Ellen Embrey

Senior Counselor

eembrey@cohengroup.net

Ellen Embrey joined The Cohen Group in June 2010 as Counselor.  Ms. Embrey brings deep expertise in health and medical issues, as well as a wealth of other experience gained during her extensive federal service.

In her last federal role, she performed the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and the Director, TRICARE Management Activity during the presidential transition period in 2009-2010.  In that capacity, she was responsible for leading and managing the Military Health System, a $47 billion/year defense health program employing more than 200,000 health professionals serving more than 9.6 million service members, retirees and their families in more than 70 hospitals and 500 clinics and laboratories around the globe.

From 2002 to 2009, Ms. Embrey was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Health Protection and Readiness, leading significant changes in Department of Defense policies and programs affecting deployment and combat casualty medicine, health promotion and preventive medicine, medical readiness and public health emergency preparedness and response.

For 9 months in 2001, Ms. Embrey performed the duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, shaping policies affecting the readiness and use of the National Guard and Reserve in both federal and state status.  From 2000 to 2001, she served as Chief of Staff of that office, and from 1998 to 2001, as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Assistance to Civil Authorities, developing policies that shaped the role of the National Guard and Reserve components in supporting homeland security, disaster preparedness, and national disaster response capabilities, including advising the president on such matters in the days and weeks following September 11, 2001.

Between 1978 and 1997, Ms. Embrey served in senior-level policy analyst, budget analyst, program analyst, management analyst, and systems analyst positions in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, the Defense Contract Audit Agency, and the Office of Personnel Management.

Ms. Embrey is also President and Chief Executive Officer of Stratitia, Inc., a consulting firm focused on developing meaningful and innovative strategies, and delivering supporting tools and partnerships to bring them successfully to life.

Ms. Embrey was recognized with the Secretary of Defense's Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2001 and 2004, and twice received the Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award in 2006 and 2009.