Michael Ninburg, longtime executive director of the Hepatitis Education Project, will be the new president of the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA), according to a press release from the international advocacy organization.

Before fully assuming the position, Ninburg will shadow WHA’s current president, Charles Gore, throughout 2017 to better learn the role and ensure a smooth transition. Then, in 2018, he’ll officially be endorsed for the post by WHA’s executive board, while Gore, who has been the organization’s president for ten years will step down.

Throughout his career, Ninburg has consulted at a variety of health advocacy and governmental organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He has worked as the executive director of the Hepatitis Education Project (HEP), a Seattle-based nonprofit, since 2001, and currently sits on the steering committees of the HBV Forum and the Forum for Collaborative HIV research. 

Ninburg is also a former WHA regional board member and was nominated for the position by fellow board members last year. Before working in advocacy, Ninburg held private-sector positions at Amazon and Apple.

In 2012, Ninburg oversaw the creation of HEP’s National Hepatitis Corrections Network, which focuses on people living with hepatitis C in prisons and jails. The longtime advocate has been recognized for his service by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.