ITASCA, IL—The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Board of Directors has named Mark Del Monte, JD, as the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Vice President. Mr. Del Monte has served as interim CEO since July 2018 and before that, served as the AAP’s Chief Deputy and Senior Vice President for Advocacy and External Affairs, directing the organization’s communications, public relations and advocacy activities. The AAP serves 67,000 pediatrician, pediatric medical subspecialist, and pediatric surgical specialist members.
“Mark Del Monte’s commitment to the mission, members and future of the American Academy of Pediatrics is well known to AAP members across the country,” said AAP president Kyle E. Yasuda, M.D., FAAP. “A longtime trusted leader within the organization, Mark has a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the profession of pediatrics today, and his background in advocacy gives him much-needed insight into how we can best advance our agenda for children. Mark has led the organization well over the last year and I can think of no one more capable of leading the AAP at this moment than Mark.”
“I am honored to serve as the ninth CEO of the American Academy of Pediatrics,” said Del Monte. “Having spent the last 14 years at the Academy, I understand and appreciate how vital pediatricians are to their patients, not just in the clinical setting, but as champions for children in communities. Pediatricians understand what children need and they are compelling messengers to articulate those needs, whether in groundbreaking policy statements, meetings with elected officials or in the media. The Academy’s staff are incredibly talented, hard-working and mission driven. Their efforts help ensure the Academy remains a leading voice for children. I look forward to leading such an impactful organization during such an important time for children’s health. The Academy has never been more relevant or necessary.”
When he joined AAP in 2005, Mr. Del Monte was an Assistant Director in the organization’s Washington, DC office, overseeing a portfolio of issues including pediatric drugs and devices, tobacco prevention, pediatric AIDS and children with disabilities. In 2010, Mr. Del Monte was named Director of the AAP’s DC office, following the retirement of longtime director Elizabeth Jackie Noyes, MA, FAAP. He then advanced to Chief Public Affairs Officer in 2013 before becoming Chief Deputy and Senior Vice President of Advocacy and External Affairs in 2016. He also served as Interim Development Director from 2015-2017.
Prior to joining the Academy, Mr. Del Monte served as Director of Policy and Government Affairs for the AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families, a national organization advocating for children and families with HIV/AIDS. Before moving to Washington, DC, Mr. Del Monte worked as a lawyer in his home state of California, providing direct legal services to HIV-positive, low-income children and families.
Mr. Del Monte holds a law degree from the University of California (Berkeley) and a bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga University.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org and follow us on Twitter @AmerAcadPeds.