CEDAR VALLEY HOSPICE

Executive Team

Executive Team Members

Michaela Vandersee
Michaela Vandersee, Executive Director

Michaela Vandersee is the Executive Director 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 Executive Director in Cedar Valley Hospice history.

 

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
Tracy Rucker
Tracy Rucker, Director of Finance

As Director of Finance and a member of the Executive Team, Tracy and her team oversee all accounting activities for Cedar Valley Hospice. These include budget, payroll, cash management, accounts receivable, accounts payable and capital investments activities. In addition, Tracy provides support for strategic planning to achieve initiatives for Cedar Valley Hospice’s mission. 

Tracy joined Cedar Valley Hospice in 2020. Prior to her arrival, she worked as the Controller at Wartburg College and ConAgra Foods and a Financial Analyst with John Deere.

 

Tracy earned her B.S. in Accounting from St. Cloud State University. Tracy also holds a Master of Business Administration with concentration in Finance from St. Ambrose University. She is currently serving on the TryPie Board of Directors. 

Stacy Weinke
Stacy Weinke, Director of Clinical Services

In her role as Director of Clinical Services, 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 Director of Clinical Services, a role she has held for over 20 years.

 

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
Katie Unland, Director of Human Resources

Katie Unland has been the Director of Human Resources 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.

 

Katie and her partner Chad reside in Cedar Falls and have two kids whom are very involved with sports and other activities. 

Jennifer_Siech_2023-flipped-moreroom
Jennifer Siech, Director of Marketing

As Director of Marketing and a member of the Executive Team, Jennifer oversees all marketing, communications and business development initiatives and works collaboratively with the development department, raising money to fund programs and cover costs for uninsured patients. These initiatives include building strong relationships with our clinical and community partners while providing education and access to our many programs.

Jennifer previously worked at Veridian Credit Union in the eCommerce and Marketing departments. After joining Cedar Valley Hospice in January 2010 as a Community Outreach Specialist, she has been promoted throughout her tenure and established a reputation as a passionate advocate for high-quality end-of-life care. In addition to her community relations duties, she also works closely with the Executive Team on new initiatives and innovation.

Jennifer earned her B.A. in Business Administration with concentrations in Marketing and Management from Wartburg College. She is currently a member of the Grow Cedar Valley Ambassadors and sits on the Grow Cedar Valley Investor Relations Committee. She and her husband, Kevin, reside in Waverly and are avid football and golf fans, and love spending time with friends, family and their first granddaughter Hallie.

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.

Healthcare Partner Resources

We offer multiple resources for physicians and healthcare clinicians dealing with serious diagnosis and end-of-life related topics as well as an easy online patient referral form. Connect with us today!