Suzanne Wheeler, President

Suzanne Wheeler is co-founder of the Minnesota ME/CFS Alliance and is mom to three young women.  She graduated from the University of North Dakota and was commissioned as an officer in the US Army where she flew over 1200 hours in both helicopter and fixed wing aircraft, serving on active duty for nearly a decade.  She holds an M.A. in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix and currently runs WāViking Wellness, where she helps horses, humans, and small animals with chronic pain issues through MagnaWave Pulsed Electromagnetic Frequency (PEMF) sessions. Her nonprofit leadership experience includes Vice-President and President of Lakselaget, a professional Norwegian women’s scholarship organization in Minneapolis, MN; seven years as a counselor & Norwegian language teacher at Concordia College Language Village in Bemidji, MN, and Silent Auction Purse coordinator for YWCA “Purses & Passion.”  In her free time she enjoys knitting (mostly sweaters), gardening and working with horses.

As an ME/CFS patient herself, Suzanne is passionate about helping others learn about this illness and live their highest possible quality of life with this debilitating disease.  She has reinvented herself after suffering years of chronic pain & fatigue and is a strong advocate for facilitating the pursuit and access to a variety of medical resources for ME/CFS patients.  

LIsa Alioto, Vice President

Lisa Alioto’s qualifications include graduating with top honors from Mitchell Hamline University School of Law. Her work as an attorney has encompassed both traditional and non-traditional legal roles. As a small business owner, she additionally enjoys success as a certified career and personal coach. As a ME/CFS patient herself, Lisa understands the struggle to find medical support. She spent a year desperately seeking medical care, eventually getting a ME/CFS diagnosis. At that time, she received a treatment plan that evidence has proven to be harmful to ME/CFS patients. Only through her research has she gained the extensive knowledge she has about this debilitating condition.

Recognizing the need to raise ME/CFS awareness and help others with this illness, Lisa has a Realistic Optimism blog. Through this blog, you will be able to share in her passion for helping those with ME/CFS live a positive, fulfilling life despite the challenges of a chronic illness.

Lisa has strong connections with the ME/CFS community. For example, Lisa has volunteered with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), facilitating the updating of their ME/CFS educational materials. She is also a current member of Solve ME/CFS Initiative’s first Community Advisory Council and works closely with Solve in general to further the mission of the Minnesota ME/CFS Alliance.

Leveraging her personal experience and her awareness of the greatly lacking medical support in Minnesota, she has dedicated herself to enhancing the lives of Minnesotans with ME/CFS through this organization. She is here to actively listen, help, and provide support to our community.

ANDY Flosdorf, TREASURER

Andrew J. Flosdorf, MPH

Expertise:  Strategic Planning, Business Process Improvement, Health Technology Design and Implementation, Community Assessment and Engagement,

Andy has extensive experience visioning, developing and leading successful community and business product development initiatives designed to improve efficacy and function through process definition, measurement, improvement and re-engineering.  He has worked in communities from Alaska to Missouri and from Connecticut to Minnesota and has experience at startups, growth businesses and Fortune 500 companies including UnitedHealthcare, WellPoint, and the State of Alaska.  

Andy’s areas of expertise include Health Care Quality Outcomes, Health Provider and Insurance Delivery, and Clinical Software Decision Support; as well as Organizational Strategy, Project Management, and Business Operations. He is a Process improvement expert with experience in multiple methodologies including Six Sigma, Business Modeling Language, TQM and CQI, Andy received his B.A. in American Cultural History from Swarthmore College and Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan.

BILLY HANLON, DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY & OUTREACH

Billy has extensive experience in leading teams, managing operations, project management, partner relationships, strategic planning and mentoring. He has worked in several Fortune 500 companies that have cultivated these skills and provided relevant experience. Billy received his B.A in Business Marketing & Business Communications from The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

As an ME/CFS patient himself, Billy has immersed himself with advocacy at the national, state, and local level for over five years. This has laid a framework in understanding the development of policies and how it relates to health challenges like ME/CFS. He is dedicated & passionate about reducing the inequities for people living with ME/CFS, so that one day, all people living with ME/CFS will have access to effective, compassionate care. He is committed to making a difference through fostering the collaborative efforts required with elected officials, medical provider associations, health departments, and any other stakeholders needed to advance progress in this field. 

He is honored and humbled to be a part of this team & community. He hopes that his efforts can help play a role in the positive, tangible change that this patient population deserves. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, traveling, and reading.