Erik’s professional career uniquely combines marketing, philanthropy, community relations, public policy, and entrepreneurship skills.  He joined AED in April 2008 as a Senior Marketing and Communication Specialist.  For the past year, Mr. Wang supported AED’s public-private partnership effort as a consultant with AED on the CDC worksite obesity prevention campaign, LEAN for Life.  Mr. Wang contributed to the branding effort for the campaign and successfully connected the project with strategic partners, such as the U.S. Chambers of Commerce, Wegman’s, Safeway, the Association of Health Insurance Plans, and other organizations, to build awareness and dissemination strategies for the initiative.  These relationships enabled CDC speakers to present at key worksite wellness conferences, provided CDC access to mailing lists and listservs, and provided a unique dissemination strategy.  LEAN for Life promotional materials were issued at congressional hearings on worksite wellness, and a swiss-cheese press release was disseminated to members of Congress to help them promote CDC’s campaign in their districts and with local businesses. 

Before his role as a consultant at AED, Mr. Wang served as the deputy director for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and deputy director for the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.  In this capacity, he developed policy recommendations for President George W. Bush on ways to improve the quality of life for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and increase Asian American and Pacific Islander participation in the Federal Government and the private sector.  He served as a representative of the Asian American and Pacific Islander audience at the 2005 We Can! partners’ meeting. 

Mr. Wang’s previous positions also include director for private sector initiatives and corporate relations at the Corporation for National Service, where he developed creative public/private partnerships and cause-related marketing campaigns with the business community, including Best Buy, Magic Johnson Foundation, National Basketball Association, and General Mills.  He also served as special assistant for Dr. Gail Wilensky at Project HOPE, where he researched and advised on healthcare issues and served as her principal liaison to Congress and Fortune 500 companies.  Before that position, Mr. Wang worked at the Republican National Finance Committee, developing and implementing various fundraising programs and Asian American minority outreach programs.  Mr. Wang received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Maryland.