The American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, has named its volunteer leadership for fiscal year 2026-27. Beginning July 1, Manesh R. Patel, M.D., FAHA, a North Carolina-based interventional cardiologist, will serve as the Association’s new volunteer president, and Lee A. Shapiro, J.D., a Florida-based financial expert in health technology, will continue as volunteer chairperson of the board for the second year of a two-year term.
Other volunteer officers include Linda Gooden, M.B.A., volunteer chairperson-elect, a retired executive from the aerospace and defense industry, and Robert H. (Bob) Swan, M.B.A., volunteer treasurer, a venture capital and operations executive, both continuing two-year terms. Svati H. Shah, M.D., M.H.S., FAHA, a physician-scientist specializing in cardiometabolic genetics and translational research, will serve as volunteer president-elect.
These volunteer leaders are longtime champions of the Association’s mission. Patel, of Durham, North Carolina, is chief of cardiology, chief of clinical pharmacology, and vice president of heart and vascular services for Duke Health. He is the Richard Stack Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and a senior investigator at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. A longtime American Heart Association volunteer on the national board of directors and numerous scientific councils, Patel previously served as chair of the Committee on Scientific Sessions Program. In 2023, he was named the American Heart Association Physician of the Year. As volunteer president, he will serve as the Association’s lead volunteer scientific and medical officer.
Shapiro, of Sarasota, Florida, is a managing partner at 7wire Ventures, an investment firm he co-founded. In his continued role as volunteer chairperson, he remains the lead volunteer officer responsible for governance of the Association’s business affairs. He and his wife, Valerie, have been generous supporters of the Heart of Chicago Heart Ball and the Millions Honoring Moms campaign.
Gooden, of Annapolis, Maryland, is a retired executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Corporation. She previously served as treasurer of the American Heart Association from 2023-25 and chaired the Association’s audit committee. As chairperson-elect, she will prepare to assume the chairperson role on July 1, 2027.
Swan, of Menlo Park, California, is an operating partner at Andreessen Horowitz. As volunteer treasurer, he is responsible for governance of the Association’s funds and securities.
Shah, of Durham, North Carolina, is the Ursula Geller Distinguished Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases at Duke University School of Medicine. An active volunteer leader, she has served as chair of 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, chief executive officer 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 Association’s fiscal year runs July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives, and according to a recent Annenberg Policy Center poll, more than 8 in 10 U.S. adults express confidence in the Association to provide trustworthy health information.
