Meet the Leavitt Center team.
Our team has decades of experience in the private sector and government.
Mike Leavitt
Michael O. Leavitt is the founder of Leavitt Partners, where he helps clients navigate the future as they transition to new and better models of care. In previous roles, Mike served in the Cabinet of President George W. Bush (as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Secretary of Health and Human Services) and as a three-time governor of Utah.
Mike grew up in Cedar City, Utah, where his upbringing was rooted in the values of the American West, with its emphasis on hard work and common sense. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business while working in the insurance industry. In 1984, he became chief executive of The Leavitt Group, a family business that is now the nation’s second-largest privately-held insurance brokerage.
In 1993, Mike was elected governor of Utah. He served three terms (1993-2003). In 2003, he joined the Cabinet of President George W. Bush, serving in two positions: first as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (2003-2005) and then as secretary of Health and Human Services (2005-2009). At HHS, he managed a $750 billion budget — nearly 25 percent of the entire federal budget — and 67,000 employees.
He led the implementation of the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program. The task required the design, systematization, and implementation of a plan to provide 43 million seniors with a new prescription drug benefit. By the end of the first year, enrollments exceeded projections, prices were lower than projected, and seniors expressed high levels of satisfaction.
Mike’s strategic ability can be seen in his redesign of the nation’s system of quality and safety standards for imported goods. In the spring of 2006, President Bush assigned him to lead a government-wide response. Within months, he spearheaded a major strategic shift in U.S. policy on import regulation and trade.
A pattern of innovation runs throughout Mike’s career. When he was elected governor, Utah’s major freeway system was dangerously inadequate. Taking what some thought was a significant political and financial risk, Mike instigated a design-build system, creating cost and quality incentives between the state and its contractors. The project was finished in half the originally projected time and well under budget.
Mike is, at heart, an entrepreneur. As governor, he organized a group of his colleagues to form Western Governors University. At WGU, degrees are earned based on competency rather than credit hours. WGU now has more than 60,000 students who reside in each of the 50 states and several foreign countries. Enrollment is growing at 35 percent a year. In November 2008, TIME magazine named WGU “the best relatively cheap university you’ve never heard of.”
Collaborator is a word that comes up repeatedly when one examines Mike’s background. His skill led his colleague governors to elect him as chairman of the National Governors Association, the Republican Governors Association and Western Governors’ Association. His book—Finding Allies, Building Alliances—was released in September 2013 by Jossey-Bass Publishers and chronicles his expertise and passion for collaboration.
Mike is a seasoned diplomat, leading U.S. delegations to more than 50 countries. He has conducted negotiations on matters related to health, the environment, and trade. At the conclusion of his service, the Chinese government awarded him the China Public Health Award – the first time this award has ever been given to a foreign government official.
Clay Alspach
Clay Alspach specializes in healthcare policy and advocacy related to the FDA, digital health, public health, pandemic preparedness, Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance. Prior to joining Leavitt Partners, Clay served as Chief Health Counsel for Chairman Fred Upton of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.
Ralph Hall
Ralph Hall is a senior advisor who provides consulting services to clients in the areas of FDA statutes and regulations, regulatory strategy and compliance, as well as healthcare policy and legislation, and particularly the application of those regulatory systems to emerging technologies, medical devices, diagnostics and the pharmaceutical industry. Ralph has extensive industry experience as he has previously served as counsel at Faegre Baker Daniels, general counsel for Guidant CRM and chief compliance officer for Guidant, and held several roles in the legal department at Eli Lilly. As one of the nation’s foremost experts in his field, Ralph also served as Professor of Practice at the University of Minnesota Law School and Carlson School of Management and now is a Lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School, where he teaches FDA law.
Ryan Howells
Ryan Howells’ expertise focuses on the intersection of digital health, interoperability, business strategy, and healthcare policy. He currently helps lead the CARIN Alliance, a multi-sector, public-private alliance focused on providing consumers with digital access to their health information. Ryan is a member of the CMS Medicaid Information Technology Architecture (MITA) Governance Board, Carequality Steering Committee, ONC’s FAST Identity Tiger Team, and the VCI.org SMART Health Cards Steering Committee. He also serves as a board member or observer for multiple healthcare companies. Prior to Leavitt Partners, Ryan served in multiple executive roles for healthcare technology organizations, consulting organizations, and health plans.
David Lee
David Lee provides policy counsel and analysis to clients on issues related to government payers, including Medicare and Medicaid, healthcare reform, health IT, and other provider issues. Prior to joining Leavitt Partners, David served as director of regulatory affairs and policy for the National Rural Health Association where he directed advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and with administrative agencies on issues related to rural healthcare. Before working at NRHA, David served on the staff of Senator Robert F. Bennett.
Eric Marshall
As a regulatory expert, Eric Marshall provides consulting services to drug and device companies and other healthcare stakeholders, and leads the firm’s alliance practice, advising and managing complex healthcare coalitions on health policy initiatives and helping them achieve meaningful public policy results. A seasoned facilitator, Eric is expert at structuring complex issues for discussion and facilitating stakeholder discussion to develop consensus solutions and actionable outcomes. Eric is an industry specialist in the areas of domestic and international supply chain security; drug, device, and diagnostics regulation; and health care compliance. Prior to joining Leavitt Partners, Eric practiced law, counseling health care and life science clients on regulatory, compliance, and transactional matters.
Anne Marie Lauterbach
Anne Marie Lauterbach provides policy counsel and analysis to clients on coverage and reimbursement issues, including regulations, legislation, and business implications. Anne Marie’s experience includes developing strategic messages and policy positions for Capitol Hill, administration, trade associations, and corporate audiences. Prior to joining Leavitt Partners, Anne Marie was a vice president for Faegre BD Consulting in the firm’s health and biosciences group.
Amy Comstock Rick
Amy Comstock Rick has over 30 years of experience leading organizations, executing strategy, transforming organizational culture, building consensus, and advocating policies across constituencies. In her role as principal at Leavitt Partners, an HMA Company, she leads the Medicines Development Modernization Initiative and advises on federal health care policy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), drug development and research educational convenings, and patient engagement initiatives.
Sara Singleton
Sara Singleton acts as an advisor to the National Alliance to Impact the Social Determinants of Health (NASDOH), in addition to advising clients throughout the healthcare sector on federal healthcare policy issues including research and drug development, public health, and the Affordable Care Act. Prior to joining Leavitt Partners, Sara was a Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; the deputy assistant secretary for legislation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; policy advisor with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee under Chairman Tom Harkin; and a legislative assistant for Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard Durbin.
Bill Snyder
Bill Snyder’s experience spans private and government health plans, property-casualty insurance, and life insurance. Before joining Leavitt Partners, Bill served as Medicaid Director for the State of South Dakota from 2017-2021, where he led a team responsible for ensuring vulnerable people have access to medications and medical, dental, and long-term care. He also helped to expand value-based purchasing through initiatives like quality incentives and Health Homes and ensured compliance with CMS and other state and federal regulations.
Josh Trent
Josh Trent develops and manages complex, multi-sector alliances and advises clients throughout the healthcare sector on federal healthcare policy and strategy. Josh specializes in healthcare coverage and delivery system policy issues related to Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Affordable Care Act, private health insurance, and the 340B program. In Congress he also worked on FDA and public health issues. Josh previously served as chief health counsel for the Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, health policy advisor to a U.S. Senator, deputy director in the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement, and deputy associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.
Vince Ventimiglia
Vince Ventimiglia leads the Leavitt Partners D.C. office, including the firm’s alliances and federal advocacy work. With over 35 years of administration, congressional, and health policy experience, Vince plays an integral role in facilitating relationships with congressional and executive branch offices and providing in-depth analysis of federal government action. He also leads complex, multi-disciplinary collaborations among multi-sector healthcare organizations seeking to implement significant healthcare policy initiatives.
In previous roles, Vince was assistant secretary for legislation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Vince also served for a dozen years in leadership roles with the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Senate Budget Committee. Key policy areas include negotiating or drafting many of the FDA User Fee and other FDCA statutory changes, biodefense and pandemic preparedness initiatives, and Medicare regulatory initiatives. He serves on the boards of a number of not-for-profit and public health organizations.
Elizabeth Wroe
Liz Wroe advises clients on results-driven strategies to navigate and impact federal policymaking. These strategies include policy development and drafting, direct advocacy, and building and managing complex, multi-sector alliances. Liz has extensive subject matter expertise in federal legislative, budget, and appropriations processes as well as commercial insurance, employer-sponsored healthcare, medical product regulation, biodefense, and other health and fiscal policy challenges. Prior to joining Leavitt Partners, Liz served as Chief Counsel and Director of Outreach and Coalitions for Chairman Lamar Alexander of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labors, and Pensions (HELP), and Health Policy Director for Ranking Member Judd Gregg on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee. In the private sector, Liz has led several successful muti-sector alliance and advocacy strategies that have resulted in significant policy changes.