Maricel Blackwell is proud to work at HMSA whose mission is to provide the people of Hawaii access to a sustainable, quality health care system that improves the overall health and well-being of our state. Her current and previous roles of Manager, Well-Being Programs and Alliance Manager, respectively, support this overarching goal.

Maricel is a seasoned Hawai’i professional with two decades of experience in the insurance and financial services industries. She has extensive background in operations, management, sales and marketing, communications, human resources, compliance, and vendor management. She is a results-focused leader with the ability to hire, train, and manage associates with diverse skill sets while addressing bottom line issues through budget review and financial analysis.

Prior to working at HMSA, Maricel was an executive manager and registered representative for two Fortune 500 Companies. She is recognized for successfully establishing and implementing policies and procedures that improved overall effectiveness and reduced operational costs. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Maricel moved to Oahu where she received her BSBA from Hawaii Pacific University. She currently resides in Honolulu where she is an active member in her community.

Dr. Ruben Juarez is UHERO-HMSA Distinguished Endowed Professor at the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization and the Department of Economics at the University of Hawaii. He is also a Director and co-founder of the Pacific Alliance Against COVID-19 and the CEO of Hawaii Integrated Analytics.

Dr. Juarez was granted the Ph.D. in Economics from Rice University in 2008 and has been a Professor of Economics and UHERO member since then. His main research interests include microeconomics, game theory and behavior, and network economics, with applications to health. He has publications in top field journals such as the Journal of Economic Theory, Games and Economic Behavior, Economic Theory, Vaccines, the American Journal of Public Health, and Frontiers.

​He has served on various unpaid positions and boards, including as co-founder and treasurer of the Hawaii Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and is the associate editor of several scientific journals, including Scientific Reports, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, and Mathematical Social Sciences. 

He has prestigious research awards and projects for a variety of institutions such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Hawaii Community Foundation, the Hawaii Medical Service Association, Kamehameha Schools, and regularly advises community organizations and companies.