Reed served as General Counsel of Marshfield Clinic for 24 years, then as Executive Director of the Clinic System for 10 years, retiring from the Clinic in 2010. He also served as Secretary/CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for three years. He was with a private law firm in Milwaukee for two years before joining the Clinic. Reed holds a BA degree from UW-Madison, JD degree from the University of North Dakota, and an MS degree in health law from the University of Pittsburgh.