Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Names Brian King as Executive Vice President for U.S. Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids today named Brian King as Executive Vice President for U.S. Programs to lead the organization’s work at the federal, state and local levels to protect kids from harmful and addictive tobacco products and save lives.
King is a highly experienced and respected leader who has worked in the tobacco prevention and control field for two decades, including in multiple leadership roles within U.S. government agencies. Most recently, he served as Director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. Prior to joining FDA, he served as the Deputy Director for Research Translation in CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health and as Executive Editor of CDC’s Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
King has authored more than 200 scientific journal articles related to tobacco prevention and control and served in a senior editorial role for multiple U.S. Surgeon General’s Reports on tobacco. Throughout his career, he has worked to provide sound scientific evidence to inform tobacco control policy at the federal, state and local levels and to effectively communicate this information to key stakeholders, including policymakers, the media and the public. He has provided technical assistance to all U.S. states and territories and has testified before Congressional committees and other governmental bodies.
King holds a Ph.D. and M.P.H. in Epidemiology from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
“Brian King is extraordinarily qualified to lead our U.S. programs at this critical time.,” said Yolonda C. Richardson, President and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “Brian has dedicated his career to advancing science-based policies and programs that reduce tobacco use and its devastating consequences. His leadership, passion and breadth of knowledge and experience will guide us in the next phase of our work to protect children and end the death and disease caused by tobacco.”
“I am excited to join the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an organization that has contributed substantially to reducing the devastating human and financial toll of tobacco use in the United States and around the world,” King said. “I look forward to working with the team to build on the progress that has been made and to confront challenges head on. We cannot take our foot off the gas as tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S. and is a major driver of chronic disease and health disparities.”
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is the leading advocacy organization working to reduce tobacco use and its deadly consequences in the United States and around the world. Through strategic communications and policy advocacy campaigns, Tobacco-Free Kids works to change public attitudes about tobacco and advance policies that reduce tobacco use and save the most lives. In addition, our Global Health Advocacy Incubator builds on the successes and lessons learned in the fight against tobacco to tackle other critical public health challenges across the globe.