Eileen Anderson, Manager, Government Relations

Eileen Anderson is, by profession, a designer craftswoman. She helped co-found and serves as the vice president of Red Clay Tile Works, a studio specializing in the art of hand made tile.

It was her personal experience with health insurance in her own business that compelled her to become an outspoken advocate for affordable health insurance for small business.

In 2004 she joined SMC Business Councils to support their legislative agenda aimed at health care cost containment and preserving job-based insurance coverage. In 2005 she volunteered to help launch SMC’s Government Advocacy fundraising pilot project. She went on to consult with SMC in public affairs and in January 2006 founded the Voice of Small Business Coalition, a grass roots organization formed to advocate for affordable health insurance for small businesses. In 2007 she joined SMC as Government Relations Manager where she leads their grassroots lobbying efforts.

She has written numerous articles for DYNAMIC BUSINESS magazine and is the Legislative Report columnist. Her opinion pieces have been published in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, the Harrisburg Patriot News, and The Pittsburgh Business Times. Her government advocacy blog appears on the SMC website and in Small Business Beat/Government Advocacy.

Always active in community affairs, City and Suburban Life newspaper named her Citizen of the Year in 1989. She served as president of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce for two years and was co-chair of Operation Image from1989-1996, a citizens’ committee she founded to instill community pride and promote local home restoration and renovation. She served on the board of directors of Suburban General Hospital, West Penn Allegheny Health System from 1996-2004.

She attended the University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Architecture & Art, The Kansas City Art Institute, and has an associate’s degree in marketing management from Community College of Allegheny County.