Dayton, OH, November 1, 2022 - The American Heart Association is pleased to announce that Audrey Starr has been named Dayton Executive Director. In this role, Starr will oversee the fundraising and community engagement initiatives that create longer, healthier lives for all Daytonians. This new role aligns with Starr’s personal mission.

 “Heart disease and stroke run in my family; in fact, as I’m moving into this role, I have a family member recovering from heart surgery and my own cardiology appointment for preventative care being scheduled,” says Starr, “We know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States; improving heart health means a fuller, stronger, more sustainable community, and I look forward to leading Dayton toward achieving it.”

Starr has more than 15 years of communications, fundraising, and leadership experience. She most recently served as Vice President of Mission, Brand & Programs for YWCA Dayton. In that role, she oversaw: the agency’s youth and resource programming; advocacy efforts; marketing, communications, and community relations initiatives; and executed YW’s signature fundraising events, including Dayton’s largest luncheon, Women of Influence.

“The Dayton board is excited to welcome Audrey and support her as she leads the way in Dayton,” says Kim Rex, American Heart Association Dayton Board Chair, “We look forward to her leadership as we continue to build a healthier Dayton.”

The American Heart Association has trained more than 629,000 residents in the lifesaving skills of CPR in Ohio and engaged more than 19,000 students through our Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge programs. We are working alongside the community to reduce health disparities through initiatives that address issues such as healthy food access, hypertension and tobacco use.

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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

For Media Inquiries:
Katie Kwapich: Katie.Kwapich@Heart.org
For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and stroke.org