Francisco Ruiz, DrPH, MS

I've spent more than two decades working alongside communities, nonprofits, and government to improve health and strengthen the systems that support people. From local organizations to the White House, one lesson has stayed with me: the people closest to a challenge are often closest to the solution.

As the son of Mexican immigrants, I've seen how opportunity, relationships, and community can shape people's lives. Those experiences continue to influence how I lead, how I listen, and how I approach every partnership.

My career has taken me from implementing community-based public health programs in the United States and Latin America to leadership roles at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the White House. As Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, I led implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, bringing together federal agencies and partners across healthcare, philanthropy, the private sector, advocacy, and community organizations around a shared national vision.

Along the way, I earned a Master of Science in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from The New School and a Doctor of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Those experiences deepened my understanding of how leadership, policy, and organizational systems can create meaningful change when grounded in community partnership.

I started Adelante Strategy Group because I wanted to continue doing the work I find most meaningful. Bringing people together to address challenges that matter. Whether facilitating a conversation, guiding strategic planning, or supporting organizational change, my goal is always the same—to help people find common ground and move important work forward.