HCCI Leadership
Matt Pickering
Executive Director
Matt Pickering
Matt became Executive Director of HCCI in January of 2021. He is the Founder and President of Pickering & Associates and has been a health care lobbyist in Illinois for 20 years. He began his career as an assistant to David Wilhelm, the former Chair of the Democratic National Committee and President Bill Clinton’s campaign manager. Matt is a graduate of DePaul University.
Yehiel “Mark” KalishExecutive Director – PAC
Yehiel “Mark” Kalish
Yehiel “Mark” Kalish serves as Executive Director of the Health Care Council of Illinois Political Action Committee (HCCI PAC), where he leads the organization’s political strategy and advocacy efforts in support of policies and candidates committed to protecting access to quality long-term care in Illinois.
With extensive experience in government affairs, healthcare policy, and organizational leadership, Mr. Kalish works closely with elected officials, party leadership, and industry stakeholders to advance sustainable Medicaid policy, responsible regulation, and a stable long-term care system for providers and the residents they serve.
Prior to joining HCCI PAC, Mr. Kalish held senior leadership roles in nonprofit and public-policy organizations and served as a member of the Illinois General Assembly, where he focused on healthcare, social services, and community-based initiatives. His background combines hands-on political strategy with deep legislative and regulatory experience.
Mark, as he is known around the Capitol, is well regarded for his collaborative approach, strategic judgment, and ability to navigate complex political environments while building durable relationships across the Illinois political landscape.
LaToya GreenwoodSenior Advisor
LaToya Greenwood
LaToya Greenwood serves as Senior Advisor for HCCI. A lifelong resident of East St. Louis, she brings a distinguished record of public service, leadership, and community advocacy to her role. Before joining HCCI, she served in the Illinois House of Representatives, where she championed legislation focused on social justice, economic growth, education funding, reproductive health, and access to healthcare. As Chair of the House Healthcare Availability and Access Committee and a member of the House Budget team, she secured key funding for the Metro East region and was appointed by Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch as Majority Conference Chair. Her commitment to ensuring that every Illinoisan has access to compassionate, high-quality healthcare continues to guide her work today. LaToya holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in public administration and policy from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She resides in East St. Louis with her son, Nicolas.
Cheryl HahnDirector of Education & Quality
Cheryl Hahn
Cheryl Hahn, LNHA, serves as HCCI’s Director of Education & Quality, bringing two decades of healthcare leadership to her role. With a deep commitment to advancing educational initiatives, Cheryl drives the expansion of HCCI’s education program and leads the planning of our inaugural convention, set to debut in 2026.
Her extensive career includes 20 years at a top-tier skilled nursing facility in Illinois, where she thrived in diverse roles—spanning business office management, human resources, admissions, and marketing—before serving as Administrator for nine years. During her tenure, the facility maintained a prestigious 5-star rating, reflecting her unwavering dedication to excellence. Cheryl later honed her expertise as a Senior Consultant with Achieve Accreditation for two years, guiding skilled nursing facilities to secure and maintain Joint Commission accreditation.
Beyond her professional achievements, she resides in Wauconda, Illinois, with her husband, where they enjoy life with their three children and four grandchildren.
Rachel ShimkusHuman Resources Director
Rachel Shimkus
Rachel is the Human Resources Director at HCCI. She has over 20 years of experience in customer service, managerial work and executive assistance. Prior to joining HCCI, Rachel served as a Legislative Assistant in the House Speaker’s Office for 3 years.
Gracie MehlenbeckManager of Government Affairs
Gracie Mehlenbeck
Gracie Mehlenbeck is the Manager of Government Affairs at HCCI. She earned her Associates degree in Liberal Arts from Lincoln Land Community College. She started her career in government as a Committee Clerk with the Illinois House of Representatives. She then served as the Administrative Assistant to the Senate Democrats Policy and Budget Department for 3 years. That experience cultivated a strong foundation in public policy, budget oversight, and a deep understanding of the legislative and regulatory processes.
