Laura Stone Cole
About Laura Stone Cole
Laura Stone Cole serves as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at BrightSpring Health Services, where she leverages her extensive background in public financial administration and economic development. With previous roles at organizations such as Grant Thornton LLP and the U.S. Government Accountability Office, she brings valuable expertise in business process reengineering and statistical analysis to her current position.
Current Role at BrightSpring Health Services
Laura Stone Cole serves as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at BrightSpring Health Services. She has held this position since 2020, contributing to the organization from its Louisville, Kentucky location. In this role, she utilizes her expertise in public financial administration and economic development to inform strategic planning efforts. Her responsibilities include managing various strategic initiatives that align with the company's goals.
Previous Experience in Strategic Roles
Prior to her current position, Laura Stone Cole accumulated extensive experience in various analytical and managerial roles. She worked as a Business Analyst at Take Care Health Systems for 11 months in 2009 and served as an Analyst Intern at the U.S. Government Accountability Office for three months in 2010. Additionally, she spent nine years as a Manager at Grant Thornton LLP in the Washington D.C. Metro Area, where she developed her skills in business process reengineering and statistical analysis.
Educational Background
Laura Stone Cole holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a focus on Economic Development and Public Finance from Indiana University Bloomington, where she studied from 2009 to 2011. She also studied Eurozone Fiscal and Monetary Policy and Comparative Public Administration at Deutsche Hochschule fuer Verwaltungswissenschaften Speyer. Earlier, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Public Policy from Vanderbilt University, completing her studies there from 2004 to 2008.
Expertise in Economic Development
Laura Stone Cole possesses a strong background in economic development, which enhances her strategic planning capabilities at BrightSpring Health Services. Her understanding of public financial administration and economic policies informs her approach to managing initiatives that support the organization's mission. This expertise is rooted in her educational background and her previous roles in public finance and consulting.
Professional Development and Internships
Throughout her career, Laura Stone Cole has engaged in various internships and fellowships that have shaped her professional development. She worked as a Clinical Strategies Intern at Humana in 2007 for three months and served as a Public Finance Fellow for the City of Bloomington, IN from 2009 to 2011. Additionally, she gained experience as a Consultant/Project Administrator at InfoWorks, Inc. from 2008 to 2009, further building her analytical and project management skills.