Garry Maisel, Sacramentan of the Year

Garry Maisel’s commitment to community is evident in his every action as President and CEO of Western Health Advantage (WHA).

As President, Garry has provided leadership at WHA from its start-up in 1996 to the present, with current annual revenue of more than $800 million. WHA focuses on improving healthcare access and affordability and is well known for developing innovative programs to expand coverage to the uninsured.  WHA currently provides medical coverage to more than 110,000 members in the Sacramento and North Bay Regions.

The Company’s philanthropic activities earn it a regular top spot on the Sacramento Business Journal’s annual list of Top Corporate Philanthropic Organizations for Direct Cash Giving, most recently ranked as #2 in both 2018 and 2019, as #5 in 2020 and 2021, and as #4 in 2022.

In addition to positioning WHA to improve access to healthcare, Garry also believes in leveraging his organization to support various non-profit organizations and community causes. An active community board member, Garry currently lends his expertise and experience to:

• Greater Sacramento Area Economic Council (Past Board Chair)
• Valley Vision – A Leadership Organization Dedicated to the Sacramento Region
• WEAVE – Women Escaping a Violent Environment (Past Board Chair)
• Sacramento Region Community Foundation (Board Vice Chair)
• Mercy Foundation (Past Board Chair)
• The University Foundation at Sacramento State
• Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts (Past Board Chair)
• The Crocker Art Museum (Board Chair)
• Meristem – Serving Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum
• California Association of Health Plans (Past Board Chair)
• Health Plan Alliance – A National Organization of Provider-Aligned Health Plans (Past Board Chair)
• The Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Sacramento State (Board Member)

Garry holds a degree in finance and economics from California State University Sacramento and has accumulated over 30 years of experience in healthcare plus 10 years in the banking and finance industry, including time as the Chief Financial Officer for a regional community bank. Garry has received numerous awards, including the Sacramento Metro Chamber 2010 Businessman of the Year Award; the 2011 Individual Arts Leadership Award from the Sacramento Arts & Business Council;  the 2014 Executive Leadership Award from Community Link Capital Region; the 2015 Humanitarian of the Year Award from UCP Sacramento; the 2017 President’s Medal for Distinguished Service from Sacramento State; the 2019 Exemplary Leader Award from the American Leadership Forum – Sacramento Mountain Valley Chapter; and the 2020 Most Admired CEO Award from the Sacramento Business Journal.

Whether he is providing quality healthcare coverage to employers and individuals or expert counsel to non-profit organizations, Garry Maisel is perfectly suited to lead an organization committed to the people and the businesses of the Sacramento and North Bay Regions.