Michael Murphy has been an active participant in the public debate of health care, economic development and environmental policy issues in Illinois for nearly three decades. He is currently the principal associate for Michael R. Murphy & Associates Ltd., serving select clients with policy and business interests in Illinois.

He has also served as the Director of Government Affairs for WellPoint, the Director of Government Relations for Humana and the Director of Government Affairs for the Illinois Association of Health Maintenance Organizations.

Prior to joining the private sector, he was the Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs for Governor Jim Edgar, coordinating the legislative agenda for all of that administration’s human services agencies.

He has also served as Director of Legislative and External Affairs for the Illinois Department of Public Aid (now the Department of Healthcare and Family Services), the Director of Intergovernmental Relations for the Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services (now a division of the Illinois Department of Human Services) and the Chief Legislative Liaison for the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

He has also served as the Planning Coordinator for Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and was also the Press Secretary to the Mayor of Springfield.

Mr. Murphy also served on the Illinois Adequate Health Care Task Force which was created by legislation sponsored by then State Senator Barack Obama.

He is also a past Chairman of the Health Care Council of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, past member of the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Institutional Planning and the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Public Relations.

He served on the Governor’s Health Care System Task Force for Governor James Thompson and was also a member of the Federal Rehabilitation Services Administration Region V Needs Assessment Task Force.

He has been a member of the Illinois Department Natural Resources Advisory Board and served consecutive terms as its Chairman in 2004 and 2005. He is also currently a member of the Advisory Board for the College of Health and Human Services at Governors State University.