PPL Expands Leadership Team, Marking a New Chapter of Growth and Commitment to Mission

New C-Suite Appointments Supported by Experienced Long-Standing Leaders with Depth of Experience in Medicaid and Self-Directed Care

LATHAM, NEW YORK – Public Partnerships LLC (PPL), the nation’s leading provider of self-directed care services, today announced an expanded leadership team as the company continues its growth and long-term investment in the future of consumer-directed care.

Following the recent appointments of Chief Executive Officer Miki Kapoor and Chief Financial Officer Adam Thackery, PPL has further strengthened its mission-driven leadership team and positioned the company for its next phase of growth by welcoming two new members to its C-suite:

Jennifer Truscott joins PPL as Chief Operating Officer. She brings decades of leadership experience across healthcare operations, insurance, and financial services. Previously, she served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Solutions at Aetna. Jennifer is an accomplished executive whose strategic foresight, operational excellence, and people-first, mission-driven leadership have consistently propelled organizations to new levels of performance.
Michael Barulich joins PPL as Chief Strategy and M&A Officer. He brings a decade of experience driving healthcare investments in innovation and he exemplifies PPL’s purpose-first culture, driving solutions that empower consumers, support providers, and improve outcomes for the communities Medicaid serves.

“PPL is entering an exciting new chapter, building on our legacy while growing as a trusted national leader in self-directed care,” said Miki Kapoor, CEO of PPL. “We are pairing the wisdom and deep experience of thousands of employees who have helped build this company and know PPL inside and out with the energy and perspective of new leaders who will help us scale and innovate. This is about investing in our people, our culture, and our future so everyone we serve can live and work with dignity, supported by caregivers they know and trust.”

These new C-suite appointments are complemented by PPL’s experienced, supporting leadership that have long sustained PPL’s mission and success over the years, including:

Deb Drexler, a long-time leader at PPL, serves as General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, bringing extensive experience with the complex legal and operational issues that arise in self-directed care. Deb has spent decades in public health, home care, and hospital environments, providing her with the expertise and insight to ensure confidence in the highest quality of care for patients.
Bonnie Vaughn, PPL’s Executive Vice President & Head of Growth has two decades of experience supporting and growing Medicaid. Bonnie drives our mission, aligned with expansion, by connecting our strategy, innovation, and partnerships for continual improvements and impact to the communities we serve.
Tara Himmel, PPL’s Executive Vice President for Marketing & Communications, has dedicated 20 years to advancing PPL’s mission. She has been central to the company’s evolution and long-term success as the market leader in self-directed care — serving in a range of cross-functional leadership roles to today overseeing brand strategy, public affairs, and strategic communications. Tara is a trusted advisor and thought leader with deep industry insight, strategic vision, and the ability to rally teams around bold ideas that move both the brand and business forward.
Elyssa Denton, PPL’s Senior Vice President for Client Engagement has over two decades of experience in Medicaid, social services, program integrity and community-based programs. Elyssa exemplifies PPL’s people-first values, leading with empathy and insight to create lasting impact for consumers, caregivers, and communities nationwide.

This extended leadership team reflects PPL’s commitment to its mission: transforming lives through accessible, self-directed care that empowers people to live independently at home. PPL’s leadership team embodies the responsibility to that mission, which impacts millions of lives, bringing deep expertise and a shared commitment to advancing consumer choice, dignity, and independence. Their experiences across healthcare, finance, home and community-based programs, and more will enable PPL to scale with vision, ensuring that PPL’s growth is grounded in the values that have defined the company since day one: commitment to our mission; uncompromising integrity; absolute accountability; widespread inclusion; and fiscal responsibility.

Today, PPL is the nation’s largest provider of financial management services for self-directed care and the leading innovator of fintech solutions in this space. PPL is further positioning itself as the nationwide backbone for Medicaid self-directed care, currently supporting more than 50 programs across 20 states, including overseeing one of the largest consumer-directed care transitions in U.S. history in New York. With more than 2,000 team members nationwide, the company is committed to building a supportive, values-driven workplace that reflects its mission and strengthens its ability to uplift the communities PPL serves.

The full list of PPL’s leadership team can be found here.

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About PPL

PPL supports consumers and caregivers across 50 self-direction programs in 20 states. The company has served its communities for 25 years and is wholly focused on consumer direction programs that help people have more control over their care and enable them to remain in their homes and communities. PPL has more than 2,000 team members that are dedicated to serving Medicaid and social services programs. The company’s headquarters are in Latham, New York with offices throughout the United States. To learn more about PPL, please visit pplfirst.com.