Brian J. King joins the American Heart Association in engaging companies in Southern Maine to create a community of lifesavers
According to the American Heart Association, 9 in 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of the hospital die, and more than half don’t receive bystander CPR. CPR — especially if performed immediately — can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. To help improve cardiac arrest outcomes in Southern Maine, Brian J. King, president of Bank of America – Maine, will chair the 2027 Maine Heart Walk, leading a year-round effort to rally companies and community members to raise critical funds and expand CPR education.
“After losing my father at a very young age to heart disease, this is an opportunity to do my part to make a stand against heart disease and hopefully help save lives,” said King.
Heart Walk is the largest community-facing initiative of the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere. Through fundraising, community education and corporate engagement, Heart Walk aims to make CPR education and training more accessible, fund vital research and drive equitable health for all. Under King’s leadership, top executives in Maine will work to recruit other organizations to join the Maine Heart Walk campaign and help build a community of lifesavers.
King and his executive leadership team have set a goal to raise $575,000. His team includes the following members: Michelle Bryer, CHUBB Benefits; Andrew Cook, Mascoma Bank; Jonathan Crasnick, NBT Bank; Allison Dewey, Boston Scientific; Ben Morse, Portland Hearts of Pine; Gary Newell, Ahold Delhaize, Matt Rector, Trellis Health; George Samaras, Portland Mattress Makers, Stevan Stromsky, Kennebec Savings Bank; Matt Wolden, MaineHealth; Alec Young, Turner Construction; Jack Zinn, Zinn Wealth Management and Jack Zinn, Jr., Zinn Wealth Management.
“Cardiac arrest can strike anyone at any time, and the outcome often comes down to whether someone nearby knows what to do,” said Tim Gatz, the Association’s Maine Heart Walk Director. “We envision at least one person in every household feeling confident to perform CPR. By joining Heart Walk, Maine employers can help ensure that when it matters most, their employees are prepared to act during a cardiac emergency.”
According to the Heart Association’s 2024 CPR Perceptions Survey, 39% of people — or approximately 103 million U.S. adults — now feel “extremely confident” or “very confident” they could correctly perform CPR, up from 33% in 2021. That’s roughly 17.7 million more adults who are highly confident in their ability to conduct CPR, yet 61% still lack high confidence to act in a cardiac emergency.
“While we’re extremely proud of the progress that’s been made over the last several years, our work is far from over,” said Gatz. “Brian’s commitment to making Maine a safer, stronger community is proof he’s the right person for the role. We’re looking forward to seeing incredible results from the 2027 Maine Heart Walk campaign and hope the community will join us in making it a success.”
The Heart Association is a global leader in resuscitation science, education and training, and the official publisher of CPR guidelines. Through the Nation of Lifesavers™ movement, the Association is working to ensure that more people are ready to perform CPR and be a vital link in the chain of survival, supporting its goal of doubling the survival rate from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests by 2030.
The Maine Heart Walk will take place on May 16, 2027 at Portland’s Back Cove. An estimated 2,500 participants are expected to walk in celebration of local survivors and the lifesaving progress made in Maine. Maine Heart Walk sponsors to date include Abbot, Boston Scientific, MaineHealth, Mascoma Bank, Northern Light Mercy Hospital, Portland Mattress Makers, Spectrum Healthcare Partners, CHUBB Benefits, WEX, ConvenientMD, NU-YAR Construction, and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maine. Media sponsors are Channel 8 WMTW and 101.9 POR.
Companies interested in participating can contact local Heart Walk Director Tim Gatz at Tim.Gatz@heart.org. Learn more and register at www.MaineHeartWalk.org.