2018 NM ACTion Conference Presenters

The New Mexico Allied Council on Tobacco is pleased to announce our Keynote Speakers for the 2018 NM ACTion Conference:

Brian King, PhD, MPH
Deputy Director for Research Translation, Office on Smoking and Health, NCCDPHP

Brian King, PhD, MPH, is the Deputy Director for Research Translation in the Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) within the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In this capacity, he is responsible for providing scientific leadership and technical expertise to CDC/OSH, the lead federal agency for comprehensive tobacco prevention and control. Dr. King joined the CDC in 2010 as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, before which he worked as a Research Affiliate in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York. During his time at Roswell Park, his primary research focus related to tobacco prevention and control.

Dr. King has worked for over a decade to provide sound scientific evidence to inform tobacco control policy and to effectively communicate this information to key stakeholders, including decision makers, the media, and the general public. He has authored or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles pertaining to tobacco prevention and control, was a contributing author to the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health, was the lead author of CDC’s 2014 update to the evidence-based state guide, “Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs,” and was the senior associate editor of the 2016 Surgeon General’s Report, “E-cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults.”

Dr. King holds a PhD and MPH in Epidemiology from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

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Claudia Rodas
Director, Southern Region, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Claudia Rodas has been involved professionally in political and legislative matters for over 18 years. She currently holds the position of Director, Southern Region for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.  Her work entails a focus on tobacco control policies in the southern part of the nation.  She has lobbied in the Texas State Legislature and advocated in several southern states to pass strong tobacco control laws. Claudia has worked in the non-profit arena for over fourteen years including holding government affairs positions at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and the

American Heart Association (AHA). During her tenure at both ACS CAN and AHA, she held the position of co-campaign manager for Smoke-Free Texas. She also led efforts to pass strong local smoke-free ordinances in a number of cities, including the Texas cities of Houston and San Antonio and the City of New Orleans. She has worked on tobacco tax campaigns, funding program initiatives and took part in the recent successful T21 campaign in San Antonio. She has extensive experience in lobbying and working in statewide and local political and issue-based campaigns.  Claudia is a native Houstonian and received her Bachelors in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and a minor in Spanish from the University of Houston.