Kristofer Baumgartner is DEP’s director of Communications. In this role, Kris leads all DEP internal and external communications efforts and ensures messaging alignment with Commonwealth priorities. Kris has almost 20 years of progressive communications, health education and public affairs/media relations experience across the federal government including with the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Previously, Kris served as the Director of Health Communication in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). In this role, he oversaw all agency communications associated with CDER-regulated products. This included drug and therapeutic biologic approvals, medical policy, regulatory compliance, safety, and public education campaigns. Prior to taking the lead at the Division of Health Communication in 2018, he served as an agency strategic communications specialist and a press officer focusing on trade media. From 2007 to 2013, Kris was the full-time Deputy State Public Affairs Officer for the Maryland National Guard where he still serves part time as a cavalry and military operations officer.
Kris holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a master’s degree in Public and Media Relations from The Johns Hopkins University.