38%

Michael W. Hartford is Program Advisor for The Mac Parkman Foundation’s Florida Veterans Brain Health & Suicide Prevention Program, a statewide initiative conducted in partnership with the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs. He previously served as a Special Projects Healthcare Consultant with the Avalon Action Alliance and as Chief of Staff/Chief Operations Director at the Marcus Institute for Brain Health in Aurora, Colorado.

A retired U.S. Navy Captain, Hartford’s final active-duty assignment was Deputy Director, Navy Reserve Medicine, at Defense Health Headquarters. He also served as the Navy Senior Liaison Officer to the Department of Veterans Affairs and as a Care Manager with Navy Wounded Warrior/Safe Harbor. Before commissioning, he served as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, and Army National Guard.

His 22-year Department of Veterans Affairs career included serving as CEO of the VA Health Administration Center in Denver, COO of VA Loma Linda, and Acting CEO of VA Long Beach. He later served as Administrative Services Director/Financial Administrator for Hillsborough County within the Florida Department of Health.

Hartford is Board Certified and a Life Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (LFACHE). He serves as Vice President of Manasota Veterans, Inc., and as a Team Lead for the Florida Governor’s Challenge Task Force. He is a past president of the ACHE Western Florida Chapter and previously served on the President’s PREVENTS Task Force and the VA Veterans Advisory Committee on Rehabilitation.

He earned a BS from Northeastern University and an MHA from the University of La Verne, with postgraduate studies at The George Washington University. Hartford was inducted into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame, Class of 2021. His military decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal (Gold Star).