American Heart Association general counsel M. Lewis Kinard.

M. Lewis Kinard has been promoted to top lawyer at the Dallas-based American Heart Association. In addition to general counsel, he is also serving as the global health nonprofit organization's assistant corporate secretary and executive vice president.

Kinard succeeds a retiring Lynne Darrouzet, who is now of counsel to the American Heart Association's executive management. Kinard has been with the group's legal department since 2013. He had been vice president and and deputy GC since 2016.

“Over the past four years, Lewis has proven himself to be a resourceful and innovative legal adviser, dedicated to the lifesaving mission of the association,” American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown said in a recent statement. “As the association continues to flourish and we expand both our domestic and international business models, I am excited to have him help lead the organization to new levels of success and toward our goal of a world free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.”

Prior to joining the American Heart Association, Kinard held a number of other legal positions, including private practice; a municipal judgeship in the city of Wylie, Texas; a top in-house role at Legal Services of North Texas (now Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas); and numerous consultancies, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Kinard is a member of the Texas Access to Justice Commission's rules and legislation subcommittee and serves as the first chairman of the State Bar of Texas' Committee on Disciplinary Rules and Referenda, which was recently created by the state legislature.

He holds degrees from the University of Arkansas and Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University.