The American Heart Association has named its volunteer leadership for fiscal year 2026-27, with Manesh R. Patel, M.D., FAHA, serving as the new volunteer president and Lee A. Shapiro, J.D., continuing as volunteer chairperson of the board for the second year of a two-year term. The announcement, made on July 1, 2026, also includes Linda Gooden, M.B.A., as chairperson-elect, Robert H. (Bob) Swan, M.B.A., as treasurer, and Svati H. Shah, M.D., M.H.S., FAHA, as president-elect.
Patel, an interventional cardiologist from Durham, North Carolina, is chief of cardiology and clinical pharmacology at Duke Health and vice president of heart and vascular services. He also holds the Richard Stack Distinguished Professorship at Duke University School of Medicine and is a senior investigator at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. A longtime volunteer, Patel chaired the Association’s Committee on Scientific Sessions Program and was named Physician of the Year in 2023. As volunteer president, he will serve as the lead volunteer scientific and medical officer, advancing priorities in research, science, and patient care.
Shapiro, a managing partner at 7wire Ventures in Sarasota, Florida, continues as board chairperson, overseeing governance and business affairs. He and his wife Valerie have been instrumental in fundraising, including leading the Heart of Chicago Heart Ball and supporting the Millions Honoring Moms campaign, which focuses on women’s heart health.
Gooden, a retired executive vice president from Lockheed Martin Corporation in Annapolis, Maryland, previously served as treasurer from 2023-25 and chaired the audit committee. As chairperson-elect, she will prepare to assume the chairperson role on July 1, 2027. Swan, an operating partner at Andreessen Horowitz in Menlo Park, California, continues as treasurer, responsible for governance of 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 and serves as associate dean for translational research and director of the Duke Center for Precision Health. She has chaired the Association’s Research Committee and the Genomic and Precision Medicine Council. As president-elect, she will support volunteer leadership and strengthen the organization’s focus on innovation and health outcomes.
“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, CEO 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.”
The Association’s fiscal year runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The American Heart Association, a leading source of health information for over 100 years, is dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. According to a recent Annenberg Policy Center poll, more than 8 in 10 U.S. adults express confidence in the Association for trustworthy public health information.
