Robert K. Ross

Robert K. Ross, a national leader and expert in health philanthropy and public administration, was elected to the AIR Board of Directors in 2024.

Dr. Ross has served as president and chief executive officer of The California Endowment, a private statewide foundation to address the health needs of Californians. He joined the Endowment in 2000 and will be retired from this leadership role in the fall of 2024. During his tenure, he has advocated for and funded efforts across the state: expanding health coverage for undocumented residents, farmworkers, and “Dreamers;” strengthening diversity in the health workforce; improving wellness-driven school climate and policy reforms; advocating for the health of young men and women of color; and providing leadership for health-oriented criminal justice reform. Dr. Ross served as a founding board member of Covered California, the entity responsible for the state’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act and, more recently, served as chair of the Los Angeles County Task Force on Alternatives to Incarceration.

Before joining the endowment, Dr. Ross served as a pediatrician and held high-level positions in public health administration, practice, and education. He previously served as the director of the Health and Human Services Agency for San Diego County and commissioner for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health; medical director for LINK School-Based Clinic Program in Camden, New Jersey; an instructor of clinical medicine for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and as a faculty member at San Diego State University’s School of Public Health.

Dr. Ross has been involved in community and professional activities at both the local and national levels, including serving on the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans and the Diversity in Philanthropy Coalition. He received his bachelor’s, master’s, and medical degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.