Leadership
Donna haeder
Board Chair
Donna Haeder has been with North Western Energy for 21 years, serving as its Director of Risk Management for 20 years. Ms. Haeder’s is responsible for North Western’s business insurance program, associated claims, and related matters. Ms. Haeder held insurance, treasury and finance positions at Gateway 2000 and the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development prior to joining North Western.
Dee Walcheck
Board Vice Chair
Dee Walcheck has 20 years of professional experience in the workers’ compensation field and holds a Master of Rehabilitation Counseling degree from Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Rehabilitation from Montana State University-Billings.
Since 2016, Dee has served as the Workers’ Compensation Program Coordinator at Logan Health and oversees the daily operations of the self-insured work comp program. With over 3500 employees, the Logan Health self-insured program is responsible for employee claim filing, claim cost controls, case management, injury prevention, job accommodations, and return to work goals. Logan Health consists of Kalispell Regional Medical Center, Montana Childrens, The Health Center, Digestive Health Institute, Pathways Treatment Center, The Summit Medical Fitness Center, as well as various medical clinics and services provided throughout northwest Montana. Dee is a member of the Logan Health Safety Committee and Sharps Committee that works to promote safe work practices and reduce injuries.
She has also worked as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor at Logan Health for the last 8 years, providing services to workers’ compensation claims adjusters, injured workers, and employers for job analysis development, injury prevention assistance, job accommodation identification, return to work goals, and vocational counseling. Prior to this, Dee has 12 years of experience as an Employment Consultant for Logan Health and Crawford Disability Services. Dee is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor with the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification since 2012, and has vast experience as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with a strong focus in the hospital and healthcare industry. Dee is skilled in occupational health and safety, injury prevention, workers’ compensation, crisis intervention, vocational rehabilitation, case management, and counseling.
MICHAEL J. MARSH
Secretary/Treasurer
Mr. Marsh is the President of Underwriting Solutions, Inc. (USi), Midland Claims Service, Inc. / Industrial Injury Claims® and RASE Safety Assistance (pronounced like “race”), Montana corporations. He has a diverse insurance and technology skill set and is a licensed Adjuster, WC Examiner and Agent/Producer in Montana. He holds the Registered Professional Adjuster (RPA), Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA), Certified Insurance Appraiser (CIA) and Certified Insurance Umpire (CIU) designations. Michael is also a semi-retired professional motorcycle flat track racer.
Midland Claims Service, Inc., and its wholly owned subsidiary Industrial Injury Claims®, is a leading provider of third party workers’ compensation claims administration service to organizations doing business in the state of Montana. The company has been responsible for over 34,500 workers’ compensation claims in Montana in the healthcare, long term care, mineral extraction, oil, underground mining, long haul trucking, construction and food service industries. Mr. Marsh served as a C Suite executive responsible for claims and underwriting operations in 35 states for two insurance companies officed in CA before returning to his Montana roots in 1999.
Mr. Marsh serves as an expert witness in claim-related UTPA / bad faith litigation actions in Montana and other states. Michael is the first recipient of the 2016 Montana Governor’s Achievement Award for Outstanding Workers’ Compensation Professional. He has also served on the Governor’s Labor Management Advisory Council, and was appointed by Governor Gianforte to the Board of Montana State Fund, the largest WC insurer in the state.
Under Michael’s leadership, Midland Claims, in business in Billings since 1946, has been recognized as the Small Family Business of the Year by Montana State University – Bozeman and Billings Chamber of Commerce Employer of the Year. For non-profits, Marsh was recognized in 2019 for his role as a founding board member of Kids’ Chance of MT, and he currently leads RASE Safety Assistance, a non-profit organization that provides Safety Grants for equipment to young athletes that race motorcycles across the entire United States.
Marsh was a founding member of Claims Professional Liability Insurance Company, active in all 50 states. Marsh has also served as the Western Region VP and on the Executive Board for National Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters (“NAIIA”) and is in line to become the organization’s national President.
