Robin E. Mockenhaupt, PhD, MPH, MBA, chief of staff, joined the Foundation in 1999 as a senior program officer. She describes RWJF’s work as “finding gems of great ideas and people who are doing terrific work and, with the right resources, helping those ideas and models grow and develop to make an impact.” In her role as chief of staff, she works to provide an optimal environment that enables staff to focus on the job of helping Americans lead healthier lives. She works closely with the CEO to implement key initiatives, provides leadership and centrally coordinated planning and operations strategies and activities, leads several of the Foundation’s management groups, and is a liaison between the Board and the staff.

From 2003 to 2005, Mockenhaupt worked as deputy group director for the Health group and also served as its interim director in 2004. As a senior program officer, from 1999 to 2003, she worked in the areas of health behavior, obesity and chronic disease management. Her portfolio included the Active for Life, Health e-Technologies, Managing Pediatric Asthma and Improving Asthma Care for Children national programs, as well as many other grants and contracts.

Before joining the Foundation, Mockenhaupt spent 16 years with AARP in Washington, D.C., where she specialized in health and aging. She co-authored the book, Healthy Aging, with Kathleen Boyle and has written many journal articles on this issue. Her other positions with AARP included providing technical assistance on health issues in AARP field offices, managing their health advocacy services and serving as director of the National Resource Center on Health Promotion and Aging. She also has held positions at Focus Technologies in Washington, D.C.; the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health, Georgetown University; and the National Health Screening Council, Bethesda, Md.

Mockenhaupt received a PhD in health education from the University of Maryland, a graduate certificate in gerontology from the Center on Aging at the University of Maryland, an MPH in health administration from Columbia University, and an MBA and BS in biology from the Pennsylvania State University.

A native of Pittsburgh, Mockenhaupt now lives in New Jersey. She and her husband, Ralph, have two adult children.