Healthways Inc. and Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced the appointment of Mary Lawyer as the state director of the Blue Zones Project on Friday.

As state director, Lawyer will be responsible for building and leading the statewide Blue Zones Project team to improve the well-being and longevity of Iowa citizens as measured by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

Lawyer has been a managing director at Link, Campbell and Anderson Public Strategies since 2010 and served as the director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development as well as the director of the Downtown Community Alliance.