The American Heart Association has announced its volunteer leadership for fiscal year 2026-27, effective July 1. Dr. Manesh R. Patel, an interventional cardiologist from Duke Health, will serve as volunteer president, while Lee A. Shapiro, a health technology financial expert, continues as volunteer chairperson of the board for the second year of a two-year term. Other officers include Linda Gooden as chairperson-elect and Robert H. (Bob) Swan as treasurer, with Dr. Svati H. Shah serving as president-elect.
Dr. Patel, based in Durham, North Carolina, is chief of cardiology and clinical pharmacology at Duke Health and a senior investigator at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. He has been a longtime volunteer on the national board and scientific councils, and was named the Association's Physician of the Year in 2023. As volunteer president, he will serve as the lead scientific and medical officer, advancing priorities in research, science, and patient care.
Shapiro, of Sarasota, Florida, is a managing partner at 7wire Ventures and continues his role as board chairperson, overseeing governance and business affairs. He and his wife have been active in fundraising, notably through the Heart of Chicago Heart Ball and the Millions Honoring Moms campaign.
Gooden, a retired executive from Lockheed Martin, previously served as treasurer and chaired the audit committee. She will prepare to assume the chairperson role in 2027. Swan, an operating partner at Andreessen Horowitz, brings venture capital expertise to his treasurer role, managing the Association's funds.
Dr. Shah, also from Duke, is a physician-scientist specializing in cardiometabolic genetics. She has served as chair of the Research Committee and the Genomic and Precision Medicine Council, and as president-elect will support innovation and scientific discovery.
Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, expressed gratitude for the volunteers' dedication, noting their role in advancing health and hope. The Association's fiscal year runs from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. For more information, visit heart.org or stroke.org.
