Our Team

Our Team

Leadership

Meet the passionate minds behind our cutting-edge services. Our team is comprised of dedicated scientists, researchers, and experts committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation. With diverse backgrounds and expertise spanning various fields, we collaborate seamlessly to deliver exceptional results. Get to know the faces driving our mission forward and discover the collective brilliance fueling our commitment to excellence.

AlvernoLabs_Sam Terese_061724_9115r

Sam Terese, MBA, MT

CEO & President

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Since 2005, Sam Terese MBA, MT (ASCP), has served as a member of the senior executive team of Alverno and as CEO & President since 2011. He has over 40 years of healthcare leadership experience that include community hospitals, academic medical centers, and research-based organizations.

Sam facilitated the testing integration of multiple hospital laboratories and innovation efforts at Alverno’s central laboratory in Hammond, IN. Terese’s skills include business development, marketing, financial, planning, strategic planning, and other management tools along with being well versed in quality assurance practices, principles of Lean, Six Sigma, developing teams, and laboratory operations and health system operations. He holds Six Sigma black belt, an M.B.A. from the University of Illinois at Chicago in Strategic Planning and Marketing, and bachelor’s degrees in Medical Technology from Rosalind Franklin University Chicago and Biology from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

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Dale Kahn

Vice President of Operations

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Dale R. Kahn attended Manchester University and the Franciscan Health Hammond School of Medical Technology, graduating with a BS degree in Medical Technology. After college, Dale worked with Franciscan Alliance in the laboratory located in Hammond, Indiana which was then known as St. Margaret Hospital, specializing in the Chemistry field, and the IT area of the laboratory. He moved into the management area for the laboratory early in his career and eventually became the Laboratory Director for the St. Margaret site.

Dale was part of the planning and design team that built Alverno Laboratories which first opened in 1999. He accepted the role as Central Laboratory Director for Alverno in 2002 and Vice President of Operations in 2012. Dale has directed Alverno through large and continuous expansions of the central laboratory facility through flexible design, focus on process and has developed many computerized solutions, building on his IT expertise.

Kahn has also helped lead Alverno with several firsts in the laboratory industry. In 2013, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics (now Beckman) named Alverno as their Microbiology Innovation Center for the US. Alverno was the first laboratory in the US to implement full microbiology automation and one of the first to routinely report clinical microbiology identifications utilizing the Maldi-TOF system. In 2014, Alverno installed one of the first Beckman Power Express Automation systems in the United States. Advance Laboratory Magazine named Alverno as Laboratory of the Year in 2016. In 2019 Alverno launched a Digital Pathology project and will be one of the largest providers of Digital Pathology for human tissue in the world.

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Michele Lange, MBA

Vice President of Human Resources

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Michele began her journey at Alverno in 2006 as an intern after completing her Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management. Throughout her 18 years with Alverno, Michele has excelled in her many roles including HR Administration Assistant, Employment Specialist, Benefits Specialist, System Compensation & Benefits Coordinator and, most recently, HR Director. Much like her growth in her professional roles, she has continued to seek advanced learning opportunities to expand her skills and knowledge in her tenure: Graduate Certificate in Compensation and Reward Management from Michigan State University (2017), Micro Credentials in Organizational Leadership and Business Analytics from Lewis University (2024), and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Lewis University (2024). Michele’s Alverno story is a unique and shining example of how you can take advantage of opportunities within our organization and truly grow in your career path with Alverno.

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Steve Wojnicki

Vice President of Finance,
Chief Financial Officer

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Steven Wojnicki has served as Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Alverno Laboratories, responsible for the company’s fiscal management functions including accounting and control, financial planning, and analysis. He also provides operational guidance and direction to the Alverno leadership team and was instrumental in implementing the laboratory joint venture in 2005. A 36 – year veteran in healthcare, Steven previously served as Vice President of Finance for Franciscan St. James Hospital and Health Centers in Chicago Heights and Olympia Fields, responsible for the company’s fiscal management functions including accounting and control, financial planning, and analysis. Prior to joining St. James Hospital and Health Centers, Wojnicki worked for Hospital Corporation of America. He was the interim CFO at HCA Olympia Fields Osteopathic Hospital and the CFO at HCA Riveredge Hospital. Steven earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and economics in 1984 and received his certified public accountant certificate in 1992.