Media + Government Relations

Before relocating to Napa, I served as the Chief of Strategic Operations for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS), the largest state agency in Iowa with a more than $12 billion dollar budget. In that role, I served as the Administrator for the Division of Strategic Operations, which included media relations, operational communications, government relations, performance and transformation, refugee services and the office of health equity. I also led our Department's strategic planning efforts, stakeholder engagement and employee engagement. This division provided support to the other nine divisions of the department. I also served in a chief of staff role supervising the director's administrative support team.

My team and I worked closely with the Governor's Office, legislators, stakeholders and the other Iowa HHS division administrators to coordinate and implement key initiatives. Initiatives included efforts focused on federal Family First implementation, system improvements for long-term services and supports (LTSS), Iowa HHS alignment, addressing the findings of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into two of our state-operated facilities, mental health system redesign and helping to lead our state's COVID-19 response efforts.

Due to Iowa HHS' size and scope of programs, I was in constant engagement with media on a broad range of issues. Iowa HHS administers a variety of social welfare and safety net programs, including Medicaid, Public Health, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), child protective services, child welfare, child care assistance, foster and adoption, mental health and disability services, refugee services and child support. In my role I built the Bureau of Communications from scratch, led an overhaul of our approach to communications, including increased transparency, proactive messaging, multiple website redesigns, and also worked to make our communications more accessible and inclusive.

In my role I regularly managed media relations dealing with high-profile and hot-button subjects, often simultaneously. Because of the nature of my work, I frequently dealt with very sensitive, confidential information. In this capacity, I worked very closely with the Director and was in constant communication with the Governor's Office and legal counsel. I began this role while the Department was embroiled in multiple controversies, including significant disruptions to the Medicaid program and high profile child deaths. My work in public relations crisis management continued with the very public departure of the agency director, which made international news.

Other critical communications efforts included the merging of the Department of Public Health and the Department of Human Services during the pandemic, managing communications of a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into two of HHS' state-operated facilities, the rebranding of the agency, a complete website redesign and I played a critical role in helping to lead our state's COVID-19 response.

It was an incredibly busy and transformative time at Iowa HHS. I served with the agency for more than eight years. In that time I helped address many challenges and took on expanded roles with significant and successive promotions. I had the opportunity to overhaul their communications strategy to rebuild trust, to transform the agency and to address significant systemic challenges.

In the Media

Press clippings and screenshots from coverage are collected on this page.