Biography - Deborah Phillips and Thea Rigler

Deborah Phillips, SPHR - Vice President, Human Resources and Chief Administrative Officer

Deborah Phillips has more than 30 years of leadership experience in the field of human resources.  She serves as a key member of Priority Health’s executive team and shares responsibility for creation and execution of organizational goals and objectives. In her current role, Deborah is charged with the responsibility for driving growth in Priority Health’s businesses through an effective human resources and people strategy.  Her areas of expertise include strategy and planning, staffing, talent management and succession planning, executive coaching, leadership development and training, and executive compensation and benefits.  In addition, she has led several key human resources projects, including the transformation of the Human Resources organization into a strategic business partner.  Deborah is also in charge of a variety of corporate-wide administrative areas including Legal, Compliance, Facilities and other business support services. While a resident of Kansas City, Deborah served as the Human Resource Officer for a multi-bank holding company.  She is a Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources through the Society of Human Resource Management.

Deborah serves as board chair for the Women’s Resource Center, and is a long standing member of the funding raising committee for the Michigan Women’s Foundation.  She is committed to diversity and works with several organizations, including Priority Health, in support of these initiatives. 

Thea Reigler, SPHR - Associate Vice President of Human Resources                 

Thea Reigler has more than 18 years of leadership experience in the field of human resources.  She serves as a key contributor in setting the strategic vision and plan for Grand Rapids-based Priority Health, a nationally recognized health plan. In her current role, Thea is charged with overseeing all human resource functions which include employment, payroll, benefits, compensation, corporate training, and employee relations.  Her areas of expertise include people strategy; labor forecasting, recruitment and retention, pay-for-performance systems, incentive programs, employee coaching, development, and training.  In addition, she has led several key human resources projects, including selection and implementation of a new HRIS system, development and implementation of a consumer-driven Health Savings Account, and design and initiation of two leadership development programs to prepare internal candidates for promotion and to enhance the skills of middle management leaders. Her proudest accomplishments are reducing employee turnover from a high of 19% to less than 6.5% annually and the increase in average employee tenure to 4.5 years, up from just 2.7 years in 2003. 

Thea is a member of Society for Human Resources Management and a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).  Before joining Priority Health in 1998 as manager of human resources, Ms. Reigler served as a manager in Employment and Health & Disability Management for Spectrum Health.  A native of Grand Rapids, she holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Aquinas College.