CEDAR VALLEY HOSPICE
Executive Team
Executive Team Members
Michaela Vandersee, Chief Executive Officer
Michaela Vandersee is the Chief Executive Officer of Cedar Valley Hospice, a not-for-profit hospice & palliative care organization serving nearly 1,000 patients and families per year in Northeast Iowa since 1979. Michaela is passionate about upholding the Cedar Valley Hospice mission: To Enrich Lives with Knowledge, Respect and Compassionate Care. She oversees all organizational operations, including compliance, leading the management team in strategic and operational planning and ensuring all decisions made are in the best interest of patients and families served.
Michaela started her journey at Cedar Valley Hospice in 2000 as the Director of Finance, a position she held for 16 years. In 2016, she was named the third full-time Chief Executive Officer in Cedar Valley Hospice history.
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Michaela earned her B.A. in Accounting from the University of Northern Iowa and is a Certified Public Accountant. She and her husband, Greg, reside in Waterloo and enjoy spending time with daughters Grace, Sophie and Claire and grandchildren Dax and Haisley. Michaela is actively involved in the community, and has served in the following positions:
- The Family YMCA of Black Hawk County – President, Treasurer, Board Member
- Peoples Community Health Clinic Board of Directors – Treasurer, Board Member
- Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health Board of Directors – Secretary, Board Member
- Orange Parent Association – President, Treasurer, Board Member
- Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Iowa – President, Vice President, Treasurer, Board Member, Governance Committee
- National Partnership for Hospice and Healthcare Innovation – CEO Roundtable, Rural Provider Forum, GUIDE Model Workgroup, Health Equity Forum
- NHPCO-NAHC – Hospice Advocacy Network, Council of States
Stacy Weinke, Chief Clinical Officer
In her role as Chief Clinical Officer, Stacy Weinke is responsible for all care and services delivered to Cedar Valley Hospice patients and families. These programs include hospice care, palliative care, the Cedar Valley Hospice Home, grief support and our volunteer programs. Additionally, Stacy oversees the Iowa Board of Nursing Providership and is a part of multiple Cedar Valley Hospice committees, including Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement, Veteran’s Affairs, Celebration of Life and Youth Grief Camp.
Stacy began her journey with Cedar Valley Hospice in 1997 as a volunteer before she was hired as an on-call and PRN RN. Soon after, she accepted a full-time RN position working both as a Case Manager and a Triage Nurse. In 2002, Stacy was promoted to Chief Clinical Officer, a role she has held for over 20 years.
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Stacy earned her BSN from Allen College. She is actively involved in several nonprofits in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area, is an avid fan of both hockey and football and enjoys spending time with her children and six grandchildren.
Katie Unland, Chief People Officer
Katie Unland has been the Chief People Officer for Cedar Valley Hospice since 2008. In this role, Katie focuses largely on Cedar Valley Hospice’s most important resource – our people. She works closely with both employees and management to create the best outcomes for all. Some of the main functions of her role include strategic planning, overseeing recruitment and hiring, training and development, employer/employee relations, enhancing company culture, managing employee benefits and ensuring we maintain an engaged workforce.
Katie holds a B.A. in Human Resource Management from the University of Northern Iowa and came to Cedar Valley Hospice with several years of HR experience in the healthcare sector. Katie was born and raised right here in Waterloo and has had several family members served by our amazing hospice team. Katie feels very connected to our mission and the important work we do, and feels honored to tell others she works for Cedar Valley Hospice.
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Katie and her partner Chad reside in Cedar Falls and have two kids whom are very involved with sports and other activities.Â
Suzanne Benda, Chief Growth Officer
In 2026, Suzanne Benda became Cedar Valley Hospice’s inaugural Chief Growth Officer. She leads the organization’s marketing and development initiatives, builds meaningful relationships with donors and sponsors, and engages the community in understanding the value of hospice care. Through these efforts, Suzanne helps ensure that every eligible patient and family can access Cedar Valley Hospice’s services, regardless of insurance status.
As the Cedar Valley Hospice Development Director, Suzanne oversaw a capital campaign to build the Waterloo Support Center. It is the central office for clinical staff serving Black Hawk County, the grief department, CASS program and administrative team members. She also serves on several committees, including the Physician’s Education Event, Celebration of Life, Grief Camp, Release & Remember, Nights fundraiser and Volunteer Dinner.
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Suzanne received her B.A. in Business Management and Marketing from the University of Northern Iowa. She and her husband Jim live in Cedar Falls. They have three grown children – Emily, Lucas and Julia – and one grandson, Daniel. Suzanne is actively involved in the Cedar Valley Nonprofit Association, the Waterloo Rotary Club and her church.
Become a volunteer!
Our volunteers are the heart of our organization. From visiting patients to helping with events, they perform a number of different roles that are vital to helping us carry out our mission.