Matt, after a year as UHPP’s Medicaid Policy Director, became  Executive Director in September 2013. Matt’s unique background includes growing up on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana, working in Washington, D.C. and New York City, and marrying a Spaniard! Educated at the University of Montana, Matt took an early interest in policy and government, first studying political science and economics, then going on to complete a law degree. Shortly after law school, Matt joined Governor Brian Schweitzer’s budget team in Helena, MT working as an economist and tax policy analyst. Washington, D.C. was the next career stop when Matt began work for Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus. While serving as a nonprofits policy adviser and outreach coordinator, Matt had the opportunity to work on two pieces of landmark legislation: The Affordable Care Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Matt went from political staffer to community advocate upon taking a position in New York City at Care for the Homeless. At Care for the Homeless, he helped coordinate a coalition of providers of health care for the homeless in dealing with vast changes to state Medicaid policy. In Utah, Matt was a founding organizer of the successful Proposition 3 campaign to expand Medicaid and improve health care in the state. He has been quoted extensively in national and local press as a go-to thought leader on health care (including, but not limited to, the Salt Lake Tribune, NPR Utah, Deseret News, KSL News, New York Times, the New Yorker, Bloomberg News, Huffington Post, and Politico). When he isn’t taking orders from his two little girls, Matt continues to work hard with his team and community partners to develop strategies that strengthen Utah’s health care system.

Email: matt@healthpolicyproject.org

DeLacy Healey, Operations and Finance  Director

Before joining UHPP in 2021 as the Operations and Finance Director, DeLacy was the office manager for the School and Institutional Trust Funds Office for the state of Utah where they managed $3.2 billion for SITLA. Her nonprofit experience spans the globe- she was the Finance Manager for Allies with Families, managing a budget of $3 million in local, state, and federal grant funding. She also worked with the Human Outreach Project internationally as their Operations Manager, with an emphasis on humanitarian projects, for MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Moran Eye Center, and more. Before that, DeLacy worked in nonprofit Administration, Operations, Finance, Development, and HR for the Florida Bar Foundation, The Mustard Seed of Central Florida, multiple hotel agencies, and the Sundance Film Festival. DeLacy received her honors AA in Public Relations/Organizational Communication after which she was a research scholar at the University of Central Florida in English and Biology studies. She is a published author in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. She loves her son and pets, has a passion for travel, wildlife, the great outdoors, giving back to the world around her, and exploring on her own at every chance she gets. She loves the peaks of the world, the depths of the ocean, cultures, and long road trips. DeLacy is also a champion for those with mental disabilities and firmly believes that you can be anything you want to be while still working within the parameters of what you have been given. She greatly enjoys making Utah a more equitable place each day at UHPP and hopes to expand its reach to all residents of her home state.

Email: delacy@healthpolicyproject.org

Ryan Jackson, Take Care Utah Director

Ryan trained as a physician and then focused on disaster management, humanitarian projects, and medical education overseas for most of his career. After working in Haiti, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, he returned to his hometown in Wyoming in 2019 to help his family. During his time in Wyoming, he was an active advocate for improving access to healthcare as a member of the Governor’s Healthcare Task Force, CEO of a nonprofit, and a board member of several other organizations. He has recently moved to Utah to be closer to his family and start a new chapter in his adventures working to help improve the quality of life and restoring hope whenever possible.

Email: ryan@healthpolicyproject.org

Daniel Sloan, Health Policy Analyst

Daniel joined UHPP as a health policy analyst in April 2022. Daniel graduated from BYU in 2021 with a Master of Public Administration degree, focusing on health policy and state/federal government. He also received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Utah. Before UHPP, Daniel worked for Leavitt Partners and interned with organizations including the Utah Insurance Department, where he researched and wrote a report on insulin affordability for the Legislature; the Utah Attorney General’s Office; and the U.S. Supreme Court. Daniel was born and raised in Salt Lake City and enjoys reading and spending time outdoors.

