Jennifer Velez, a leading health care executive in the state for more than a decade, has been named general counsel of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the insurer announced Friday morning.
Velez will assume the role Jan. 3. She succeeds Linda Willett, who is retiring from Horizon at the end of 2021 after 12 years with the company.
Velez joins Horizon from Shatterproof, a national nonprofit working to transform addiction treatment by ending stigma and creating change, but it is her previous roles that put her in the health care spotlight in the state, as she had senior positions at RWJBarnabas Health, where she was a vice president of community health for more than five years, and the state of New Jersey, where she served as the Human Services commissioner for eight years under two governors.
“As a lifelong New Jerseyan, I am excited to join a company that has put the health and wellbeing of its members first for nearly 90 years,” Velez said. “Horizon is New Jersey’s health solutions leader, and no other entity has done more to bring together diverse stakeholders to create solutions to some of health care’s greatest challenges.”
Horizon CEO Gary St. Hilaire, who also announced that Uli Diaz has been promoted to senior leadership, said the two will have impact moving forward.
“These two talented leaders join a team focused on making health care more affordable and convenient for our 3.7 million members,” St. Hilaire said. “Jen has devoted much of her professional career to improving the health and quality of life of all New Jerseyans, especially for those who have struggled to overcome health disparities. Uli has given our members a strong voice at the table when decisions affecting their health care are being made in Trenton and Washington, D.C.
“They bring deep experience and proven records of collaborating with other stakeholders to improve New Jersey’s health care system, and I am looking forward to having them join our senior leadership team.”
Velez is the state’s longest-serving Human Services commissioner. She started the role in 2007, appointed by Gov. Jon Corzine. In that role, she managed the largest state agency, with budget, personnel and operational responsibility for nearly $11 billion.
In 2015, she joined RWJBarnabas Health as senior vice president of strategy and planning. During her tenure, she introduced the community health worker model to address social determinants of health and collaborated with Horizon on program that has since become New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive social determinants of health program — Horizon Neighbors in Health.
Velez, who will assume a senior vice president title at Horizon, also served in the Office of Governor’s Counsel under the Christie Whitman, Donald DiFrancesco and Jim McGreevey administrations.
She joins Horizon from Shatterproof, where she focused on ensuring that every person with a substance use disorder has access to evidence-based treatment, as the nonprofit’s chief impact officer.
