Charles "Chuck" Henderson

Charles “Chuck” Henderson is the CEO of the American Diabetes Association® (ADA), an organization with a mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. His leadership empowers millions of people living with diabetes through groundbreaking research, education, advocacy, and meaningful connections. During his ADA tenure, Chuck launched the ADA’s Office of Health Access to address the lack of healthcare access and other disparities for populations at higher risk for diabetes, obesity, and related complications.

And in 2024, he founded the Obesity Association, a division of the ADA (the association), to get further upstream in one of the leading risk factors for type 2 diabetes: obesity. The association is working to reduce the stigma around obesity so that people seek the care they deserve, as well as developing the Standards of Care in Overweight and Obesity that provides healthcare professionals with guidelines for caring for people living with overweight or obesity. His efforts also expanded community engagement programs, such as the ADA’s Diabetes Prevention Alliance, which aims to scale and increase access to the National Diabetes Prevention Program.

Chuck is a board member of the National Health Council and a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization. He holds his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University, where he excelled as a varsity basketball letterman and team captain.

Please note that speakers provide their own biographies and headshots. Biographies represent the role of the person at the time of their engagement and are not independently verified by the Milken Institute.