Background
The ETU Virginia initiative grew out of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center's attendance at the 2018 Texas Eliminate Tobacco Use Summit. VCU approached the University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center to join in their efforts to replicate a summit in Virginia. Since hosting their first ETU Virginia Summit in 2019, they have continued to host an annual summit, clarified Executive Order 41, and developed a robust tobacco policy surveillance system.
Explore the Virginia Higher Education Tobacco Policy Dashboard, developed by ETU Virginia initiative in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health. Click here to learn more about their collaboration.
Virginia Steering Committee
2025-2026 MEMBERS
John Boggess
Communication and Health Promotions Coordinator
Virginia Private Colleges Benefits Consortium
Mark Boldt
Tobacco Control Program Manager
Virginia Department of Health Tobacco Control Program
Cynthia Burwell, Ed.D, M.C.H.E.S., R.K.T.
Director, NSU Center of Excellence in Minority Health Disparities
Norfolk State University
Neely Dahl, M.P.H, C.T.T.S.
Chair
Tobacco Free Alliance of Virginia
Elizabeth Do, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Research Manager
Truth Initiative
Bernard Fuemmeler, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Professor and Gordon D. Ginder, MD Chair in Cancer Research
Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Comprehensive Cancer
Michael Gesme, M.P.A.
Program Manager, Community Outreach and Engagement
Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Comprehensive Cancer
Kyle Girone
TCP Epidemiologist and Evaluator
Virginia Department of Health Tobacco Control Program
Lindsay Hauser, M.S., M.T.T.S.
Director, Office of Community Outreach and Engagement
University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center
Melissa Little, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences
Director, Center for Nicotine and Tobacco Research
Cancer Control and Population Health, University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Virginia, School of Medicine
Gina Roberts
Tobacco Control Lead Regional Coordinator
Virginia Department of Health Tobacco Control Program
Andrew Romero, M.Ed.
Director
Geographic Health Equity Alliance
Contact
Project coordinator: Lindsay Hauser
Summit
Join us for the ETU Virginia Summit on April 20, 2026. Learn More.