Our Team

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Our Passion | Our Motivation | What We've Learned | Our Team

Vincent N. Lafronza, Ed.D., M.S.

President – Washington, DC
Abby Charles

"There is simply no rational justification for our weak global position on life expectancy. Race and class are artificial constructs, and the US has enormous resources. Working together with government and NGOs to make our silos more porous, we can strengthen community capacity to create health for all, regardless of race, class, ethnicity, or zip code. We created CommonHealth ACTION to achieve this mission."

(Vincent LaFronza)

As President, Dr. Lafronza provides leadership and direction on all CommonHealth ACTION (CHA) initiatives and develops collaborative efforts with CHA’s numerous partners across the nation. He also serves as President and CEO of CHA’s Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHi).

Over the past few years, Lafronza worked closely with the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) and local partners to establish IPHi as a public health institute serving the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia region. Beginning his human services and public health career in 1985, Dr. Lafronza worked in the fields of gerontology, behavioral health, community environmental health intervention, and public health systems development in communities, states, and American Indian/Alaska Native nations. Prior to establishing CHA, Lafronza held a ten-year appointment with the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) where he served as Program Director for the Turning Point National Program Office, and was responsible for program portfolios in excess of $14M. Formerly he held an appointment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in Atlanta which involved providing technical assistance to US communities affected by hazardous waste.

Lafronza holds a Doctorate of Adult Education, Master of Science, Certificate of Gerontology, completed an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Engineering Postgraduate Research Fellowship in Public Health and two Salzburg Fellowships focused on the social and economic determinants of the public’s health. He is an active member of the American Public Health Association (APHA), and serves on the boards of directors for Education, Training, and Research Associates (ETR) and the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI).