The American Heart Association announced its volunteer leadership for fiscal year 2026-27, effective July 1, 2026. Manesh R. Patel, M.D., FAHA, an interventional cardiologist from North Carolina, will serve as the new volunteer president. Lee A. Shapiro, J.D., a health technology financial expert from Florida, continues as volunteer chairperson of the board for the second year of a two-year term. Other officers include Linda Gooden, M.B.A., as volunteer chairperson-elect, and Robert H. (Bob) Swan, M.B.A., as volunteer treasurer. Svati H. Shah, M.D., M.H.S., FAHA, a physician-scientist, will serve as volunteer president-elect.
Patel, based in Durham, North Carolina, is chief of cardiology and clinical pharmacology at Duke Health, and a senior investigator at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. He has been a longtime volunteer with the Association, previously chairing the Committee on Scientific Sessions Program, and was named the American Heart Association Physician of the Year in 2023. As volunteer president, he will serve as the lead volunteer scientific and medical officer, advancing priorities in research, science, and patient care.
Shapiro, of Sarasota, Florida, is a managing partner at 7wire Ventures. He continues his role as board chairperson, overseeing governance and presiding over board and executive committee meetings. He and his wife have been active in fundraising, including the Heart of Chicago Heart Ball and the Millions Honoring Moms campaign.
Gooden, a retired executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Corporation, previously served as treasurer and chaired the audit committee. As chairperson-elect, she will prepare to assume the chairperson role on July 1, 2027. Swan, an operating partner at Andreessen Horowitz, will oversee governance of the Association's funds and securities as treasurer.
Shah, also from Durham, is the Ursula Geller Distinguished Professor and associate dean for translational research at Duke. She has chaired the Association's Research Committee and the Genomic and Precision Medicine Council. As president-elect, she will support innovation and scientific discovery.
“The American Heart Association’s strength has always come from extraordinary volunteer leaders who bring vision, expertise and a deep commitment to our mission,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. “We are grateful to continue to benefit from Lee Shapiro’s leadership as volunteer chairperson and welcome Dr. Manesh Patel as our new volunteer president, along with the other dedicated members of our volunteer board of directors. Together, these leaders will help us build on our momentum to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere.”
The American Heart Association, a leading source of health information for over 100 years, is dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. More than 8 in 10 U.S. adults express confidence in the Association to provide trustworthy public health information, according to a recent Annenberg Policy Center poll, ranking second only to personal health care providers. For more information, visit heart.org or stroke.org.
