FEBRUARY 23, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC – The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, today announced longtime healthcare communications strategist Jeff Ventura has joined the organization as the vice president of communications, reporting to CRN President & CEO Steve Mister.
Before joining CRN, Mr. Ventura held several positions within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) where he served in communications directorships at the agency’s headquarters and at two of its major operational divisions—the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). At the FDA, he was a senior advisor in the commissioner’s office and oversaw regulatory communications of the agency’s tobacco control program. He was also a spokesperson for the agency, handling the media relations activities of several high-profile issues. At NIH, he ran all facets of the communications program for one of the agency’s research institutes.
Ventura has also worked in both the private and non-profit healthcare sectors. He was the Director of Corporate Communications at CVS Health, where he played a role in the company’s major rebranding effort, and in its community health and diversity initiatives. He also served in spokesperson positions at both Johns Hopkins Medicine and Brigham & Women’s Hospital.
"Jeff understands the health and wellness space, and how to communicate effectively within a regulated industry,” said Steve Mister, president & CEO, CRN. “He brings to the role his expertise as a strategic leader, coupled with a deep and expansive understanding of scientific communications, and the role of both industry and government regarding a wide array of public health issues. We know he will prove to be a valuable resource to our members, and a dynamic, passionate voice in his representation of our industry.”
Mr. Ventura was also a director of communications in the Legislative Branch and, prior to his career in public relations, a journalist. He holds master’s degrees from Simmons University (Boston, Mass.) and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing more than 200 dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and companies providing services to those manufacturers and suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements and food in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as to CRN’s Code of Ethics. For more information, visit www.crnusa.org. Follow us on Twitter @CRN_Supplements and LinkedIn.