Rawle Andrews Jr., Esq., has been named executive director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF) and will assume his new post on September 27.
Andrews comes to APAF from AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), where he served for 15 years, most recently as vice president. He was a member of the national leadership team overseeing the organization’s field operations in the seven largest and most diverse states in the country, including California, Florida, New York, and Texas.
The APAF is APA’s charitable foundation. As executive director, Andrews will oversee APAF’s efforts to raise awareness about mental health, overcome barriers to access, invest in the future leaders of psychiatry, support research and training to improve care, and lead partnerships to address public challenges in mental health.
“Rawle Andrews’ record of results and action, coupled with his passion for health equity, will make him an excellent leader for the APA Foundation,” said APA CEO and Medical Director and APAF Board Chair Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A. “He joins a strong organization that does so much to improve our nation’s mental health, and I’m excited to see what the Foundation will achieve with him at the helm.”
During his 15-year tenure at AARP, after joining as Managing Attorney, Legal Counsel for the Elderly, Andrews led business, financial and external affairs for the Maryland state office. He then was named a vice president in 2011, and moved into his current role in 2015, where he launched a new strategic business unit that represents nearly half of AARP’s membership.
Andrews expressed gratitude to Amy Porfiri, M.B.A., who has been serving as the organization’s interim executive director during the pandemic. She will return to her position as the foundation’s managing director.
“I am honored and humbled to be joining the APA Foundation at such a dynamic time in this country and beyond,” Andrews said. “Mental health awareness and the need for medical help are growing exponentially. Working together, our Board, staff, fellows, and community partners will continue to meet this moment with focus, determination, and consistency while introducing the APAF to new communities where our neighbors in need live, learn, work, worship, and play.”
Andrews was a psychology major at Texas Southern University and graduated with honors from the Howard University School of Law. He spent 16 years practicing law before joining the AARP management team. He was honored with the D.C. Bar’s Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Award in 2006 and the Distinguished Healthcare Leadership Award by the National Association of Healthcare Services Executives in 2018. Andrews serves as president-elect of the Bar Association of D.C., an adjunct professor at Howard Law, a member of the Board of Directors of the Thurgood Marshall Center Trust, and national chair of the public policy committee for Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.
