Georges C.
Benjamin, MD

Georges C. Benjamin, MD, is well-known in the world of public health as a leader, practitioner and administrator. Benjamin has been the executive director of the American Public Health Association since 2002. Previously, he served as secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene beginning in 1999, following four years as its deputy secretary for public health services. As secretary, Benjamin oversaw the expansion and improvement of the state’s Medicaid program.

Benjamin is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He is board-certified in internal medicine and a master of the American College of Physicians, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and a fellow emeritus of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He holds honorary fellowships in two distinguished British public health societies: the Royal Society of Public Health and the Faculty of Public Health.

Benjamin also serves on several boards, including Research!America and the Reagan-Udall Foundation. He is also a member of the National Academy of Medicine. In 2008 and 2014, he was named one of the top 25 minority executives in health care by Modern Healthcare Magazine, in addition to being voted among the 100 most influential people in health care from 2007 through 2017.

In April 2016, former President Obama appointed Benjamin to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, a council that advises the president on how best to assure the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure.

Benjamin has served on the Truth Initiative board of directors since 2015.