Sylvia Mathews Burwell
Sylvia Burwell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sylvia Mary Burwell June 24, 1965 Hinton, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Government official, university president |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Known for | 22nd United States Secretary of Health and Human Services; 39th Director of the Office of Management and Budget; 15th President of American University |
Sylvia Mary Burwell (; born June 24, 1965) is an American leader in government and the non-profit sector, currently serving as president of the Harvard Board of Overseers. She was the 15th president of American University from 2017 until 2024, notably becoming the first woman to occupy this position. Affiliated with the Democratic Party, Burwell held the office of the 22nd United States secretary of health and human services from 2014 to 2017 and was the 39th director of the Office of Management and Budget between 2013 and 2014.
Originating from West Virginia, Burwell’s federal service began during the presidency of Bill Clinton, where she played a key role in founding the National Economic Council in 1993. Her subsequent roles included Chief of Staff to Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, Deputy White House Chief of Staff under Erskine Bowles, and deputy director at the Office of Management and Budget.
In intervals between public service, Burwell led Walmart’s philanthropic foundation dedicated to combating hunger starting in 2012. Prior to that, she served as president of the Global Development Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, focusing on alleviating global poverty through initiatives in agriculture, financial inclusion for impoverished communities, and global library programs. Joining the Gates Foundation in 2001, she was its chief operating officer before a major restructuring in 2006. President Barack Obama nominated her to head the United States Department of Health and Human Services on April 11, 2014; following Senate confirmation on June 5, 2014, by a vote of 78–17, she remained in office until the conclusion of that administration.
Early life and education
Mathews was born and grew up in Hinton, a small community with a population near 3,000. Her mother, Cleo (née Maroudas) Mathews, worked as an educator and served as mayor of Hinton from 2001 through 2009; her father, Dr. William Peter Mathews, practiced optometry and led the local Episcopal Church when no minister was present.
Both sets of her grandparents emigrated from Greece and operated a confectionery store in Hinton. Mathews has one elder sister.
From an early age, Mathews demonstrated interest in politics by engaging in local election campaigns during her elementary school years. She held the position of student body president and participated in basketball, graduating at the top of her class as valedictorian.
In 1982, she took part in a Youth For Understanding exchange program in Japan. During her university years, she interned for West Virginia Congressman Nick Rahall, assisted Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, and contributed to Dukakis's 1988 presidential campaign.
Mathews obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Harvard University in 1987. Subsequently, she was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Worcester College, where she earned a second bachelor's degree specializing in philosophy, politics, and economics. She has been honored as an honorary fellow at Worcester College.
Early career and service during the Clinton administration
Mathews started her professional journey in 1990 as an associate at McKinsey & Company. In 1992, she joined the economic team for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign. After Clinton’s inauguration, she contributed to creating the National Economic Council (NEC), acting as its inaugural staff director from 1993 until 1995. During this tenure, she collaborated with Robert Rubin and supported initiatives aimed at controlling healthcare expenses beyond legislative measures.
Following Rubin’s appointment as Secretary of the Treasury in 1995, Mathews became his chief of staff. She provided testimony during the Whitewater investigations concerning her review of documents related to Vince Foster, denying any misconduct.
In 1997, after impressing Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles during an Oval Office meeting, Mathews was recruited as deputy chief of staff. Working alongside John Podesta, her responsibilities included policy oversight and managing White House priorities amid President Clinton’s impeachment proceedings. Bowles commended her sharp intellect and teamwork abilities. Upon Bowles’s departure in 1998, Mathews transitioned to deputy director at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under Director Jack Lew, playing a significant role during a period marked by three consecutive budget surpluses under Clinton’s administration.
Charitable foundations and private sector involvement
In 2001, Mathews relocated to Seattle, Washington to join the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest philanthropic organization in the United States, as executive vice president. She advanced to chief operating officer in 2002 and was appointed president of the Global Development Program in 2006. In this capacity, she played a key role in managing grants aimed at enhancing health outcomes in developing nations, focusing on initiatives such as HIV prevention and broader access to contraception.
Between 2002 and 2005, Mathews was a board member at the University of Washington Medical Center, where she oversaw the implementation of electronic medical record upgrades and helped establish compliance protocols following Medicare billing challenges. From 2004 to 2013, she served as a Director at MetLife and also contributed her expertise to the boards of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Nike Foundation Advisory Group.
In 2005, the Wall Street Journal recognized Mathews—by then Sylvia Mathews Burwell—as one of The 50 Women to Watch worldwide due to her impactful work with the Gates Foundation. In 2008, she was appointed as the Obama/Biden Transition Agency Review Lead for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Burwell remained with the Gates Foundation until 2011 before taking on the presidency of the Wal-Mart Foundation in January 2012. Her focus there centered on combating hunger within the United States. For this position, she moved to Bentonville, Arkansas and held an executive vice president role at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
On March 3, 2013, President Barack Obama nominated Burwell to serve as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Her confirmation hearing took place on April 10, followed by a unanimous Senate confirmation vote of 96–0, making her the second woman ever to occupy this post after Alice Rivlin.
Burwell stepped into this role amid conservative attempts to curtail federal spending and dismantle the Affordable Care Act. When Congress did not approve a continuing resolution by September 30, 2013, she was responsible for initiating the first federal government shutdown in 17 years. She issued directives for agency closures that impacted national parks, visitor centers, and even temporarily disabled the National Zoo’s panda webcam. The shutdown endured for sixteen days. Once operations resumed, Burwell played an instrumental role in brokering a bipartisan two-year budget agreement designed to avert future shutdowns.
