WASHINGTON – The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, announced that longtime health care communications strategist Jeff Ventura has joined the organization as the vice president of communications, reporting to CRN president and CEO Steve Mister.

Jeff Ventura

Before joining CRN, 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 and 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.”

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.