Jennifer Velez is the Executive Vice President of Health & Network Solutions at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ). Ms. Velez previously served as the Chief Impact Officer of Shatterproof, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to transforming addiction treatment and reversing stigma. She also served as an Executive Vice President of RWJBarnabas Health, where she was responsible for Community and Behavioral Health, and led the health system’s interdisciplinary response to the opioid epidemic. Ms. Velez served eight years as the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services under both Governors Chris Christie and Jon Corzine. She also served three governors in the Office of Governor’s Counsel (Christine Todd Whitman, Donald DiFrancesco, and James McGreevey).
Ms. Velez received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Drew University and holds a Juris Doctorate from Rutgers School of Law, Newark. She was named one of the Top 25 Innovators in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare in 2019 and was Number 1 on the 2014 NJBIZ Power 50 Healthcare list, where she was listed for six consecutive years. She serves on the board of Drew University and is a Visiting Associate of the Eagleton Institute of Politics. She has received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Rutgers Law School, the Codey Award from the Carrier Clinic, a Spirit of the Arc Award from Arc of New Jersey, and the Women’s Initiative and Leaders in Law Award from the Women Lawyers Association of New Jersey. She joined the Board of The Fund for New Jersey in 2022.
