Washington, D.C. - Families USA, the national organization for health care consumers, presented Vincent DeMarco with the Consumer Health Advocate of the Year Award at the annual Families USA Health Action conference. The award, presented every year since 1998, recognizes outstanding contributions on behalf of our nation's health care consumers.
Since 1999, De Marco has been the President of the Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative. He is well-known for his involvement and achievements with the Maryland “Fair-Share” legislation, which required large businesses to provide quality health care for employees.
DeMarco began working for consumer rights as the Assistant Attorney General for the State of Maryland from 1983 to 1991. He went on to become the Executive Director of Marylanders Against Handgun Abuse, where he lobbied for stricter gun laws, including the 1996 Maryland Gun Violence Prevention Act.
DeMarco continued his involvement fighting for the rights of people as Director of Community Outreach for Handgun Control, Inc., from 1995 to 1997. Beginning in 2002, he became the Coordinator of Faith United Against Tobacco to advance tobacco control policy. Besides being the President of the Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative, DeMarco is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public health.
“Vincent DeMarco is a dynamic community leader who is committed to making quality health care a reality for everyone,” said Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA.
DeMarco fills his personal time contributing to projects that affect the health of our nation’s children. He consults for the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and for the Brady Campaign to Reduce Gun Violence.
DeMarco earned his bachelor’s degree in political science at The Johns Hopkins University. He later received his Juris Doctor at Columbia Law School, where he served as editor of the Columbia Law Review.
