Drive Medical is pleased to announce the promotion of Camille Cherri to Vice President, Government Division, Clinical Care Sales. For Cherri, who has spent nearly a decade helping shape Drive’s presence in the government healthcare market, the advancement marked a meaningful milestone and an opportunity to highlight her sustained commitment to serving Veterans.
A Foundation Built on Family & Care
Cherri’s path into the durable medical equipment world began while still an undergraduate at Michigan State University, where she launched her career working at a large home oxygen and DME company founded by an older sibling. While working there after graduation, she helped obtain a government contract for the business, finding her passion in the process.
“I loved the government space,” she recalled. “I liked the rules and the structure.”
When she applied to an open long-term care opportunity at Drive Medical a few years later, the former VP of the Government Division recognized her due to her past work selling DeVilbiss by Drive products into government channels. “They kind of redirected my application to the Government team, which I was very happy about,” she shared.
The opportunity to be part of a team working with the Veterans Health Administration proved to be a natural fit. “I wanted to be a part of the thought process of engineering products for the VA and making them better for Veterans,” she explained.
Driving Expansion & Serving Veterans
Cherri joined Drive in 2016 as Regional Director of Government Sales. At the time, the company’s footprint in the government market was still developing. “I really felt that there was so much opportunity in the government space,” she said. That instinct has proven accurate over the past nine years. As Drive’s government division expanded, so did its impact. Through strengthened partnerships, expanded product lines, and strategic collaborations with distributors, Drive’s presence in the VHA grew into a core pillar of the company’s business.
Cherri says this growth is supported by Drive Medical’s ongoing efforts to stay closely connected to leaders across government healthcare to stay in tune with the evolving needs of Veterans and government healthcare providers. She notes that the team is participating in more industry organizations, charity events, and government‑focused conferences to stay connected—opportunities she says often allow her to meet the Veterans who use our products firsthand.
"Some of my best moments have been at the VA when I've been sitting in the waiting room and had a conversation with a Veteran," she said. "Some of them like to talk a bit about serving, some do not. But ultimately, what they really want is for us to understand their needs and understand what the VA does for them."
Cherri added that it's always special seeing Veterans using Drive Medical products. Cherri has volunteered for several years at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Colorado, which helps Veterans participate in adaptive sports like curling, skiing, and scuba diving.
"When you see a veteran in the middle of Colorado on a mountain with our F22 rollator, you know that this product helped make this experience possible for them," she said. "It's a wonderful reminder of the importance of the work we do."
But Cherri's focus is also on helping Veterans grow their businesses. “One of the things I’m honestly most proud of,” she added, “is seeing the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOBs) that partnered with us many years ago and the way that they’ve grown alongside Drive.”
Looking ahead, Cherri noted, "It's important that we understand how we need to shift as an organization to accommodate the needs of various government sectors. Our goal in the next two years is to really branch out into other areas of the government."
Cherri is excited to continue the work Drive's original VA team began to serve this vertical. "When I began here about nine years ago, I really felt that there was so much opportunity in the government space," she remembered. "So for me, it's the first full-circle moment to now be personally leading the team."
To learn more about Drive Medical's government offerings, visit: https://www.drivemedical.com/sales-channel-government-professionals
You can also connect with Camille Cherri on LinkedIn here.