Gov. Mike Leavitt
Speaker
Michael Okerlund Leavitt (born February 11, 1951) is an American politician who served as the 14th Governor of Utah from 1993 to 2003 in the Republican Party, as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2003 to 2005 and as Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2005 to 2009. Leavitt started his career in 1972 and worked in the insurance and risk management industry until 1992. From 1984 until 1992, he was the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Leavitt Group. While Governor, Leavitt led the Republican Governors Association from 1994 to 1995, the Western Governors Association from 1995 to 1996, the Council of State Governments from 1996 to 1997, and the National Governors Association from 1999 to 2000. During his tenure as a Governor of Utah, Leavitt founded Western Governors University, led the state’s preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah, was a leader in the implementation of a modernized system of sales tax on e-commerce throughout the United States, negotiated the largest land exchanges between a state and the federal government, initiated an engineering education initiative, worked on the devolution of welfare to the states, established the Utah Centennial Highway Fund which featured design build highway construction, and charter schools in Utah. During his tenure as a Secretary of Health and Human Services, he implemented the Part D of Medicare, which is the prescription drug coverage, developed the National Pandemic Plan, promoted value-based health care, mitigated the effects of Hurricane Katrina, opened FDA offices in China, India, South America, and reauthorized SCHIP and TANF. Leavitt now works as a health care advisor, investor, and independent corporate director. In August 2021, he became president of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.