Delta Dental of Arizona Names Emilia Keric Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Keric brings deep healthcare, regulatory and enterprise risk leadership experience to executive team
(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Feb. 27, 2026) – Delta Dental of Arizona is pleased to announce that Emilia Keric has joined the health and wellness company as its senior vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer. In this role, Keric will serve as a member of the organization’s executive team while leading legal, regulatory and compliance functions and overseeing enterprise risk management and governance strategy. She succeeds Leslie Hess, who will retire following a decades-long career in insurance and financial services, including serving as a key member of Delta Dental of Arizona’s leadership team since 2018.
“We are eternally grateful to Leslie Hess for her years of dedicated leadership and service, which have strengthened our governance, compliance and advocacy efforts across Arizona and nationally,” said Michael Jones, president and chief executive officer of Delta Dental of Arizona. “Emilia’s experience advising complex healthcare and technology organizations through growth, transformation and regulatory change makes her uniquely positioned to support Delta Dental of Arizona as we continue evolving into a multi-line, data-driven health and wellness organization focused on expanding access to care statewide.”
Keric brings extensive experience serving as a senior legal and administrative leader across healthcare delivery, health technology and private equity-backed organizations. Most recently, she served as chief administrative officer and general counsel for CEA CAPA Education Abroad, a global organization with 19 legal entities, more than 700 staff and $175 million in annual revenue. In that role, she led enterprise legal, compliance, risk management and human resources functions across multiple international jurisdictions, building scalable infrastructure to support rapid growth, mergers and acquisitions integration and geographic expansion while aligning legal strategy with operational and financial objectives.
Previously, Keric served as senior vice president and general counsel of MedAvail Technologies, Inc., a publicly traded pharmacy technology company with operations in the United States and Canada. There, she oversaw corporate compliance and governance, managed SEC reporting and Nasdaq requirements, led strategic transactions and restructuring efforts, and implemented efficiency measures that significantly reduced legal and professional expenses. Earlier in her career, she served as associate general counsel for Phoenix Children’s, advising on complex regulatory compliance matters across one of the largest integrated pediatric health systems in the Southwest. Keric also served as chief risk officer and general counsel for CommUnityCare in Austin, Texas, one of the largest Federally Qualified Health Centers in the nation. In that role, she advised executive leadership and boards on governance, regulatory compliance and strategic transactions in service of underserved communities, while leading enterprise risk management, compliance and safety functions across a multi-site healthcare network.
Keric holds a juris doctor from New York Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and philosophy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Keric lives in Scottsdale and values the close-knit life she shares with her mother, sister, brother-in-law and nephew.
About Delta Dental of Arizona
Delta Dental of Arizona (Delta Dental) is a health and wellness company providing affordable dental and vision benefits to individuals, families and businesses throughout the state. Building on its reputation as the state’s largest and most experienced dental insurance provider, Delta Dental’s mission is to create a path to better health and wellness. Since 2010, Delta Dental of Arizona, through its Foundation, has given over $20 million to support oral health education, disease prevention and food assistance programs for underserved and uninsured communities across the state. For more information about Delta Dental of Arizona, visit www.deltadentalaz.com.