Secretary of Health and Human Services
President Obama nominated Burwell on April 11, 2014, to replace Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Praising her as a "proven manager" capable of "delivering results," Obama endorsed her nomination. The Senate confirmed Burwell on June 5, 2014, with a vote tally of 78–17; she officially assumed office on June 9. As HHS Secretary, Burwell managed approximately 77,000 employees and oversaw critical programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By the conclusion of her term, she earned commendations from senators across party lines.
Ebola epidemic response
Throughout the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Burwell took charge of daily coordination meetings beginning July 28 as part of the U.S. government's containment strategy, involving the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Starting September 30, other officials from the Obama administration assumed responsibility for daily public briefings, while Burwell attended select public events. The first Ebola-related fatality in the United States occurred in the fall of 2014. To address the crisis, the Obama administration proposed a $6 billion funding package, designating $2 billion for the State Department and USAID to enhance hospital readiness and support international containment efforts. Congress eventually authorized $5.4 billion in resources. Throughout this period, Burwell and other leaders reassured that the U.S. healthcare infrastructure was well-prepared and that a widespread domestic outbreak was improbable.
Zika response
In response to the 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic, the Obama administration requested $1.9 billion from Congress in February 2016 to combat the virus. Initial Congressional hesitation led Secretary Burwell to redirect $589 million from Ebola funds to address Zika-related needs. The CDC was allocated $222 million to spearhead domestic prevention efforts, while $152 million was divided between the National Institutes of Health and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Confronted with Congressional concerns about slow expenditure rates, Burwell cautioned that CDC funding would be depleted by September 30, 2016. Following additional fund reallocations, Congress approved $1.1 billion for Zika initiatives. By September 2016, reported cases in the U.S. included approximately 23,000 in Puerto Rico, 3,000 across states, and 21 infants born with microcephaly linked to Zika infections.
The Affordable Care Act
Burwell assumed leadership of HHS just prior to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) second open-enrollment period in November 2014. She expanded her team and supervised comprehensive testing of HealthCare.gov to prevent previous technical failures. The enrollment process was simplified significantly by reducing the number of website pages from over seventy to slightly more than a dozen.
During her tenure as HHS Secretary, Burwell was named in multiple lawsuits concerning ACA provisions. Early on, the Supreme Court ruled against the ACA’s contraception mandate on religious grounds in Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby. In contrast, in King v. Burwell, the Court upheld subsidies for insurance plans purchased through federal exchanges.
Ahead of the 2016 elections—which resulted in Republican control intent on repealing the ACA—Burwell actively highlighted the law’s achievements and potential benefits. She described the ACA as "woven into the fabric of our nation," noting its role in extending coverage to an additional 20 million Americans. Burwell cautioned that dismantling any part could severely disrupt healthcare delivery. To increase public engagement and enrollment numbers, she launched the "Coverage Matters" campaign alongside other HHS outreach efforts.
American University
Following her service as HHS Secretary, Burwell became the 15th president of American University on June 1, 2017, marking her as its first female president. In 2020, she co-led the Council on Foreign Relations' Independent Task Force focused on enhancing pandemic preparedness.
In August 2023, Burwell announced plans to step down from her role. A search committee selected Jonathan Alger, then-president of James Madison University, as her successor effective July 1, 2024. Burwell will continue contributing to AU as a distinguished lecturer at the Sine Institute for Policy and Politics.
Over her seven-year presidency, Burwell led initiatives such as the Changemakers for a Changing World strategic plan and the Inclusive Excellence program. She completed a $500 million fundraising campaign titled Change Can’t Wait, grew the endowment by more than half, and doubled external research funding. These efforts supported four new research centers, eight endowed faculty chairs, and over 170 scholarships. Her experience in government played a critical role in guiding American University through challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic with steady leadership.
Harvard University Board of Overseers
One year following her departure from American University, Burwell was chosen to serve as president of the Harvard University Board of Overseers for the 2025-2026 academic term, taking over from Vivian Hunt of UnitedHealth Group. A Harvard alumnus from the class of 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts in government, Burwell has been a member of the Board since 2023, with her tenure set to conclude in 2029. This Board, elected by Harvard alumni, shares governance responsibilities alongside the President and Fellows of Harvard College and supervises the visitation process that evaluates Harvard’s various schools and departments to maintain academic standards and compliance with the University’s charter.
Her appointment came at a time when the Trump administration was exerting increased pressure related to immigration policies, campus protests, and research funding challenges. According to The Harvard Crimson, Burwell’s leadership brings an experienced former federal agency director to guide the institution amid ongoing investigations and substantial reductions in research budgets at Harvard.
In remarks to the Harvard Gazette, Burwell highlighted the essential importance of higher education in today’s context. She expressed her dedication to working closely with President Garber, the Board, and the broader Harvard community to promote teaching, learning, and research initiatives that have a meaningful impact on students and communities worldwide.
Personal life
Mathews met Stephen Burwell, a Seattle-based attorney, in 2005 during her time at the Gates Foundation. The couple married in Seattle in 2007 and are parents to two children. While Burwell served as Secretary of Health and Human Services, her husband took on primary childcare duties at home.