Accomplished Public Advocate Tapped as Director of Government & Community Relations for Roswell Park

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center announces the hiring of Michael Johnson as Director of Government and Community Relations.

An individual who fervently advocates for the people of Western New York, Johnson has worked in public service and community engagement for over three decades. He previously served as the regional director for the Office of the New York State Comptroller and, before that, Chief of Staff and Communications Director for then-State Senator Byron Brown.

In his new role with the cancer center, Johnson has made it his goal to address health disparities in communities of color. His projects since joining Roswell Park have focused on education and outreach around COVID-19, including helping some 200 individuals from underserved communities to access vaccines; meeting with leaders from faith-based organizations and community centers; and working with physicians and researchers at the cancer center to expand education efforts in colorectal and prostate cancers — two diseases that disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic/Latinx men.

“I have seen the devastating effects cancer has had on members of my family and community,” says Johnson. “I hope to do all I can in this position to prevent or mitigate that for future generations.”

“Mike brings so much passion and insight to his work with us. We are very, very fortunate to have him working on behalf of Roswell Park to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve,” says Roswell Park President, CEO and M&T Bank Presidential Chair in Leadership Candace S. Johnson, PhD.

Johnson is a graduate of SUNY Buffalo State College and lives in Buffalo with his wife and children.

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Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a community united by the drive to eliminate cancer’s grip on humanity by unlocking its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the healing power of hope. Founded by Dr. Roswell Park in 1898, it is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. Learn more at www.roswellpark.org, or contact us at 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.