Ariel Gonzalez is a Principal at the Vogel Group.

Ariel Gonzalez is a lawyer and nationally recognized lobbyist with nearly 25 years of government relations and public policy experience including senior roles in Fortune 500 companies, top consulting firms, and first-tier patient and provider organizations. He was named by the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics as one of the Top 100 Lobbyists in 2021 and 2022, and as one of The Hill’s “Top Lobbyists” for the last several years due to his ability to help clients achieve their policy goals, develop innovative partnerships and diverse coalitions, and create brand recognition. He is well known as a leader in health policy and on emerging issues in artificial intelligence.

Ariel is well-respected among legislators and administration officials, bringing both a deep understanding of health policy and effective strategy to his engagements. He regularly works with policymaker in Congress, the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, the US Food and Drug Administration, and other agencies to achieve goals for his clients. Ariel is nationally known for building successful coalitions and is a faculty member on winning coalitions on behalf of the National Institute of Lobbying and Ethics.

Prior to joining Vogel Group, Ariel was the lead Democrat at a health care firm in DC. He also served as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy at the March of Dimes. While leading the fight for equitable maternal health, he helped enact pension legislation saving the organization $60 million. He also served as Chief of Government Affairs for the American Psychiatric Association (APA) where he oversaw federal and state legislative affairs, regulatory policy, and political engagement. There he helped enact mental health and substance use disorder reform. Earlier in his career, Ariel was the head of the federal health and family team at AARP, where he served as their chief Capitol Hill lobbyist and a regulatory expert on Medicare, Medicaid, caregiving, and the Affordable Care Act. He regularly coordinated with the Obama Administration on the implementation of the ACA. In 2014, he was recognized and awarded by the Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility as a Young Hispanic Corporate Achiever.

Prior to AARP, Ariel managed government affairs at Quest Diagnostics and served as Director of Congressional and State Relations at the American College of Radiology, tackling reimbursement and Stark issues before the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. While at Premier, Inc., Ariel advocated for hospital reimbursement, Medicaid, and workplace matters.

Ariel serves on the Board of Directors for the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, where he provides leadership to the organization and helps raise awareness about maternal mental health conditions to reduce their stigma and improve outcomes for mothers and babies.

Ariel holds a Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University, a Master of Arts in Legislative Affairs from the George Washington University, and a law degree from Catholic University Columbus School of Law. He often works as an Election Protection Attorney for the Democratic National Committee and is a member of the Virginia State Bar.