Research Foundation Appoints Former Government/Industry Leader to Board
Rich McKeown
The Utah State University Research Foundation has appointed health care and former government executive Rich McKeown to its Board of Trustees.
McKeown currently serves as the CEO of Leavitt Partners, a leading health care intelligence business. Based in Salt Lake City with offices in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Leavitt Partners was founded by McKeown and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator and Utah Governor Michael O. Leavitt. McKeown leads a group of experienced professionals who help their clients understand and navigate value-driven health care.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Rich as our most recent addition to the Research Foundation board of trustees, and I am confident that his unique experience in both industry and government well help to shape the strategic direction of the organization as it continues to grow,” said Jeff Edwards, chairman of the USU Research Foundation. “Rich has had continued success by instilling innovation as an organizational value and combines both government and private sector acumen.”
In previous roles McKeown served as chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. At HHS, he directed and coordinated the activities of the largest department in the federal government, serving as the secretary’s day-to-day manager for a department that employed 67,000 people and had an annual budget in excess of $840 billion. From November 2003 until January 2005, McKeown served as senior counselor and chief of staff at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Prior to his public service in Washington, D.C., McKeown served as chief of staff to Gov. Leavitt and as commissioner of the Utah State Tax Commission.
“The addition of Rich to the Research Foundation board of trustees will enable us to benefit from his recognized expertise in building alliances across disciplines,” said H. Scott Hinton, president of the USU Research Foundation. “Coupled with his technical expertise, Rich promotes high standards for integrity while encouraging long-term value creation that will help fortify our business.”
McKeown co-authored with Leavitt the recently released and highly acclaimed book Finding Allies, Building Alliances — 8 Elements that Bring and Keep People.
The Utah State University Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization owned by Utah State University. The Research Foundation creates and implements advanced technological solutions that benefit society. The Space Dynamics Laboratory is the USU Research Foundation’s major business unit and supports SDL’s mission to advance scientific and defense objectives by researching, developing and characterizing sensor, electronic and software systems; providing program lifecycle support; and enhancing the education and development of scientists and engineers.
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Contact: Eric Warren, Utah State University Research Foundation, (435) 881-8439, eric.warren@usurf.usu.edu
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