Yolonda Richardson Replaces Matthew Myers as Head of Tobacco-Free Kids

Yolonda Richardson has been named the new president and ceo of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the most important anti-tobacco group in the U.S. and one of the most important anti-tobacco groups globally. Richardson replaces Matthew Myers, who has served in those roles for 23 years and is one of the leaders in the anti-tobacco world.

Myers will formally step down on July 1 and continue to serve as a strategic advisor to Richardson. Currently, Richardson is the evp for global programs for Tobacco-Free Kids, a role she has held since 2009.

“I am deeply honored to be named President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and to continue the work started by Matt Myers and Bill Novelli 27 years ago. There is much to do, but there is also immense opportunity to make large-scale impact,” said Richardson in a press release.

Myers departure will come a little more than a year after Mitch Zeller retired as the head of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. Together, Myers and Zeller—though reportedly not always in perfect harmony—pushed through a number of notable anti-tobacco proposals, most notably the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which created the Center for Tobacco Products and led to FDA regulating tobacco products other than cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Myers’ group also is arguably most responsible for the minimum age to purchase tobacco products increasing from 18- to 21-years-old, something that began on the local level before spreading to various states and ultimately becoming a federal policy during the Trump administration.

“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and I am incredibly proud of what our team and our many partners have accomplished,” said Myers. “Through smart, tenacious advocacy and a commitment to health and social justice, we have helped bring about transformative change in the U.S. and around the world. No one is more qualified than Yolonda Richardson to take this organization to new heights and achieve even greater progress in saving lives not only from tobacco, but also from other critical public health issues.”

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids was founded in 1995. It is a non-profit that works to reduce tobacco consumption, not just for kids, in both the U.S. and abroad. While the group is primarily known for its anti-tobacco lobbying work, it also takes on other initiatives outside of government. For example, Tobacco-Free Kids was also a leader in getting Major League Baseball to outlaw the use of smokeless tobacco on the playing field.