RKL LLP announced that former Chief Operating Officer (COO) Mike De Stefano has been elected Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective September 1, 2026. De Stefano assumed the role following CEO Ed Monborne, who has led the firm’s remarkable growth trajectory during his 15 years in the position. As part of the planned leadership transition, RKL alumni Rachel Sargent returned to the firm in late August to assume the role of COO.
Elected by the firm’s partners, De Stefano brings a wealth of experience in firm strategy and operations. He has a deep appreciation for the firm’s mission and vision, having started his career at RKL and then eventually returning as CFO and later COO. The Philadelphia native joined the firm’s Tax Services Group in 1995 and transferred to the Audit Services Group two years later in the Reading office. De Stefano left RKL in 2009 to join a Central PA-based petroleum and logistics company. He returned as RKL’s CFO in 2019. In 2022, he was named COO to lead the firm’s administrative functions, including people operations, finance, IT, business assets, and administrative services.
Rachel Sargent assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer this August. Sargent began her career at RKL as an auditor, serving for six years. She later held key finance leadership roles, including CFO and Vice President of Finance and Integration at a leading lubricant sales and distribution company. Sargent’s appointment as COO supports RKL’s continued focus on operational excellence and client service.
In a move that strengthens and improves access to high-quality orthopaedic care across central Pennsylvania, UPMC and the Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania (OIP) recently formalized a new strategic partnership. Building upon decades of
collaboration between the two leaders in musculoskeletal health, the partnership is designed to deliver exceptional, patient-centered care closer to home while also expanding access to orthopaedic services.
OIP currently has locations in Camp Hill, Harrisburg, Carlisle, Hershey, Millersburg, and Newport. As its preferred provider, patients of OIP requiring orthopaedic surgeries in Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry counties will receive their care at UPMC Harrisburg, UPMC West Shore, UPMC Community Osteopathic, or UPMC Carlisle, or an OIP facility, with the added expertise of UPMC’s surgical services and support staff.
“UPMC and OIP are both known for their robust networks of outstanding orthopaedic physicians and advanced practice providers,” said David Gibbons, senior vice president, Health Services Division, and regional market president, UPMC. “Uniting these providers in our outpatient and hospital settings will ensure our patients receive world-class care and exceptional experience every time.”
UPMC’s orthopaedic network will continue to be a combination of employed and independent physicians. Learn more about orthopaedic services available from UPMC and OIP.
Independence Health Group announced that Kelly A. Munson will succeed Gregory E. Deavens as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company, effective October 1, 2025. Deavens, who assumed the CEO role in 2021, announced his planned retirement in January. Munson currently serves as President and CEO of AmeriHealth Caritas, a jointly owned subsidiary of Independence Health Group.
“I am honored to continue my service in this new capacity, especially at this pivotal moment in Independence Health Group’s history. While I am aware of the challenges facing the health care industry, I also believe we have unprecedented opportunities to innovate our operations and advance our mission — always guided by our commitment to helping people access the quality healthcare they need,” said Munson. “I am grateful for the confidence of the Board of Directors, and I want to sincerely thank Greg Deavens, as well as Tricia Keith and the leadership at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, for their support.”
Munson became CEO of AmeriHealth Caritas in February 2024, having previously served as President of Aetna Medicaid, a CVS Health company. Prior to Aetna, Munson was Executive Vice President and Chief Medicaid Officer of WellCare Health Plans. Her more than 25 years of health care industry experience spans commercial insurance as well as government programs.
“Kelly has already made substantial contributions to Independence Health Group, and I am thrilled that she will succeed me as President and CEO,” said Deavens. “She is an innovative and collaborative leader, and her expertise in business operations is perfectly complemented by her unwavering dedication to our mission. Kelly will continue to empower and uplift our communities, and advocate for affordable, accessible, and equitable health care for all the members we serve.”
Deavens will remain with Independence Health Group through December to support the leadership transition.