Melissa Huschke Appointed COO

Seasoned industry executive to oversee organizational strategy, client and member services

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (January 26, 2021) – Delta Dental of Tennessee (Delta Dental) today announced the appointment of Melissa Huschke as Chief Operating Officer. Huschke, a longtime company executive, will oversee client and member services, claims administration, information technology, and organizational strategy in this new role.

Huschke has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, including 24 years in dental benefit administration. Huschke joined Delta Dental of Tennessee in 1996 as Customer Service Manager and was promoted to Vice President of Client Relations and Workforce Analysis in 2003. In 2007, she moved into the role of Vice President of Operations, where she created and successfully implemented a cross-training initiative that has allowed the operations team to respond to divergent trends – a rapid growth in the number of clients it serves, and the automation of some operational processes – efficiently and without a change in headcount.

“This new role for Melissa is a natural progression given her experience and tenure with the company,” said Dr. Phil Wenk, CEO and president of Delta Dental of Tennessee. “Her knowledge of our business and our industry is unparalleled, and that positions us well for greater success.”

Prior to joining Delta Dental of Tennessee, Huschke worked for Blue Shield of California as a Customer Service/Group Service Representative for CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System) and NASCO, which co-creates digital health solutions for Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. She has also worked as a claims and benefit analyst with Coastal Healthcare Administrators.

Huschke has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Western Governors University. A native of California, she has lived in Middle Tennessee for 24 years.

To learn more about Delta Dental of Tennessee, please visit https://tennessee.deltadental.com/.

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Delta Dental of Tennessee
Delta Dental of Tennessee is the state’s largest independent dental benefits carrier with more than 1.2

million lives covered. As part of the Delta Dental Plans Association, Delta Dental of Tennessee members have access to the largest dental network in the nation with more than 154,000 providers serving more than 332,000 locations. With the simple mission of ensuring healthy smiles, Delta Dental of Tennessee works hard to help members of the communities it serves. Along with its corporate foundation, Smile180, Delta Dental of Tennessee donated more than $7 million in funding and in-kind services to over 140 organizations in 2019, and employees shared 2,182 volunteer hours in the community.