Built by Operators. Focused on Founders.
We’ve sat in your seat—and we bring that perspective to every deal we lead.
Meet the Team
FOUNDER & CEO - Athena Management | PRESIDENT - Athena M&A
As Co-Founder of LifeShare, a multi-state human services and healthcare organization, Rachel has a unique background of over 20 years of successful operational experience, and over 7 years of M&A, in addition to an MBA in Healthcare Management and M&A certifications of: CM&AA, IM&A and M&AP.
Rachel Boynton, MBA, CM&AA
Managing Director
Alison brings over 15 years in the health care services field to Athena Strategy Group. As a Managing Director, Alison leverages a unique "founder-to-exit" perspective, having recently navigated the successful sale of her own health care services practice.
For over eight years, Alison served as the founder and operator of a Virginia-based health care services company, managing every aspect of the business from clinical excellence to operational scaling. This firsthand experience of building a company from the ground up to a successful acquisition allows Alison to provide unparalleled guidance to other owner-operators looking to make an exit that feels right for their legacy and their team.
Her mission at Athena is to help clinical founders bridge the gap between high-quality client care and strategic business transitions, ensuring that the next chapter for their company is successful.
Alison Pompora, BCBA
Barbara Swartos, BSN, RN, MBA, CCM
Managing Director
Barbara Swartos, BSN, RN, MBA, CCM, is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 20 years of progressive leadership in managed care, population health, clinical operations, and strategic transformation. She excels in driving operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, quality improvement (HEDIS, NCQA, STAR ratings), cross-functional team development, and enterprise-level program integration.
In executive roles within Centene, she designed PMO frameworks, led medical-management integrations for acquired plans, built talent pipelines through succession planning, and elevated operational efficiency by 125% while achieving 100% regulatory compliance. She insourced large-scale operations (285 FTEs), developed data-driven strategies for inexperienced teams ("Brilliant at the Basics"), and advanced quality and engagement metrics, including top employee engagement scores (89%) and significant Star rating improvements.
At Accenture as Consulting Senior Manager, Care Innovation (2021–2025), she led GenAI and data-driven initiatives for clinical process redesign and digital operating model transformations. A licensed RN in California and Colorado, Board Certified Case Manager, and founder of Barbara Swartos Consulting, LLC and Choice CPR Training & First Aid, Barbara brings strategic vision, P&L discipline, clinical expertise, and proven team-building to advance quality outcomes, resident care, and sustainable growth at Athena MA.
Dwayne Dabbs, MBA
Partner
Dwayne has deep operational experience across Medicaid and complex populations, having led multimillion-dollar initiatives, health plan launches, and value-based care transformations. With an MBA in Finance, his hands-on leadership style delivers measurable results with a lasting impact.
Mendy Pridemore, BSN, RN, MHP, PAHM, PHIAS
Managing Director
Mendy is a seasoned healthcare executive with 30+ years of progressive leadership across clinical operations, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and healthcare education. She is recognized for building enterprise-wide systems that elevate organizational performance, ensure accreditation readiness, and drive measurable improvements in patient outcomes. Her proven ability to lead high-performing teams, streamline complex workflows, and guide large-scale transformation across managed care, provider networks, and public health systems. Mendy is known as a strategic thinker, trusted advisor, and change agent-bringing deep clinical expertise and a global perspective to every challenge.
Darlene Nelson,
Managing Director
Darlene Nelson is a strategy and business development professional with more than 13 years of experience turning complex challenges into winning outcomes for organizations across government contracting, nonprofit leadership, and enterprise technology. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Ohio Dominican University and the CF APMP certification in proposal management—a credential that reflects her deep expertise in competitive, high-stakes proposal environments. Most recently, she led proposal efforts tied to large-scale Medicaid contracts exceeding $6 billion. Previously, she has managed multidisciplinary teams, maintained compliance with rigorous regulatory requirements, and delivered documentation under her leadership.
Earlier in her career, Darlene served as an executive leader in the nonprofit sector, where she oversaw three enterprise-wide technology implementations—including a Salesforce CRM deployment for more than 200 users that remains in active use today. She is skilled at building functions from the ground up, guiding cross-functional teams through change, and translating operational data into clear narratives that resonate with executives and decision-makers alike. Currently pursuing her PMP certification, she is also enrolled in the University of Dayton’s Women LEAD program and recently served on the Dayton Art Institute Associate Board of Directors.
