MEET THE TEAM
At ICUBA we pride ourselves on meeting the needs of our members. We are pleased to introduce our team and the value each member brings to the mission, goals, and values of ICUBA.
Mark Weinstein, JD, CPA, MPH
President & Chief Executive Officer
Mark began his current position in 2003 as CEO of the non-profit, self-insured Independent College and Universities Benefits Association (ICUBA), www.icuba.org, regulated by the FL Office of Insurance Regulation. Mark has led ICUBA from a fledgling $23 million annual enterprise into an annual $100 million+ community juggernaut with an average daily cash balance of more than $52 million. Under Mark's leadership, ICUBA membership has more than doubled, currently covering more than16,000 people in the consumer directed, value based, member centric medical, prescription drug and wellbeing employee benefits plan. Membership has grown from 8 not-for-profit, private Florida education employers in 2003 to 26 employer members now in 2023, with average annual premium increases of 4.5% per year since inception, and administrative costs consistently less than 9% of premium.
Mark is a board member of the Florida Alliance for Healthcare Value, having served as past board chair (2013-2016) and current chair of the Research and Data Committee. In 2019 ICUBA was recognized as the "Most Engaged Employer Healthcare Purchaser" by the Florida Alliance. Mark also serves on the Task Force on Low Value Care through the Value Based Insurance Design Institute at the University of Michigan. Mark is also chair of the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) Center for Research on Health Benefits Innovation.
Mark is from Chicago, Illinois, and a graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1982) with a B.S. in Accounting, of the University of Southern California (1985) with a J.D. in Law, of The George Washington University (2002) with an LL.M. master of laws and MPH master of public health. His thesis at The George Washington University was entitled: "ERISA Group Health Plan Fiduciaries Must Emphasize Quality Medical Care." He is also licensed to practice law in Illinois, Nevada and Washington DC, and is a licensed CPA in Texas.
Emily Stovall, GBA
Chief Operating Officer
Emily, a Florida native, earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from the University of Florida as well as the Group Benefits Associate (GBA) designation from The Wharton School and International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Her background includes over twenty years’ experience in corporate finance and operations in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. She also holds a Florida Health, Life and Variable Annuities License. During her tenure at an ICUBA member school, Emily experienced first-hand the value and benefits ICUBA provides to its members and is passionate about continuing to fulfill the ICUBA mission.
Emily joined the ICUBA team in 2022 as Chief Operating Officer and is responsible for supporting the strategic vision of the president and CEO; operational management of ICUBA’s brand partners; communicating benefit plan details to participating members; supporting, guiding and training committee members and staff; monitoring, interpreting and complying with federal and state regulations; monitoring and evaluating brand partner performance; monitoring the performance and effectiveness of all processes inherent to the efficient operation of ICUBA; facilitating interaction between staff, brand partners and members to identify and resolve customer service issues; representing ICUBA to prospective Florida Educational Institutions to enhance participation in ICUBA; and serving as ICUBA’s Privacy and Security Compliance Officer.
Paula Hedayat
Chief Financial Officer
Paula is a Florida native, and is a graduate of The University of Central Florida (1988). She is trained in Six Sigma and has over thirty years of progressive financial management experience including operations, planning, forecasting, policy and procedure development and extensive knowledge of healthcare management accounting.
Paula began her career as an Accounting Supervisor for Metropolitan Life and came to ICUBA after leaving her role as Chief Financial Officer at United Healthcare. She is responsible for the ICUBA Financial Operations, including audit, financial planning, budgeting and accounting. Paula is also responsible for the day-to-day operations of ICUBA, including client services.
Joshua Appelt
Director of Technology & Communications
Joshua graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, and remains a lifelong student of Information Technology. Joshua is passionate about integrating technology to improve the administrative experience for ICUBA’s employer schools and their employees. For more than 15 years, Josh has worked as an HR and Benefits professional in the municipal space, higher education, and information technology. By refining his skills as a benefits administrator, Josh has developed a deep understanding of the needs and challenges experienced by HR professionals, as well as a strong desire to better the experiences of employees using benefits platforms.
Josh joined the team in 2021 driven by the potential of technology to transform the way ICUBA delivers employee benefits. Charged with overseeing the information technology strategy and operations for ICUBA. Josh is dedicated to finding innovative solutions that can improve the lives of both employees and employers.
By giving better tools and resources to our employer schools, we create a better experience for their employees and truly build Better Benefits through Collaboration.
Luis Bartlett Narvaez
IT Project Manager
As ICUBA’s IT Project Manager, Luis is passionate about building and improving processes using technology and programming languages. He believes that with the right balance of technology and people, we can make our projects easier and more efficient. Luis joined ICUBA after working in the human resources and benefits field for the past few years. Before that, he worked on Royal Caribbean cruise ships for three years as a Guest Services Officer. Luis is CompTia Project+ certified.
Luis graduated with a bachelor’s degree in hotel management and foreign languages, and he’s completed coursework in Data Management & Analysis from Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Originally from Cartagena, Colombia, Luis is a native Spanish speaker and conversational in French. He looks forward to supporting ICUBA’s goal in providing “Better Benefits Through Collaboration.”
Latrice Preston
Strategic Business Partner
Latrice is a Florida native who comes to ICUBA with an extensive administrative background in retail banking, insurance administration and employee benefits. She is currently in the process of earning a degree in Human Resources Management while simultaneously completing her CEBS certifications. With her business savvy, Latrice has successfully mastered client relationships and people management while remaining employee centered.
Latrice is responsible for the strategic planning, guidance, and maintenance of the employee health and wellness plan with coordination duties for all related resources and brand partnerships. Her on-going daily support for communication and training of all entities to enhance member participation and proactively minimize plan risks will help to ensure the success of the ICUBA business model.