Matt Badalucco, Executive Director of State Government Affairs at Merck, has over 30 years of experience working with state governments. He began his career in New York State politics, gaining valuable experience with the New York State Assembly, where he ultimately served on the health committee staff. Following that, he worked for the city of New York during the first term of the Bloomberg administration in the Office of State Legislative Affairs. Since joining Merck in 2005, he has taken on the responsibility of managing the company's state interactions across the Eastern United States. Recently, his focus has shifted toward the crucial yet complex role the pharmaceutical industry plays in public health policy and state politics.