Scott D. Ballin has spent 30 years involved in issues related to tobacco and public health. He has worked on a spectrum of issues ranging from labeling reforms on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products, FDA regulation of tobacco, excise tax increases, clean indoor air laws and tobacco agriculture reforms.

For more than 10 years he served as the American Heart Association's Vice President and Legislative Counsel, and as a Steering Committee member. He has provided consulting services to a number of public health focused organizations. Most recently he has served on the Steering Committee of the Alliance for Health Economic and Agriculture Development (AHEAD), an informal organization formed to work towards the enactment of recommendations contained in the Presidential Commission report Tobacco at a Crossroad, that included passage of effective but fair and workable FDA legislation, as well as finding solutions for assisting US tobacco farmers during times of 'change'. He remains a strong advocate for bringing parties and experts together in neutral forums in order to discuss controversial issues; to remove barriers to change; to foster constructive dialogue; and to find common ground.