Our Focus and Services
HKS Strategies consults with and advises C-Suite level executives and an array of public and private entities regarding government relations, public affairs, and coalition-building, with specializations in the areas of health and human services, workforce development, workers compensation, and homelessness services. HKS Strategies helps clients create pragmatic tools to achieve policy goals, and provides clients experienced and objective support across a range of policy matters.
HKS Strategies builds on principal Herb Schultz’s decades of recognized leadership as a bi-partisan strategic leader of both public and private entities at the local, state, and national level.
Among his public sector experience, Mr. Schultz’s served in senior-level positions, including:
- Regional IX Director for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, appointed by President Barack Obama;
- Senior Advisor, Senior Health Policy Advisor, Director of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Task Force, and Acting Director of the Employment Development Department, appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger;
- Acting Secretary (Cabinet Member) and Undersecretary (Sub-Cabinet) of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and Deputy Director of the then-new Department of Managed Health Care, appointed by Gov. Gray Davis; and
- CEO of Desert Healthcare District & Foundation, appointed by the District’s five-member elected Board of Directors.
Among Mr. Schultz’s private sector experience, he served in senior-level positions, including:
- Vice President of a national healthcare trade association;
- Vice President of a HIV/AIDS-focused non-profit;
- Vice President of a Fortune 500 healthcare company; and
- President & CEO of a Federally Qualified Health Center
In these positions Herb played key roles in the development and advocacy of the groundbreaking health care reform proposal that became a model for the Affordable Care Act; passage of a comprehensive and successful workers compensation law; and development of historic and policy-focused coalitions, resulting in enactment of major legislative and regulatory policies.
HKS Strategies provides support in the following areas:
Policy Analysis and Roadmap Creation
Specializing in the art of the possible, HKS Strategies helps executives and organizations articulate policy objectives, set real-world benchmarks, and develop pragmatic roadmaps to success. HKS Strategies services include analysis of complex policy data, evaluation of existing policy platforms, and recommendations of how policy objectives can be achieved given regulatory and legislative realities.
Coalition and Partnership Building
No policy moves forward without a coalition of strong, visible partners pushing it. But developing and maintaining strategic networks can fall down the priority list—until something needs to get done. Leveraging Mr. Schultz’s extensive personal contacts, HKS Strategies connects and maintains public, private, non-profit, and philanthropic sector relationships to collectively move agendas forward at the local, state and national level.
Executive Coaching on Government Relations and Public Affairs
Even the best C-Suite level executive has priorities that fall by the wayside due to limited internal resources or the need for objective external perspectives. HKS Strategies supports executive management in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in areas including government relations and public affairs; policy research and analysis; board development and governance; and personnel infrastructure.