David Anderson is the manager of strategic communications for Altarum Institute’s Health Care Advisory Services group. He leads a team that works with clients to develop and implement health care-related communication and marketing strategies.

Mr. Anderson currently leads a multi-year engagement assisting the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs marketing health benefits enrollment to veterans. This project involves strategic planning, collaborative outreach to veterans’ organizations, and paid advertising. To date, the enrollment marketing effort has attracted more than 500,000 visitors to the VA Web site and produced tens of thousands of completed enrollment applications.

As part of the VA advertising effort, Mr. Anderson leads the creative development of all advertising, as well as the purchase of advertising and management of advertising vendors. In addition, Mr. Anderson directs an ongoing program of veteran-oriented focus groups to help identify successful marketing approaches.

Mr. Anderson has more than 20 years experience directing communications and programs for government and nonprofit organizations. Career highlights include creating the online and public relations strategy for a national substance use policy program at The George Washington University; serving as the deputy director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Fighting Back national program office; and helping to make Chicago a safer city by providing public safety policy advice to Mayor Richard M. Daley. Mr. Anderson is the author of numerous articles and books about policing, crime prevention, and substance abuse treatment. He has extensive experience in Web communications and has developed successful marketing and communications strategies for a wide range of public health-related initiatives.

Mr. Anderson holds a master’s in government administration from the University of Pennyslvania’s Fels Institute of Government in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s in international studies from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He has also completed extensive coursework towards a master’s in public health at both Boston University and The George Washington University.