Robert Gordon serves as the director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, where he oversees Medicaid programs, Children’s Protective Services, food assistance, public health and many other statewide health and human services programs. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed him to the position effective Jan. 14, 2019.
Director Gordon has a distinguished career in public service. Most recently, he served as senior vice president of finance and global strategy for the non-profit College Board. Prior to joining the College Board, Director Gordon served in the U.S. Department of Education as acting assistant secretary at the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. He spent four years at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, including service as acting deputy director. He has been described as the quarterback for President Barack Obama administration’s evidence-based policymaking initiatives, which closely tied program funding to quality evaluation. In his time at OMB, Gordon also led design of innovative initiatives in maternal and infant home visiting, early childhood development, and child welfare. He had direct responsibility for overseeing the Administration for Children and Families and Administration on Aging at the Department of Health and Human Services, food and nutrition programs at the Department of Agriculture, and the Social Security Administration.
Director Gordon earned his bachelor’s degree at Harvard University and his J.D. from Yale University.
Jan 13 2021 Innovation Accessing the Safety Net in the United States: Lessons from Covid-19, Looking Toward the Future The social safety net is only effective if people can access it easily and when they need it. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, an estimated $65 billion in safety net benefits went unused by families each year that needed them in the United States. Covid-19 and its resulting disruptions have tested the capacity of states […]