Herb Heili

Herb Heili has dedicated much of his career to mentoring others who have gone on to serve and lead in their respective organizations.

He was born in Two Rivers, graduated from St. Norbert College and early in life, he served as an officer in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps.
Today, at age 71, he provides an inspiring example of a life lived in a mindful and gracious way, full of gratitude.

Throughout his 42-years in health care, Heili has been ­recognized for his leadership, communication skills, and ability to develop productive work teams.
He enjoyed a successful career in health care holding ­executive level positions with several Fortune 500 ­companies including Lederle Laboratories, a division of American ­Cyanamid Company and Searle Pharmaceutical Corporation. In 1998, he was named Executive Vice President of Gundersen Lutheran Health System, a position he held until 2002.

Spending most of his life in health care, Heili didn’t realize that at age 64, the advances that were occurring in this industry would be put to use in a way that would save his life.

Suffering from severe and progressively worsening ­cardiovascular problems, he needed a heart transplant and ­received one on New Year’s Eve 2001.
“There isn’t a day that goes by,” he says, “that I don’t say a prayer for the young man and his family who donated his heart to me and ­allowed me the opportunity to survive.”

That continuing gratitude finds expression and meaning in many ways.
He is active in the La Crosse community, serves on the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation board, and the ­Riverfront, Inc. board, He is also one of only two ­patient ­delegates for the United Network of Organ ­Sharing, a ­non-profit, scientific and educational organization that ­administers the nation’s only organ procurement and ­transplantation ­network established by Congress.

He has been married for 48 years to his wife Barbara. They have three children and seven grandchildren.