Office of the Director Overview

AHCCCS is led by Director Jami Snyder who was appointed by Governor Doug Ducey in January 2019. Director Snyder provides strategic direction to agency staff to ensure understanding and alignment in order to achieve the agency’s established goals as outlined in the 2020 Agency Strategic Plan. Director Snyder also manages critical health care delivery system issues at the local, state and federal levels, ensuring that the state secures the budgetary and human resources needed to effectively serve 2.1 million AHCCCS members.

Through the executive staff, Director Snyder manages all aspects of the agency’s business processes and oversees administrative policies and procedures that support the Medicaid health care delivery system.

The executive leadership team at AHCCCS consists of two Deputy Directors, the Chief Medical Officer, and the Senior Policy Advisor. Two Deputy Directors support Director Snyder: Shelli Silver serves as the Deputy Director for Health Plan Operations, and Kristen Challacombe serves as the Deputy Director for Business Operations.

The Deputy Directors assume agency oversight responsibilities at the discretion of the Director, serve as Executive Sponsors of various projects and initiatives, and represent the agency to a wide range of stakeholders. The Deputy Directors oversee the majority of the agency operations and are responsible for providing counsel and recommendations to the Director on issues and programs.

Other staff in the Office of the Director (OOD) who report to Deputy Director Silver include the Chief Legislative Liaison, Targeted Investments Administrator, and a project manager.

Other staff in the Office of the Director who report to Deputy Director Challacombe include the Health Information Technology Coordinator and a project manager.

Dr. Sara Salek serves as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), reporting to the Director. Dr. Salek sets the agency’s clinical strategy and guides major AHCCCS clinical initiatives. The CMO serves as an expert witness on behalf of AHCCCS and the state on legal and regulatory matters involving the provision of medical care services and assists in resolving member and provider grievances as needed. OOD staff reporting to the CMO include the Pharmacy Administrator, the Dental Director, and a project manager.

OOD also houses the Office of Continuous Improvement which reports directly to Director Snyder.

Three executive administrative assistants support OOD. For information on the divisions that report to the executive team, see the AHCCCS Organizational Chart.