Two Delta Dental of Iowa senior vice presidents have been tapped as interim co-CEOs, the company announced.

The move was made to fill the vacancy created when former president and CEO Jeff Russell resigned to take a similar position with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska.

April Schmaltz, senior vice president of sales and marketing, and Todd Herren, senior vice president of technology and operations, will be Delta Dental of Iowa’s interim co-CEOs.

“Together, April and Todd have led the company’s strategic priorities and they will continue to build on this success,” Ed Brown, Delta Dental of Iowa’s board chair, said in a prepared statement.

Schmaltz has been with Delta Dental of Iowa since 2014 overseeing sales, marketing and product. Herren has overseen Delta Dental’s technology and operations since 2015. In 2020, both were promoted to senior vice presidents.

The Delta Dental board previously announced that it had formed a search committee to lead the effort to select a new president and CEO.

Delta Dental of Iowa, a not-for-profit health and wellness company, provides dental and vision benefits to more than 1.6 million Iowans.