Michael Cover

Senior Vice President/Practice Leader
Disease Management

Michael brings more than twenty five years of professional public affairs and health communications experience to Spectrum. Prior to joining Spectrum, Michael served for five years in the Social Marketing Practice at Ogilvy Public Relations, leading several large federal contracts for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the Gill Foundation, among others.

Michael served for five years as Associate Executive Director for Public Affairs at Whitman-Walker Clinic, one of the nation’s oldest and most respected HIV/AIDS healthcare institutions. As a part of the senior leadership team, Michael managed the agency’s public affairs staff and strategy, positioning the Clinic with the media and the public as a leader on health and social issues facing its constituencies. Michael served on the National AIDS Communications Roundtable, and was a founding member of the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership Convening Group.

Formerly a Vice President at Widmeyer Communications, Michael provided strategic counsel and media relations services to the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Education, The National Institute for Literacy and the Education First Alliance.

At the Peace Corps, Michael served as Associate Director for the Associate Volunteer Program.  Michael helped to develop the program in response to country requests for more experienced volunteers to train medical professionals, teachers, veterinarians and others for whom the two-an-a-half year commitment was too burdensome. Michael traveled extensively in Africa and South America, meeting with ministry officials and Peace Corps personnel to introduce the program and develop memoranda of understanding.

Michael also served as the first Director of State Government Relations for the Recording Industry Association of America during a time when the First Amendment rights of the creative community were under assault by state legislators in 23 states.  Michael led a coalition of advocacy groups in defeating lyric labeling legislation, compiling an impressive 100%-win record.

Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University.