Welcome Chelsea, our new Community Advocacy Director in Greater Washington

We’ve made a slight shift to things in the DC area. We as AHA advocacy are shifting our local advocacy staff role of Government Relations Director, to a community rooted model, so that we can better serve the entire DC Metro area. To that end, we are thrilled to introduce our new Community Advocacy Director, Chelsea Walczak Vircks to the team!

Chelsea Walczak Vircks is the Community Advocacy Director for the American Heart Association’s Greater Washington Region, supporting local policy and strategy to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease, advance equitable nutrition security, prevent tobacco use, and strengthen community wellbeing.

After relocating from San Diego to Washington, D.C. in 2025, she served as the Association’s Cardiovascular‑Kidney‑Metabolic Health Initiative Professional Education Lead, developing national strategies to accelerate best‑practice adoption among healthcare professionals. Previously, Chelsea spent more than seven years leading the Heart Association’s Community Impact team in San Diego, advancing policy, systems, and environmental change strategies rooted in community needs and strong cross‑team collaboration.

She has a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is based in Washington, D.C., where she lives with her partner, Joel, and their beloved tabby cat, Bailey.