Robert K. Ross
Arlington, Virginia, Aug. 08, 2024 – Robert K. Ross, a recognized leader in health philanthropy and public administration, has joined the board of directors for the American Institutes for Research (AIR). Ross currently serves as the president and CEO for The California Endowment, a health foundation that addresses the needs of the nation’s most populous state.
“Bob Ross brings a wealth of knowledge to the AIR Board and a passion for helping people and communities thrive,” said Lawrence D. Bobo, chair of the AIR Board of Directors. “I am excited to welcome him to the Board and look forward to working with him to guide and inform AIR’s work to increase access to high-quality health care and improve public health systems.”
Ross was elected to the Board in the spring of 2024 and attended the Board’s June meeting in Chicago. The AIR Board of Directors works with the institution’s leadership to set its strategic focus and ensure its work is making a difference in people’s lives.
“The disparities in health care access and quality have been laid bare in the past few years, both in the United States and around the world,” said Jessica Heppen, AIR president and CEO. “We are grateful to have Bob Ross as a partner and leader in seeking solutions that will reduce inequities and improve the well-being of all people.”
During Ross’s tenure, The California Endowment has funded efforts across the state, such as expanding health coverage for undocumented residents, farmworkers, and “Dreamers”; strengthening diversity in the health workforce; improving wellness-driven school climate reforms; increasing health advocacy for young men and women of color; and providing leadership for health-oriented criminal justice reform. Ross has served as a founding board member of Covered California, the entity responsible for the state’s implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act, and as chair of the Los Angeles County Task Force on Alternatives to Incarceration.
Prior to joining The California Endowment in 2000, Ross served as director of the Health and Human Services Agency in San Diego County; the commissioner of the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health; medical director for LINK School-Based Clinic Program in Camden, New Jersey; an instructor of clinical medicine at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and a faculty member at San Diego State University’s School of Public Health. He was the 2023 Mimi and Peter E. Haas Distinguished Visitor at Stanford University.
Ross received his undergraduate, master’s, and medical degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.
“AIR has a long history of using evidence to address some of the biggest challenges facing our communities,” Ross said. “I am grateful to join the AIR Board of Directors and be a part of this mission-driven institution in its efforts to improve lives around the world.”
