Daniel Dawes, JD, Named to RWJF Board of Trustees
19 Feb 2025
APB exclusive speaker Daniel Dawes, JD, was recently named a new member of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Board of Trustees. He will be joined by Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd.
Prof. Dawes currently serves as senior vice president of global health at Meharry Medical College and founding dean of the School of Global Health. He is a healthcare and public health leader, health policy expert, educator, author and researcher.
Dr. Ferrer is the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. She has decades of experience as a public health director, educational leader, researcher, philanthropic strategist and community advocate.
“I am thrilled to welcome Prof. Dawes and Dr. Ferrer to our Board of Trustees,” said Dr. Rich Besser, president and CEO of RWJF. “Their deep expertise and passion for health equity and racial justice will be essential in helping us pave the way together to a future where health is no longer a privilege for some, but a right for all.”
“Prof. Dawes and Dr. Ferrer are champions for health and racial equity, and I look forward to working with them both to transform health in our lifetime,” said Rev. Dr. Starsky D. Wilson, RWJF Board chair. “Dawes’ trailblazing work to advance health equity, and Ferrer’s deep community-based public health expertise, will help bring greater focus, strategy and impact to the vital work ahead.”
Prof. Dawes previously served as vice president and executive director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine.
“It is both a privilege and profound honor to be elected to the RWJF Board of Trustees and contribute to building a future where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to achieve their fullest health and wellbeing,” said Prof. Dawes. “My commitment is steadfast in advancing health equity, drawing upon both my professional expertise and lived experiences at the crossroads of policy, government, healthcare and public health. In these challenging times, our collective focus must remain on advancing better health outcomes for every individual and community.”
Prof. Dawes has written several books, including 150 Years of ObamaCare and The Political Determinants of Health. His passion for addressing health inequities is exemplified in his unyielding commitment to building collaboratives, including the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network and the Health Equity Leadership & Exchange Network. He also led the development of the nation’s first Health Equity Tracker.
Prof. Dawes is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and an elected fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine. He has served on several boards, commissions and councils focused on improving health outcomes and elevating health equity in the United States and around the world.