Connect for Health Colorado Board Names Interim CEO

Contact: Ben Davis 303-522-6790

DENVER (August 15, 2014) – The Board of Directors of Connect for Health Colorado™ today named Gary Drews, Founder and Chief Executive of TheWorldWeWant, LLC  and former seven-year Chief Financial Officer of the Colorado Health Foundation, as interim Chief Executive Officer for the health insurance Marketplace.

Drews, who starts his new role on August 25, replaces former CEO Patty Fontneau, who left this month to become President of Private Exchange Business for Cigna®.

“I’m honored to be able to step in and help the Board and staff as they transition Connect for Health Colorado into its next phase,” Drews says. “We don’t want to lose any of the momentum and direction that’s made the Marketplace a success, particularly as we launch technology enhancements and enter the second open enrollment period.”

Board Chair Sharon O’Hara says, “Gary brings vast experience working with both start-ups and high-growth companies, so he’s familiar with the dynamics of organizations like Connect for Health Colorado. His strengths include using innovation to re-think business models and bringing a longer-view vision.”

The Board is continuing the process to choose and name a permanent chief executive, expected later this year.

In his current position, Drews acts as “an advisor to amplify the impact and further the social mission of non-profit and for-profit organizations with innovative solutions.”  Similarly, he says, Connect for Health Colorado “is wonderful opportunity to further the great results achieved by so many to date and, more importantly, help open access to the care that can turn a child’s future around, not to mention contribute to Colorado becoming the healthiest state.”

Prior to serving as CFO for the Colorado Health Foundation, Drews was Chief Operating Officer for Regis University in Denver and Chief Financial Officer for Colorado Outward Bound School. He also previously worked as a production executive at Walt Disney Studios and a freelance television producer.  He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Master’s degree in communication management from the University of Southern California.

A long-time Coloradan, Drews and his wife, Laura Saye, an organizational development specialist and licensed marriage family therapist, live in Lowry with their 15-year-old son.

 About Connect for Health Colorado

Connect for Health Colorado is a public, non-profit entity established in law by the Colorado General Assembly in 2011.  It opened for business on Oct. 1, 2013 for individuals, families and small employers to compare and buy health insurance and apply for tax credits to help make their insurance more affordable.  Customers can shop online; get help by phone or chat from expert Customer Service Center representatives; and find in person assistance from certified brokers and agents, community based certified Health Coverage Guides or Certified Application Counselors.

The next open enrollment period for individuals and families is Nov. 15, 2014 through Feb. 15, 2015.   For more information: www.connectforhealthco.com