Arthritis Foundation Selects Michael Ortman as Board Chair

November 24, 2014
ATLANTA − The Arthritis Foundation today announced the selection of Michael Ortman as the chair of its board of directors. Ortman has served on the board of the national organization since 2011, and is the immediate past chair of the Arthritis Foundation’s Mid-Atlantic region.

“The Arthritis Foundation is fortunate to have Michael as the new chair of its board of directors,” said Ann M. Palmer, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation. “Through his involvement at both the regional and national levels he has demonstrated a passion for improving the lives of the 50 million people affected by arthritis. His marketing expertise and the experience he brings from a global media and technology company will also be invaluable for our organization. I look forward to working with him and our entire board of directors as we continue to address the foundation’s four priority areas of advocacy and access, help and support, scientific discovery and juvenile arthritis.”

Ortman currently serves as vice president of content strategy and operations for Comcast Cable’s residential service group. He helps lead the development of market strategies for Comcast’s video products, and oversees the day-to-day platform operations of the company’s video services, including its signature Xfinity On Demand service. 

“It’s an honor to be selected as chair of the Arthritis Foundation’s board of directors,” said Ortman. “The Foundation truly makes a difference in the lives of people with arthritis and I look forward to influencing policies and developing strategies to enhance the lives of those affected by the nation’s number one cause of disability.”

Ortman has spent more than half of his 30+ year television career at Comcast.  He served in various field leadership roles after joining the company in 1996, and has assumed ever-expanding responsibilities in the marketing and programming arenas since that time. He joined the corporate team in 2011. Prior to joining Comcast, Ortman ran his own consulting company, which negotiated hundreds of television distribution agreements, broadcast syndication deals and national programming contracts.  

Ortman has been honored with numerous awards and industry recognition.  He is a member of the Virginia Cable Hall of Fame and was honored with the Richard Bodorff MHz Award from Commonwealth Public Broadcasting for his support of the organization’s focus on international and multicultural education and understanding. He also was honored with the prestigious Lucille Larkin Lifetime Achievement Award by Women in Cable and Telecommunications (WICT). Ortman earned his BBA from the University of Notre Dame.

About the Arthritis Foundation

The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is the largest and most trusted nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the needs and challenges of those living with arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability. Since 1948, the Foundation has remained committed to leading groundbreaking research for better treatments and a cure; fighting for patients’ access to affordable and effective health care; and providing trusted information and resources to the more than 50 million adults and 300,000 children living with the disease.