association Advocacy Resource Center and the lead staff for the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force. Daniel also works directly with national policymaking organizations, state legislatures, medical boards, hospitals and health systems, and other stakeholders on the nation’s overdose epidemic as well as issues focused on physicians’ health. Daniel graduated from the University of Arizona, earned his Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from Colorado State University, and his law degree from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
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