Email: daniel@healthpolicyproject.org

Emily Zheutlin, Health Policy Analyst

Emily joined UHPP in August of 2022. Emily graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s of Science and a Master’s of Science, focusing on Public Heatlh. Her master’s thesis focused on the environmental impacts on women’s health.  Before UHPP Emily worked on a clinical trial at the University of Utah. Emily enjoys playing board games, hiking, skiing, and pretty much anything outdoors.

Email: emily@healthpolicyproject.org

Luis Rios, Take Care Utah Manager – Affordable Care Act

Luis Rios is a Health Access Assister, where he helps individuals and families sign up for health insurance. He first came to UHPP through AmeriCorps in 2013, where he focused on lowering the uninsured rate for Utah children by enrolling them in Medicaid and CHIP as part of United Way of Salt Lake’s Promise Neighborhood program. After his one-year term with AmeriCorps, Luis joined the enrollment team at UHPP as a Health Access Assister for Take Care Utah. Luis is one of the most experienced assisters in the state, where he primarily serves Utah’s Hispanic community, while also assisting individuals leaving the criminal justice system. As Lead Broker, Luis oversees UHPP’s Marketplace enrollment efforts. He and his wife live in Tooele with their three daughters and their dog.

Email: luis@healthpolicyproject.org

Julie Contreras, Take Care Utah Manager

Julie was born in Chicago, IL, grew up most of her life in Mexico City and for the last 15 years she’s resided in Utah. She has an associate degree in general education from Salt Lake Community College. She started at UHPP through AmeriCorps in 2014 as a Certified Application Counselor. Because of her desire to empower and inform communities about health issues, she decided to join the UHPP team as a Navigator in 2015 to help and guide the underserved through the lengthy and sometimes complicated process of health insurance enrollment. She is part of a program called Bringing Communities and Clinics Together, this program oversees the low rate of the insurance population in South Salt Lake and Glendale areas. Julie and her four children live in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Email: julie@healthpolicyproject.org

Daryl Herrschaft, Take Care Utah Manager

Daryl joined UHPP in 2019 to help underserved populations in Utah secure health insurance coverage. He was previously an HIV Prevention Counselor at the Utah AIDS Foundation. Daryl is a native of Philadelphia and spent 22 years working in for non-profit organizations in Washington, DC. Including 13 years at the Human Rights Campaign. Prior to moving to Utah, he worked as a Disaster Corps member for Habitat for Humanity aiding in Hurricane Sandy recovery on the Jersey Shore. Daryl enjoys gardening, cooking, bicycling and restoring old homes.

Email: daryl@healthpolicyproject.org

Peyton Thomas, Take Care Utah Manager

Peyton recently joined the UHPP team as a Health Access Assister. She was born in California and raised in Maui, Hawaii. She moved to Salt Lake City in 2017 to attend the University of Utah where she recently graduated with a BS in Health, Society, & Policy and a minor in Sociology. Prior to starting her role at UHPP, she worked at Utah’s State Botanical Garden and Arboretum, Red Butte Garden, for over three years. During the Spring of 2021, she also interned at the United Way of Salt Lake with the Collective Impact team on their Stay Safe, Stay Connected project which sought to reengage students in schools during COVID-19. Both organizations’ involvement in the community inspired her to seek out a job that would help her stay connected with the community of Salt Lake and, hopefully, make a difference. In her free time, she enjoys cooking at home and spending time in local parks and gardens.

Email: peyton@healthpolicyproject.org

Leigh Cottle, Operations Coordinator

Leigh has been with UHPP since May of 2021 as the Operations Coordinator. Before that, she has worked at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Sierra Club, and a private-owned law office. In these roles, she learned nonprofit organizational skills as well as finance and operational skills.  Leigh graduated with her Master of Public Administration degree with an emphasis in nonprofit organizations from the University of Utah in August of 2021. She also received an undergraduate degree from the University of Utah with a BS in Psychology in 2019. Leigh is born and raised in Salt Lake City. She loves the Utah lands and has volunteered with multiple nonprofits to work to protect them. Outside of work, Leigh likes to hike, climb, and be outside, as well as try new foods.

Email: leigh@healthpolicyproject.org