04.02.10
News

Partnership for a Healthier America expands leadership, naming board of directors and honorary vice chairs

Attributed to Sterling K. Speirn, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation applauds the addition of new leadership to the Partnership for a Healthier America, who will provide expert guidance that advances a multi-pronged approach to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity.

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the appointment of Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Newark Mayor Cory Booker as Honorary Vice Chairs of the Partnership for Healthier America. Nearly two months ago, the First Lady launched the Let’s Move! campaign to solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation so that America’s children reach adulthood at a healthy weight.

The Partnership also appointed a board of directors, including Dr. James R. Gavin III, who will serve as chairman. Newly appointed board members are Deborah DeHaas, Peter Dolan, S. Lawrence Kocot, Deborah Landesman, Janet Murguía, Vivian Riefberg, William L. Roper, and Antronette K. Yancy. Each bring significant experience and expertise that will help ensure the Partnership’s success.

The Partnership for a Healthier America is uniquely poised to drive effective, measurable change, including industry-specific solutions, and galvanize public and private sector efforts. Central to this promise is bi-partisan leadership and understanding of the policy and environmental influences that contribute to the escalation of childhood obesity.

America has an unprecedented opportunity to improve the lives of our nation’s most vulnerable kids by thinking strategically and acting boldly. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation celebrates the tremendous momentum underway and supports the Partnership’s continued progress. 

About the Partnership for a Healthier America

The Partnership for a Healthier America is an independent, nonpartisan organization working to mobilize broad-based support for efforts addressing the child obesity challenge. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is a founding partner alongside many of its long-term philanthropic collaborators including The California Endowment, Kaiser Permanente, Nemours, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which is a partnership of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation. For more information about the Partnership, visit www.aHealthierAmerica.org.

About the Let’s Move! Campaign

The First Lady’s nationwide initiative seeks to solve the challenge of childhood obesity, so that America’s youngest children reach adulthood at a healthy weight. The Partnership for a Healthier America will support the Let’s Move! campaign’s efforts to unite and inspire families from every corner of the United States to take real and sustained actions to eat better, be more active, and make a commitment to embracing healthier lifestyles. For more information about the Let’s Move! Campaign, please visit www.letsmove.gov.