He was previously the executive director of the Tobacco Public Policy Center (TPPC) at Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, which provided technical and legal support to tobacco control advocates. Under Mr. Berman's leadership, TPPC pursued innovative approaches to reducing tobacco-related disease, such as drafting tobacco-free policies for school districts, helping businesses implement the Ohio Smoke-Free Workplace Act, and collaborating with apartment associations to address drifting secondhand smoke in multi-unit housing.