Ron Sims, chair of the Dean's Council at the University of Washington School of Public Health, has been appointed the new Board Chair of the Washington State Health Benefit Exchange, which runs the state's online marketplace for health insurance. The exchange was created as part of the Affordable Care Act and signed up more than 1 million people during its first enrollment period.

Dean Howard Frumkin told The Seattle Times Sims was a "superb choice" because of his commitment to the underserved, his ability to inspire people to work together, and his deep experience with health reform.

Sims was former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 2009 to 2011. Before that, he served for 12 years as the elected executive of King County in Washington state. Sims recently rejoined the board of directors at the Washington Health Alliance, an organization he helped found under another name, the Puget Sound Health Alliance, which brings together employers, physicians, hospitals, patients, and health plan providers to improve the quality of health care.