John R. Lumpkin Joins FFAR Board of Directors

Washington

WASHINGTON (September 30, 2019) – The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is excited to announce that John R. Lumpkin, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, is joining the Board of Directors.

Mark E. Keenum
We are privileged to welcome Dr. Lumpkin to FFAR’s Board of Directors. His public health background is critical to connecting our work to consumers and the broader public health community. We look forward to incorporating Dr. Lumpkin’s unique insights on the nexus of agriculture, nutrition and health to ensure that our research benefits not just producers, but consumers as well. Mark E. Keenum, Ph.D.
Chair, FFAR Board of Directors
President
Mississippi State University

Before being appointed President of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation earlier this year, Lumpkin served as Senior Vice President of Programs for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Lumpkin also served in various capacities at the Illinois Department of Public Health for 17 years, including serving as Director under three different governors.

Lumpkin began his career in emergency medicine. He earned his MD and BMS degrees from Northwestern University Medical School and his MPH from the University of Illinois School of Public Health. He was the first African-American doctor trained in emergency medicine in the country after completing his residency at the University of Chicago. He then went on to serve on the faculty of the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and University of Illinois at Chicago.

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I am both excited and honored, by this appointment. Access to healthy food is one of the most significant factors in health and I welcome this opportunity to be engaged with an organization helping to shape our country’s approach to food and nutritional insecurity and that is identifying opportunities within the nation’s food system to measurably improve health. John R. Lumpkin, MD, MPH
President
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation

Lumpkin has had an impressive career in the health care system and his expertise encompasses emergency and bioterrorism preparedness, infectious disease prevention and control, immunization, supporting local health departments, reducing childhood obesity and more. Lumpkin’s impressive breadth of knowledge can help FFAR catalyze research that drives positive nutrition and health outcomes.

We are honored to have Dr. Lumpkin, a nationally renowned leader in public health, join our Board of Directors. John’s extensive experience as a health practitioner, academic and government and foundation leader will be invaluable as we grow our portfolio with research at intersection of agriculture and health. Sally Rockey, Ph.D.
Executive Director Emeritus

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Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.

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