commencement
Herb K. Schultz
Senior Health Policy Advisor
Office of the Governor
Herb K. Schultz, Senior Health Policy Advisor to Gov. Schwarzenegger, is scheduled
to be the keynote speaker at the College of Pharmacy's commencement ceremony on
Thursday, May 15, at 2:00 p.m. at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
Herb Schultz has had a unique and successful career in health care policy, government affairs, operations and politics, straddling the public, private and non-profit sectors. Highlights of Schultz’s career are below.
Public Sector:
Schultz is currently the Senior Health Policy Advisor to the Governor,
appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2006. In this
role, he serves as the principal advisor to the Governor on health care
reform, working very closely and directly with the Governor across the State
of California to achieve his goal of universal health care for all Californians.
As a part of leading the Governor’s efforts, Schultz was one of the chief
architects of the Governor’s proposal. He has worked throughout the past
18 months on this effort with hundreds of health care stakeholders, including
representatives of business, labor, consumer, insurer and provider
organizations as well as members of the State Legislature and media.
Schultz previously was Acting Director of the California Employment
Development Department in the first year of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s
Administration (2004). Prior to this Administration, he served in the
Administration of former Gov. Gray Davis (2000-2003). Schultz
served as a member of Gov. Davis’ Cabinet as Acting Secretary for the
Labor and Workforce Development Agency. He was appointed
Undersecretary before his Cabinet-level appointment, and remained in both
roles until the end of the Davis Administration. Prior to that, he was
appointed by Gov. Davis to be the Deputy Director of External Affairs
for the then new Department of Managed Health Care, which included
serving as Director of the Advisory Committee on Managed Health Care.
Private Sector:
Schultz served as Vice President of Government Programs for McKesson
Health Solutions, where he was responsible for government affairs, policy,
and administrative operations for the company’s disease management and
nurse advice programs for Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries (2005-
2006).
Schultz spent ten years in the managed health care industry, spending
several years with the then American Association of Health Plans. His role
as Vice President of State affairs put him on the leading edge of health care
debates at the state government level at a time of substantial controversy and
differences of opinion regarding state regulation of managed health care
plans, post the unsuccessful federal health care reform proposals in 1993-94.
Prior to tackling state health care policy, Schultz concentrated on federal
government affairs issues for FHP (now United/PacifiCare) and Principal
Health Care (now Coventry).
Non-Profit:
Schultz served as Director of Government Affairs for AIDS Project Los
Angeles, the second largest AIDS Service Organization in the United States.
In this role, he was responsible for federal, state, and local policy
development and advocacy. During his tenure, Schultz also served as cochair
of AIDS Action Council’s Policy Committee, playing a leading role in
the development of the national HIV/AIDS Community’s position on the
ultimately successful reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act (1998-
2000).
Education:
Schultz went to college and graduate school in Washington, DC, having
received his Undergraduate Degree in Political Science and International
Studies from The American University (1984) and has a Masters Degree in
Public Policy from Georgetown University (1991).