Kimberly StoergerSenior Director of Policy & Regulatory Affairs
Kimberly Stoerger
Kimberly Stoerger, MSW is the Regulatory and Assisted Living Director for HCCI. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors for NASW-IL. Kimberly earned her Masters of Social Work and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She was selected for the 2016-17 Celia M. Howard Fellowship at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. Also, she was selected as a SIU Trauma Based Behavioral Health Fellow at the SIU School of Medicine. These opportunities allowed her to advocate for underserved populations on a macro level. During her graduate studies, Kimberly served as an advisor to the Governor’s Statewide Human Trafficking Taskforce and Illinois Department of Children and Family Service to develop new strategies to shine light on human trafficking in Illinois and help advocate for victims and survivors. In her most recent role, Kimberly oversaw regulatory, survey, and policy issues for IHCA. She led the COVID-19 response for the association and analyzed infection control guidance, regulations and assured prioritization of the vaccine rollout for long-term care facilities across the state.
Destiny LeeDirector of Federal Advocacy & Workforce Development
Destiny Lee
Destiny joined HCCI in November of 2021 as Policy Analyst and Legislative Liaison. She currently serves as the Director of Federal Advocacy and Workforce Development. Prior to joining HCCI, Destiny was a Policy and Budget Analyst in the Office of the Illinois Senate President, where she staffed multiple Senate Committees including the Financial Institutions, Public Health, Human Services, and State Government committees, respectively. Before her tenure with the Illinois Senate President’s Office, she was a participant of the University of Illinois Graduate Public Service Internship Program where she interned as a Budget Analyst for the Illinois Department of Corrections. She previously worked as a Program Facility Coordinator for the Village of Glendale Heights, serving families in the community for summer and aftercare school programs. In that role she initiated a workforce collaborative with the local Outreach College Opportunity Program to employee high school students for seasonal summer positions.
Destiny is former Miss Black Illinois USA and enjoys helping young women pursue their pageant goals. Lee received a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Illinois Springfield and a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Studies from Eastern Illinois University.
Kevin HeffernanPAC Director
Kevin Heffernan
Prior to joining HCCI in 2021, Kevin worked for the Illinois House Speaker’s legislative staff for over eight years. In that capacity, Kevin advised State Representatives from various regions of the state to craft and communicate a strategic legislative agenda to their constituents. Kevin also worked with the Democratic Party of Illinois, where he led state representative campaigns, created and implemented direct mail campaigns for multiple contested races, and assisted with opposition research. Kevin received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Carrie ImpsonDirector of Member Services
Carrie Impson
Carrie joined the HCCI team in 2021 as an Executive Assistant. Prior to joining HCCI, Carrie worked for the Illinois House of Representatives as a Leadership Legislative Assistant.
Felicia ColemanAccounts Receivable Specialist
Felicia Coleman
Felicia Coleman joined HCCI in September of 2023 and is an accounting professional with various industry experience. She comes to us with a degree in accounting and has worked in the field since 2008 for numerous companies varying from manufacturing, law firms, and CPA firms.
During her downtime. Felicia enjoys spending time with her family doing fun activities like playing games, bike riding and watching movies.
Kevin TaylorMedicaid Advisor
Kevin Taylor
Kevin Taylor has over 37 years of experience working in Medicaid reimbursement, healthcare data analysis, and legislative and administrative regulatory issues. He has been with HCCI since December of 2023.
Prior to that he was the Executive Director of the Alliance for Living, an association of Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Facilities (SMHRF’s) after working with the Alliance as a consultant on Medicaid reimbursement and other issues.
Kevin worked two separate times for the Illinois Council on Long Term Care as the Director of Program Analysis and Policy Research. In between employment by the Illinois Council on Long Term Care, he served as a Manager at Tucker Alan Inc. assigned to Medicaid reimbursement and managed care engagements for various state Medicaid agencies outside of Illinois.
In his early career, Kevin was an analyst for the Illinois Department of Public Aid, Office of Program Analysis, where he worked on Medicaid nursing facility reimbursement and other policy issues.
Kevin received a B.A. from Illinois College in Political Science and History. He then entered the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign PhD program, specializing in public policy analysis. While studying at the University of Illinois, he worked as a teaching assistant and as a research assistant in the Social Sciences Quantitative Laboratory, where he advised faculty, staff and students on statistical software, data analysis and data interpretation.
