Richard Hamburg is Executive Vice President and COO at Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). Previously Interim President and CEO and Deputy Director, Mr. Hamburg oversees public policy initiatives, advocacy campaigns, and internal operations and has more than 30 years of experience as a leading health policy advocate. He has helped lead TFAH's efforts to ensure disease prevention is a centerpiece of health reform, and has been instrumental in TFAH's work on obesity prevention, building national pandemic flu and public health emergency response capabilities, and increasing support for public health programs.  Prior to TFAH, Mr. Hamburg served in a number of roles with the American Heart Association (AHA), including as its national Director of Government Relations. At AHA, Mr. Hamburg led the AHA's advocacy on health topics ranging from healthcare reform to tobacco control to public access to defibrillation.  He is also a past Director of Government Affairs at AHA's New York City affiliate. A native New Yorker, Mr. Hamburg is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, from which he received a B.A. in Political Science and a Masters of Public Administration.