Valerie Arkoosh is an American anesthesiologist, politician, and academic. She is the secretary-designate of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Arkoosh is the chair of the Montgomery County Commission. She was a candidate in the 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania.
Val Arkoosh | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Arkoosh in 2020 | |
| Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services | |
| Assumed office TBD | |
| Governor | Josh Shapiro (elect) |
| Preceded by | Meg Snead (acting) |
| Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners | |
| Assumed office November 17, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Josh Shapiro |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 22, 1960 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 3 |
| Bildung | Northwestern University (BA) Johns Hopkins University (MPH) University of Nebraska (MD) |
| Website | Official website |
Early life and education
Arkoosh earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Northwestern University in 1982. She earned a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1986, a earned a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in 2007.[1] Arkoosh is an anesthesiologist. She performed her residency at Jefferson Medical College in Anesthesiology, with a focus on obstetrics.[citation needed]
Academic career
Arkoosh taught and led departments at a number of medical schools. Arkoosh served on the faculty at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Drexel University College of Medicine, and the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Jefferson University.[1]
Political career
Arkoosh served as president of the National Physicians Alliance and advised the group on policy and strategy starting in 2009, including leading the organization during the debate over and passage of the Affordable Care Act.[citation needed]
Arkoosh was appointed to the Montgomery County Commission in January 2015, filing a vacancy left by Leslie Richards, who left her position after being confirmed as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (and who currently serves as General Manager of SEPTA).[citation needed] She won a four-year term in November 2015 and again in 2019. In 2016, she was unanimously elected to serve as chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. Arkoosh was the vice chair until she was elected as chair. Montgomery County, Pennsylvania is located in southeast Pennsylvania and is the third most populous county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.[citation needed]
According to Montgomery County, the “Board of Commissioners oversees a budget of $400 million and directs more than 2,400 employees. The Commission manages human services for more than 100,000 residents, the county court and criminal justice system, Voter Services, over 130 county bridges, 75 miles of roads and other infrastructure, seven county parks and nearly 100 miles of trails.”[2]
In January 2023, Arkoosh was nominated by governor-elect Josh Shapiro to serve as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.[3] Her resignation from the Montgomery County Commission is planned for January 17, 2023.[4]
Political campaigns
2014 congressional campaign
Arkoosh ran for Congress in 2014 for Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district when Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz vacated the seat to run for Governor. Arkoosh was unsuccessful in the Democratic primary.[5]
Montgomery County Board of Commissioners
Arkoosh was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Board of Commissioners left by Leslie Richards in January 2015. She was elected to a full four-year term in November 15 earning 28.27% of the vote. She served as Vice-Chair until her election as Chair on November 17, 2016. She was preceded by Josh Shapiro, who stepped down to become attorney general. She is the first woman to Chair the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. In 2019, she won re-election to a second four-year term, earning 32.29% of the vote.[6]
2022 United States Senate campaign
On April 5, 2021, Arkoosh launched her campaign for the Democratic nomination for the 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania and filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.[7] She is running for the open U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania left by U.S. Senator Pat Toomey, who is retiring.[8] Arkoosh dropped out of the race in February 2022.[9]
Personal life
Arkoosh lives in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Jeff Harbison. She has 3 children.[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b "Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, Chair | Montgomery County, PA - Official Website". www.montcopa.org. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ "Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, Chair | Montgomery County, PA - Official Website". www.montcopa.org. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ^ Levy, Marc (2023-01-11). "Arkoosh to lead Shapiro's sprawling human services agency". Associated Press. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
- ^ Ravina, Rachel (2023-01-11). "Montgomery County president judge to oversee appointment process to fill Arkoosh's seat". Mainline Media News. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
- ^ Lachman, Samantha (2014-02-24). "Philadelphia Doctor Touts Obamacare In Campaign For Congress". HuffPost. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ "Polls close in Pennsylvania, New Jersey". Philly Voice. 2015-11-03. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Terruso, Julia (2021-04-05). "Montco Commissioner Val Arkoosh is running for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Tamari, Jonathan; Steele, Allison (2020-10-05). "Toomey announces he won't run for reelection or for Pennsylvania governor". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Chinchilla, Rudy (February 4, 2022). "Montco Commissioner Val Arkoosh Drops Out of U.S. Senate Race". NBC10 Philadelphia. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
External links
