Dr. Richard Ricciardi is the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) Region 3 Director. He is a professor and the director of strategic partnerships for the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at The George Washington University (GWU) School of Nursing. Prior to joining GWU, Ricciardi served as the director, division of practice improvement, and the senior advisor for nursing at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Ricciardi served on active duty in the Army for 31 years, where he held numerous positions as a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) and family nurse practitioner (FNP), clinical scientist and senior leader. In his last two assignments on active duty, Ricciardi served as chief of nursing research at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and director of research at the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. In 2020, Ricciardi was recalled back to active duty to serve as the Medical Director for the COVID-19 pandemic screening, treatment and public health response at Fort Leonard Wood Missouri, one of the Department of Defense’s largest training bases. Ricciardi has held numerous board-level positions on nonprofit associations and organizations.