Beth Leonard to join Kaiser Permanente as SVP and chief public affairs officer

Leonard brings more than two decades of public affairs and health care industry experience to this role. Most recently, she served as chief corporate affairs officer for Walgreens Boots Alliance, where she led a team responsible for managing all internal and external relationships, including media relations, digital and social media, executive thought leadership, government affairs, policy, community engagement, partnerships, and events. Prior to that role, Leonard was chief corporate affairs officer at EmblemHealth, a New York not-for-profit health plan and provider organization serving more than three million members. She also served as executive vice president of public affairs and strategic initiatives for AHIP (formerly America's Health Insurance Plans), and earlier worked on multiple presidential, congressional, gubernatorial, and mayoral campaigns.

Leonard holds a master's degree in political management from The George Washington University and a bachelor's degree in developmental psychology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.