Vermont Business Magazine One of the most influential members of the state Senate will now lead one of the state's most complex and important regulatory bodies. Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Kevin Mullin as chair of the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB). The Board is responsible for regulation, innovation and evaluation within Vermont’s healthcare system, with a mission to reduce the rate of healthcare cost growth while ensuring high-quality, accessible care for Vermonters. Scott also named Maureen Usifer as a board member. The five-member Board was down to three members. The appointments begin immediately.
“Healthcare makes up approximately 20 percent of our economy, so it is critical to have strong, experienced leaders on this Board,” Scott said in a Thursday morning press release. “Kevin is a proven leader with decades of business, management and public service experience, which he will bring to bear in this important leadership role. And, as an experienced chief financial officer and board director for respected companies, Maureen’s expertise in finance, management and oversight will be incredibly valuable to the Board and Vermonters.”
Mullin, who is filling a position vacated by Al Gobeille when he was appointed Vermont Secretary of Human Services, is a small-business owner and currently serves as a Vermont State Senator. The Republican leader is a 19-year veteran of the Vermont Legislature, including four years in the House and 15 in the Senate. During that time, Mullin served on multiple committees, including chair of Economic Development and as a member of the Education Committee. He has also been a member of numerous government and civic boards and committees, including the Green Mountain Care Board Nominating Committee, the National Legislative Association on Fair Prescription Drug Pricing, and the Vermont Health Care Reform Commission.
“I’m honored to receive this appointment, and for the opportunity to play a role in Governor Scott’s efforts to grow the economy, make Vermont more affordable, and protect the most vulnerable. The mission of this Board touches upon each of these goals. I look forward to working with the stakeholders across the healthcare system to ensure we are continuously working to improve upon the quality and accessibility of healthcare for Vermonters while at the same time seeking to contain costs,” said Mullin.
A sidebar to this appointment is that while the Legislature is officially adjourned, the governor is expected to veto both the budget and tax bills over his proposal to roll the teacher health insurance plan into a state plan. The teachers and Democratic legislators have balked at the plan, which would remove health insurance negotiations from local collective bargaining.
If the governor does veto the bills, or if a compromise is found and the bills need to be amended, the Legislature would return June 21. Mullin would have been expected to vote with the governor to sustain that veto. At this moment, it's unclear whether the governor could fill that Senate seat before June 21. It may not matter in any case, as the Senate is heavily Democratic and the House is where the governor is likely to have his veto sustained.
Usifer has more than 30 years of financial management and leadership experience, including most recently as Chief Financial Officer for Burlington-based Seventh Generation, Inc, overseeing finance, accounting, information technology, legal, and risk management. She currently serves on the Board of Directors and is Chairman of the Audit Committee at BlackRock Capital Investment Corporation, a business development company with $1.5 billion under management.
Usifer also serves on boards and committees in Vermont, including with the Green Mountain Higher Education Consortium, and Saint Michael’s College where she is a trustee and on the Operations and Audit Committee.
“I am excited by the opportunity to serve Vermonters and work with my fellow board members to ensure Vermont continues to lead on access to healthcare, while ensuring the system is affordable for the state and all Vermonters,” said Usifer.
Mullin, 58, is a graduate of Castleton University and a resident of Rutland. Usifer, 57, holds a BA from St. Michael’s College and an M.B.A from Clarkson University and resides in Colchester. Both appointments are effective May 24.
The other three GMCB members areCorneliusHogan, formerSecretary of the Agency of Human Services for the State of Vermont under both the Snelling and Dean administrations;JessicaHolmes,a Professor of Economics and the Director of MiddCORE at Middlebury College; andRobin JLunge, JD, who served for almost six years as the State’s Director of Health Care Reform in Governor Peter Shumlin’s administration.
Source: Governor 5.24.2017