Presidents' Council
Kathleen Harrington is a former Mayo Clinic executive who most recently served as president of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce before retiring in 2022. As Chair of the Division of Government Relations at Mayo Clinic, she oversaw a team that developed health policy recommendations, and advocated for Mayo Clinic and its patients at the federal and state levels.
Prior to returning to Minnesota, Kathleen spent 30 years in Washington DC working on health policy issues in a variety of roles. This includes serving as chief of staff for Congresswoman Nancy L. Johnson, Assistant Secretary for Secretary Elizabeth Dole at the Department of Labor, Vice President of Federal Government Relations at Aetna, and the Director of the Office of External Affairs for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, during which time she developed and implemented the education and enrollment campaigns for Medicare Part D. She served as campaign staff and advisor for numerous women running for public office, including Deputy Campaign Manager for Secretary Elizabeth Dole in her presidential campaign.
Kathleen has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Colgate University, a Master of Arts degree in Psychology degree from Catholic University of America, and currently lives in Rochester, Minnesota.