SENIOR ADVISORS

dr. john ruffin

Founding Director, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, President & CEO, Consulstart, Inc.; Author; Senior Advisor to Partners in Philanthropy Advisory Services

For 24 years, Dr. Ruffin led the National Biomedical Research Program for Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He was the founding director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) and its predecessors, the National Center on Minority Health, the Office of Research on Minority Health, and the Office of Minority Programs. He oversaw the NIMHD budget of approximately $276M and provided leadership for the NIH-wide minority health and health disparities research activities, constituting an annual budget of approximately $2.8B.

Dr. Ruffin is a well-respected leader and visionary in minority health and health disparities. He is the author of Going the Distance: The Making of a National Health Disparities Research Enterprise, which provides a historical perspective on the intersection of science and politics in establishing a national research enterprise to address minority health and health disparities through the leadership of NIH. As an academician and a scientist, Dr. Ruffin has devoted his professional career to improving the health status of racial and ethnic minorities and other underserved populations.


dr. WILLIAM bertrand

Edward Wisner Professorship of Public Health, Endowed Chair (Ret.), Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine; Senior Advisor to Partners in Philanthropy Advisory Services

Dr. Bertrand is an internationally recognized expert in Public Health. He has contributed to the sourcing and managing of over $100M in grant funding. He has served as an evaluation consultant for organizations including the World Bank, UNAIDS, USAID, the Inter-American Development Bank, CDC, The World Bank, and numerous special projects in Central and South America and Africa.

As a Professor at Tulane University, Dr. Bertrand served as the Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Founding Chair of the Department of International Health, Vice President of Institutional Planning, Research, and Innovation, and finally Executive Director of the Payson Center. His research focuses on monitoring and evaluation, implementation science, and integrating information technology into health and development interventions, focusing on creating sustainable and resilient individuals and communities globally. He currently is Co-Director of the Dickinson College Program in Disaster Studies and for the last five years has been a visiting Scientist at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.


bradley franC JD

Entrepreneur, Author, Attorney, and Business Strategist; Senior Advisor to Partners in Philanthropy Advisory Services

Bradley Franc is a seasoned entrepreneur, author, and business advisor. He is the creator of The Succession Solution and author of The Succession Solution: The Strategic Guide to Business Transition. He has formed four separate companies that have been named nine times in INC Magazine's list of fastest-growing companies in the U.S. He is a strategic business advisor who has led quarterly strategic meetings for 25 years.

Bradley has an extensive background in law and business, with 30 years of experience representing closely held businesses in succession planning. In addition to his business ventures, Bradley is a sought-after speaker and has been featured on Bloomberg television, Sirius Radio, Young Presidents Organization, and other local radio and television programs. He has also been written about and published in Forbes, Fox News, U.S. News & World Report, and the United States Supreme Court.