Coretta LaGarde

Executive Director and Market Vice President 

American Heart Association 

Coretta LaGarde, MPA, has a unique ability to connect with people compassionately. As the Executive Director of the American Heart Association, Coretta dedicates her time to improving health outcomes across the Greater New Orleans community by driving robust revenue and community-transforming initiatives advancing equitable health impact. Championing health equity and partnerships, Coretta collaborates with volunteers, schools, lawmakers, healthcare providers, patients, companies, and community partners, ensuring everyone has access to healthier lifestyle choices and proper healthcare.

Before her recent promotion as Executive Director, I was Health Equity Executive Advisor fostering collaborations, inspiring innovative thinking, and influencing change to improve health equity and community outcomes. Coretta worked to develop successful solutions aligned with the Association's 10 Commitments. This positioned the American Heart Association to become entrenched in the community by amplifying Health Equity solutions and galvanizing resources. As Vice President of Health Strategies for the American Heart Association, I worked with corporations and key community leaders to provide resources that impact systems change, conversation change & policy change in hopes of ultimately changing Louisiana's health culture.

With twenty years of experience in nonprofit and corporate engagement, Coretta's people-management journey, paired with performance leadership at the American Heart Association's Regional and National levels, has included participation in the Future of Advocacy Workgroup, Social Determinants of Health Matrix Team, Health Equity, and Structural Racism Champion, and McKinsey Black Leadership Academy alums. Her most recent accomplishments include receiving an Association-wide Pillar Award in 2019, the Southeast Region Community Impact Collaboration Award in 2020, and the Jefferson Chamber Chairman's Award in 2021.

Outside of the American Heart Association and in her community, Coretta is the Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the New Orleans Council on Aging, Chair of the Health & Wellness Committee/Executive Board Member at the Jefferson Chamber, and active on several health-related commissions and coalitions throughout Louisiana. She is a graduate of the University of New Orleans with a Master of Public Administration and Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science degree.