Donald E. Mullins is an Assistant Professor of Public Health Practice, Deputy Chief of Staff at USF Health, and Assistant Vice President for Health Affairs & Government Relations at the University of South Florida. He holds an Associate of Arts from St. Petersburg College and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of South Florida, where he is currently a Ph.D. candidate. His research focuses on American government and public policy, particularly in health care policy and legislative behavior.

Mr. Mullins serves as the Chair of the American Association of Medical College’s Government Relations Representatives group and provides valuable guidance to the Council of Florida Medical School Deans on state legislative strategy. A former member of the Florida Board of Medicine, he continues to contribute as a guest panelist on the board’s probable cause panel and is a Fellow of the Federation of State Medical Boards.

Deeply involved in shaping healthcare policy, Mr. Mullins has addressed critical issues such as Graduate Medical Education funding, regulation of pelvic exam procedures, surgical informed consent, hyperbaric oxygen treatment for veterans, donor breast milk banks, cardiovascular research investment, and the expansion of Florida’s physician and nursing workforce.

With a rich history in Florida’s political landscape, Mr. Mullins has supported candidates for Florida’s House of Representatives, Governor, and Circuit Judge. He has collaborated with multiple presidential campaigns, an experience that led him to meet his future bride. Donald and his wife, Vickie, have been happily married for over two decades and are proud parents to their daughters, Reagan and Avery.

Apart from his professional achievements, Donald is known to friends as a raconteur and turophile, a distinguished Kentucky Colonel, and an active member of various respected organizations, including the USF Alumni association, Phi Sigma Alpha political science honor society, the National Eagle Scout Association, and Ducks Unlimited. He is also a recipient of the Boy Scouts of America’s Alumni Award. During his leisure time, he enjoys his roles as a U.S. Soccer referee and is a dedicated Sporting Clays competitor.