William L. Furmanski
Senior Vice President, Foundation Program Operations
William Furmanski is the Senior Vice President, Foundation Program Operations at the American Legacy Foundation® (Legacy), the tobacco control organization created by the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement.
In his current position he works with senior foundation staff to implement cross-departmental projects and coordinate relations with nonprofit and corporate partners, and other groups in public health. He also manages foundation sponsorships and conference participation.
Mr. Furmanski previously served Legacy as the director of communications from 1999 to 2002. In that role, he directed a public relations program that promoted advertising campaigns and publicized the release of groundbreaking research on youth tobacco prevention, as well as the debut of the first national cessation program for pregnant women. He also served as a peer reviewer and facilitator for tobacco prevention grant applications for underserved communities.
Before returning to Legacy, Mr. Furmanski was deputy director of the American Cancer Society’s Center for Tobacco Cessation from 2002 to 2005. In that role he managed day-to-day operations and oversaw communications and policy projects that included publication of a bi-monthly electronic newsletter on cessation and resource materials on cessation and Medicaid, tobacco cessation telephone “quitlines,” and the development of two Web sites featuring tobacco cessation information.
Before joining Legacy in 1999, Mr. Furmanski led communications and member services for the non-profit National Foundation for Credit Counseling in Silver Spring, MD. During his six-year tenure, he directed public relations and marketing efforts, managed membership communications, and served as media spokesperson working closely with The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and NPR.
Bill, a native of New Jersey, is a graduate of Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ. He is currently completing a master’s degree in public communication at American University in Washington, DC.