Kevin Bartsch
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kevin Bartsch is currently the Assistant Director of Workers’ Compensation Pool Operations for the Montana Schools Group Interlocal Authority, (MSGIA) a position he has held since July 2018. Prior to his start with MSGIA, he spent 28 years working at Montana State Fund where he worked as a claim adjuster, Claim Unit Supervisor and finished his time at State Fund as a Claim Manager.
Kevin is a Helena native and earned a BA in Business Administration from The University of Montana. (Go Griz!!) He and his wife Anne are parents of four adult daughters.
Erica R. Grinde, J.D.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Erica Grinde is an attorney licensed to practice in the State of Montana with 17 years of experience. Grinde has spent the majority of her career working in local government. For the last nine years, she has served as head of Missoula County’s risk management program which includes oversight of the county’s self-insured and self-administered workers’ compensation, property and casualty, and employee benefits programs. She also serves as head of the county’s human resources department where she is one of the Chief Labor Negotiators.
Prior to her current role, Grinde spent several years as a deputy county attorney for Missoula County working in the civil division where she worked on matters ranging from representing the State of Montana in involuntary commitment proceedings to advising county departments on a wide array of legal issues. She served as the assigned civil deputy county attorney for the county’s health department, conservation district, human resources department, and the clerk of district court. Prior to working in the public sector, Grinde was an associate attorney for five years with a Montana firm representing health care institutions, railroads, and other Montana businesses. She is regularly asked to serve as a guest lecturer at the Alexander Blewett III Law School at the University of Montana in the area of insurance law.
Grinde is active in the State Bar of Montana, American Bar Association, and the Public Risk Management Association. She currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer for the State Bar of Montana and as the District 13 Representative to the American Bar Association Board of Governors. In addition to her professional engagements, Grinde has three young children actively involved in youth sports programs ranging from dance to wrestling to baseball. When not attending her children’s activities, she can often be found at high school wrestling events supporting her husband who is the head coach of the Sentinel Spartans.
Vicki Evans
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Vicki Evans is an insurance professional with nearly 40 years in the industry. Vicki began her career in 1984 at Hoiness LaBar Insurance in Billings, MT. She is currently the Executive Director for the Montana Contractor Compensation Fund, a self-insured work comp program for members of the MT Contractor’s Association. Since 2017, she also serves on the Board of Directors for Kid’s Chance of Montana.
Vicki was born and raised in Billings, MT, a fourth generation Billings native. She and her husband of 28+ years raised three daughters in Billings, and are currently residents of Great Falls, MT. Vicki enjoys time with her family and fur babies, working and playing outdoors, and supporting various youth and charity programs.
Peter Strauss
Executive Director
Peter Strauss is a workers’ compensation professional with over 35 years’ experience and has worked in 30 different U.S. jurisdictions. Strauss is a Certified Workers’ Compensation Professional (Michigan State University) and a Market Conduct Manager (IRES). Strauss served as Research Director for the national Conference of Insurance Legislators 1983 report, Risk, Reality and Reason in Financial Services Deregulation, A State Legislative Perspective and the follow up report, Closing the Regulatory Time Warp. Strauss then represented the insurance industry on public policy issues, focusing on workers’ compensation on the east coast and throughout the midwest.
Strauss represented the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) from 1992 – 2002 at the national level as well as 16 states west of the Mississippi river. Strauss was appointed one of the Operations Vice Presidents for Montana State Fund in 2002 and served in that capacity until the company became regulated by the Montana Insurance Department in 2016. At that time, Strauss created the insurance compliance program for MSF and served as the Compliance Officer until 2020. Strauss is currently the Executive Director for the Montana Self Insurers’ Association. Strauss has taught workers compensation and has written on and advocated for positive workers’ compensation changes throughout his professional career.
Strauss is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council of Self-Insurers, UWC Strategies Foundation, Glacier Bancorp, Inc., The Helena Farmers Market, the Great Divide Ski Patrol Foundation and has been involved with Leadership Montana, the Helena (MT) Chamber of Commerce, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Montana. He was named the 2025 Patroller of the Year for the National Ski Patrol Northern Division and continues to be an active member of the National Ski Patrol.