Answering the call to serve

David Battat ’91 (left) and Will Makris, Ed.M. ’00.

Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer

May 18, 2026 3 min read

From first responder to alumni leader, David Battat ’91 brings a lifelong commitment to community to his new role as HAA president

David Battat ’91 has built a career on curiosity and service to his communities — as a healthcare CEO, a leadership instructor, a first responder, and a longtime Harvard volunteer. On July 1, he will bring this same approach to a new role as the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) president.

“David brings thoughtful, steady leadership to the HAA,” said outgoing HAA President Will Makris, Ed.M. ’00. “He’s someone who listens carefully, asks questions, and invites a wide range of voices into the conversation. Over many years of service to Harvard, he’s shown a deep commitment to bringing people together, and I know he’ll help our alumni community stay engaged with one another and the University.”

Battat describes his Harvard undergraduate years as “an extraordinary period of discovery and intellectual exploration,” shaped by professors and classmates who encouraged him to explore all the opportunities the University has to offer.

That spirit stayed with him long after leaving campus, taking him from clerking for then-U.S. District Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor to a career in criminal defense and eventually to a medical device company focused on cardiovascular care and oncology. Never forgetting the barriers his former clients faced after their sentences ended, Battat, as the company’s leader, established re-entry programs at its manufacturing facilities.

Throughout, he remained deeply connected to Harvard, volunteering with the HAA in a range of roles, serving on the advisory board of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and as co-chair of Harvard’s largest undergraduate admissions alumni interviewing committee.

“Volunteering has been rewarding in ways I never anticipated — giving me an even greater appreciation for the groundbreaking research of faculty and fellows, and the opportunity to see the extraordinary talent of Harvard applicants.”

A volunteer firefighter, Battat was a first responder at Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001, an experience that led him to co-found the Harvard Alumni Disaster Preparedness and Response Shared Interest Group, after discovering a large community of alumni working in emergency response and public safety. Several New York City police officers who graduated from Harvard Kennedy School encouraged him to become an instructor in a leadership course for newly promoted captains. “As a former criminal defense lawyer, the last thing I ever thought I’d do is teach culture change at the NYPD.”

“David’s many years of dedicated volunteer service to Harvard, along with his thoughtful alumni outreach and community-building efforts, have prepared him well for this role,” said Sarah Karmon, executive director of the HAA. “We look forward to working alongside him while we continue to engage, support, and bring together volunteers and alumni around the world.”

As he steps into the presidency, Battat’s priority is to foster constructive alumni dialogue and active participation in the alumni community. For Battat, building the alumni community is not about achieving consensus. “The passion behind our disagreements is proof of how deeply Harvard has shaped us — and that shared depth of feeling is what holds us together.

Battat will serve as HAA president for the 2026-27 academic year, taking up the office on July 1. He will welcome the graduating College Class of 2026 to the alumni community at Harvard’s College Class Day celebration on May 27.