Marci Nielsen, PhD, MPH
Chief Advisor or COVID-19 Coordination, Office of Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
Dr. Nielsen oversees the coordination of the overall COVID-19 response for the State of Kansas on behalf of Governor Kelly, managing the intersection of policy, communications, and federal funding support to mitigate the effects of the virus. She also serves in an advisory role for GEHA, the second largest health benefits program in the United States and a provider of health/dental benefits for more than two million employees/retirees. She co-founded CVKey Project, a technology non-profit whose mission is to help communities reopen responsibly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before this she helped advance the goals of high-performing primary care as CEO of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, and she also served as vice chancellor for public affairs at the KU School of Medicine’s Department of Health Policy and Management. Dr. Nielsen worked as legislative assistant to Sen. Bob Kerrey, and as the health lobbyist/assistant director of legislation for the AFL-CIO; and served six years in the U.S. Army Reserves.