Princeton, N.J.-based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President and CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA, is stepping down. She will leave once the organization has named a successor.
Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey has led the foundation for 14 years. She is the first woman and the first African American to lead the $10 billion private foundation. During her tenure, Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey headed a number of health initiative, including one to stem the childhood obesity epidemic in America. Under her leadership, the foundation has donated around $1 billion to the cause. She also helped redesign a number of the foundation's leadership, fellowship and scholarship programs, making them more interdisciplinary.
Fred Mann, vice president of communications for the foundation, told The Philadelphia Inquirer, that Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey had initially planned to stay on as CEO for 10 years and he thinks "she just wanted to take some time off and figure out what her next act might be."
Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey completed her residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. She also earned her master's degree in business administration from the Wharton School in Philadelphia.
"Risa's commitment to improving the health of this nation during her tenure as CEO is simply unparalleled, and she has led this Foundation with an extraordinary sense of purpose and passion. It is difficult to see her leave but we are fortunate that she will remain at the helm until a successor is in place," said Roger Fine, chairman of the RWJF board of trustees in a statement.