Name: Effie Carlson
Age: 38
Title: Executive Vice President of Growth for LogistiCare
Married/Single: Married
Kids: Four (twin boys, 1 boy and 1 girl)
City you live in: Scottsdale
A typical day in my life includes…
being on a plane. I travel a lot for work. When I am home, though, the day starts with family. We have breakfast, make sure the kids get off to school, pick them up and go to extracurricular activities, which can be Boy Scouts, chorus or more. We eat together every night when I’m home. After that, it’s bedtime. Rinse and repeat!
I was born…
in Arizona. I’ve lived half my life in Arizona, and half in Texas.
My favorite thing about Arizona…
I like a lot: weather, but mostly the atmosphere of innovation. It’s an open place – you can be from anywhere and still be part of it. It’s also a young state, and not entrenched in anything yet. The West is a great, big open sky. My family is all there, too – four generations off Hayden Road.
I’m listening to…
I have very eclectic musical taste. It can vary from showtunes to heavy metal. It really depends. Currently I’m listening to a lot of the Hamilton soundtrack. I saw it in Arizona.
My family…
is everything.
If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be…
my husband, because I’m always on the road. He’s the one I want to spend my time with.
One thing I cannot live without…
iced tea. Unsweet, not sweet!
When I was younger, I wanted to be…
a singer, lawyer, or psychologist.
I’m inspired by…
people who are who they are – honesty. There is a bravery in honesty. I’m inspired by that. It might be corny, but I’m also inspired by the founding principles of the United States – individualism and everybody matters. There’s something very inspiring about that. The world can be changed by one person or one idea.
The one person who motivates me is…
myself. I’m very internally motivated.
If I could change anything in the world, it would be…
that people really believe that one idea or one person can drive change, and they let go of the fear of failure to keep them from doing what they know is right. My goal is to get people to realize there are choices. The most dangerous thing is for people to think “that’s the way it’s always been done, so that’s how it has to stay.”
The perfect day would be…
any day you get to do what you want. That’s perfection – doing what you want. That manifests in many ways.
My first job was…
at 13. I was a teacher’s aide in a preschool.
My favorite escape…
is hanging out with my kids. The four walls of my house are my happy place. Surrounding myself with my family when I’m not doing things I have to do is a true escape.
My life…
is very fortunate because I have my family, and I don’t take it for granted. Every day is a reminder that you must be present. I’m fortunate with the people in my life and that I’ve been given opportunities to do things. My parents encouraged us to be honest and brave. I’d also say I am truly lucky and humble. I wake up every day wondering, “how the hell did this happen?” I’ve been married 14 years and have such a great family.
I’m currently working on…
getting settled in my new job and determining how I can best help my team. I’m also finishing up some policies for pediatric long-term care from my prior role.
Always…
funny enough, I use the word “iterate” a lot! But to answer the questions, I always let my husband know when I land.
Never…
jump out of a plane.
Favorite Quote…
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” – Mark Twain
Biggest Dream…
be lucky enough to continue to do what I want and to continue to have the freedom to do it.
My Pet Peeve(s)…
rude people, dishonesty, fake people. Fake nice, people who tell you what you want to hear don’t really work for me. Oh, and people in middle seats on planes that aren’t considerate of personal space.
More about Effie…
Effie is a seasoned executive who brings extensive Medicare and Medicaid healthcare experience to her new role at LogistiCare, the nation’s largest non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) broker. She’s responsible for leading multiple departments, including sales, business development, marketing, government relations and proposals.
Prior to this exciting new role, Effie served as general manager and vice president of payer and government relations for Team Select Home Care, a national home health care agency focused on the needs of Medicare and Medicaid members. She has proven experience working closely with individual states and the federal government to develop innovative home health plan programming, while overseeing regulatory and legislative changes.
Effie also served as head of provider network management at CareCentrix, a Connecticut-based home health benefit management company with a national network of more than 8,000 partners. She worked closely with provider networks across the country in home health, durable medical equipment, and infusion to address complexities surrounding post-acute care. Before that, she served as CEO of Best Practice Management, a healthcare business consulting and management company she founded.
Outside of work, Effie is a former candidate for the Arizona House of Representatives and received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Arizona State University. In addition to raising her family, Effie has served as secretary to the Church Council of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, the Committee Chair for Cub Scout Pack 441 at Kiva Elementary School and the Fundraising Committee Chair for Kiva PTO. Effie is also a website designer, providing pro-bono work for non-profits such as Glendale Stand-Up for Veterans Event 2013 and her church.
