President and CEO, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Since April 2017, Richard Besser, MD, has been president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He is the former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and ABC News’ former chief health and medical editor.
At RWJF, Besser leads the largest private foundation devoted solely to improving health in the US. They focus on building a comprehensive Culture of Health that provides everyone in America with a fair and just for health and well-being. Access to healthy food, clean air and water, safe housing, secure employment at a living wage, transportation, education, and the elimination of barriers from discrimination are all-important contributors to health and well-being.
The author or co-author of hundreds of presentations, abstracts, chapters, editorials and publications, Besser has earned many awards for his work in public health and for his volunteer service. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. He received the Surgeon General's Medallion for his leadership during the H1N1 response and the Dean's Medal from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In 2012, he received an Overseas Press Club award for coverage of global maternal health issues, and two Peabody Awards for coverage of Hurricane Sandy and Robin Roberts’ health journey. In 2017 and 2018, he received an Emmy award for “Outstanding Morning Program” as part of the Good Morning America team. His book, “Tell Me the Truth, Doctor: Easy-to-Understand Answers to Your Most Confusing and Critical Health Questions,” was published in 2013.
Besser received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Williams College and medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed a residency and chief residency in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore.
He practices as a volunteer pediatrician at the Henry J. Austin Health Center in Trenton, N.J. He and his wife Jeanne, a food writer, have two sons, Alex and Jack.
