Former CTP Official appointed as CEO of Truth Initiative

According to a report by tobacco reporter, Truth Initiative has appointed Kathy Crosby as its new CEO and President, effective October 2, 2023. Crosby will succeed Robin Koval, who has served as CEO and President since 2013 and will retire after 10 years in the role. Mike Moore, Chairman of the Board of Truth Initiative, stated in a declaration, "Kathy's impressive background, extensive experience, and passion for public health make her an outstanding choice to lead our organization.

Before joining Truth Initiative, Crosby served as the Director of the Office of Health Communication and Education at the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, with 12 years of experience. In this role, she led impactful public education, research, and evaluation efforts, as well as played a crucial role in regulatory communication plans that contributed to the successful implementation of tobacco control laws. Crosby has a 25-year career in behavior change marketing and advertising, having held multiple senior leadership positions in both private and nonprofit sectors. Prior to her time at the FDA, she served as Senior Vice President and Group Advertising Director at the Washington office of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, as well as Vice President of Strategic Planning at Arnold Worldwide, where she helped launch the iconic "truth" advertising campaign for Truth Initiative.

Crosby's career at the FDA includes holding leadership roles in which she was responsible for developing national policies aimed at reducing tobacco-related diseases and deaths. Her contributions span across multiple areas such as policy-making, cutting-edge social science research, regulatory actions, communication, and strategic outreach. Under her leadership, notable achievements include involvement in the development of health warnings on cigarette packaging and advertisements, groundbreaking research on health equity, regulation of emerging tobacco products, and strict marketing restrictions on newly authorized tobacco products.

As the Director of Health Communication and Education at the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), Crosby is responsible for overseeing important initiatives that have played a significant role in reducing smoking. These initiatives include establishing a comprehensive communication office, developing customized advertising campaigns targeting high-risk populations, establishing a tobacco education resource library, implementing a robust conference presentation plan, and launching the FDA's Prevent and Educate e-cigarette Resource Center.

Crosby has stated that for the past 25 years, his focus has been on using public education as a means of promoting behavioral change to help people lead healthier lives. This passion began with his involvement in the first Truth advertising campaign. Leading the Truth Initiative feels like coming home, and Crosby believes there is no better time or place to continue advocating for positive change. The opportunity to help people quit tobacco is unprecedented, and he is eagerly looking forward to future work.

Koval expresses, "Kathy is an outstanding leader with an exceptional track record in public health communication, social science research, and tobacco prevention. With her highly relevant experience and achievements, Kathy possesses the ability to lead Truth Initiative into the future, building upon the organization's history of saving lives and continuing to make a significant impact. She also has the capability to play a crucial role in influencing the health and well-being of our nation's youth.

According to reports, Truth Initiative is a public health organization in the United States that is dedicated to combating tobacco use.

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Former senior official of the Communist Party of China (CTP) has been appointed to head the Truth Initiative.