WICHITA, Kan. – Drew Wilburne has been promoted to Associate Vice President at the Kansas Health Foundation.

Wilburne, who joined KHF in 2022, previously served as Director of Civic Life and Policy. In his new role, he will continue to oversee that function of KHF’s work, but will expand his portfolio to include initiatives and management responsibilities across the organization.

“Most people agree on what we’re after at KHF: better health for every Kansan. The harder part is how we get there, and that’s the part I care about most,” Wilburne said. “This role builds on the work I’m already doing and lets me bring that same approach to more of the state as our team grows.”

As KHF expands its team across the state, Wilburne will also have supervisory duties for three regional manager positions. These positions are currently open for staff to serve in Southeast, Southwest and Northeast Kansas.

“When a partnership or initiative is complex, confusing or stalled, Drew has been the person we’ve tasked with getting it back on track,” said Chase Willhite, KHF Chief Strategy Officer. “He has the unique ability to be strategic and thoughtful in his approach, and the Associate Vice President role will give him the opportunity to use those skills in many different ways for KHF.

Prior to joining KHF, Wilburne served as the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services – the commonwealth’s largest department with approximately 16,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $40 billion. He was the first individual to hold the position and responsible for developing the agency’s approach to engaging with advisory groups, advocates, service providers, associations, local and federal officials, affinity commissions, universities, philanthropies, and lobbyists.

Concurrently, he was appointed to serve as the Executive Director for Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s Council on Reform – an advisory group tasked with developing a set of reforms for the commonwealth’s systems serving the most vulnerable. The council’s recommendations were the basis for the governor’s budget proposal the following year. He has also served as Communications Director for the Pennsylvania Department of Aging.

“Drew has a deep background with collaboration and relationship building, both of which will be critical in this role,” Willhite said.”

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