Brendan Burns

Brendan is the Chief Field Officer and Senior Vice President of Field Strategy for Autism Speaks. For more than a decade, he has specialized in building movements of people dedicated to fighting for causes ranging from healthcare issues to education reform. His areas of expertise are field organizing, public affairs and digital strategy.

Brendan has spent the bulk of his career in the healthcare industry working for some of the largest nonprofits in the country, such as the American Heart Association and the Alzheimer's Association. He spent several years in Austin, Texas helping the Lance Armstrong Foundation turn Cancer into a ballot box issue in the 2008 Presidential election.

He has traveled across the country working on countless issues at the local, state and national level. He helped to promote major ballot measures, elect effective leaders and pass major legislation that is currently affecting the lives of millions. From smoke-free laws across the Western United States to helping pass the National Alzheimer’s Project Act through Congress, he has consistently pushed the envelope on engaging people in the political process.

Brendan graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in political science and communications. Born in Belgium to an American military family, Brendan thinks from a global perspective, always seeking to understand people and their motivations. His most important role is as husband to his wife Katie and father to Jayden, 11, and Alexis, 9. In his spare time, he enjoys running, golf, football, skiing, and time with friends and family.