NACDS Refreshes Board of Directors

Kevin Host, SVP of pharmacy at Walmart, was elected chair of the NACDS board during the group's annual meeting in Florida.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) is ushering in new leaders and members of its board of directors. Starting this term, the board will be chaired by Kevin Host, SVP of pharmacy at Walmart. He succeeds Mike Wysong, CEO of CARE Pharmacies.

Wysong remains on the board’s executive committee as a past chair. Other board officers include vice chair Rick Gates, SVP and chief pharmacy officer at Walgreen Co..; treasurer Dave Warner, president and CEO of KPH Healthcare Services; and executive committee member Karen Staniforth, chief pharmacy officer at Rite Aid Corp.

“A compelling leader, Kevin Host will contribute mightily to NACDS’ vision for the next generation of thriving pharmacy care and retail health services,” noted Steven C. Anderson, president and CEO of Arlington, Va.-based NACDS. “As a member of the NACDS board of directors, Kevin has helped guide complex discussions on priority issues that are vital to the entire NACDS membership — including pharmacy reimbursement, the emergence of retail health, and issues related to technology and innovation. Kevin brings a depth of experience and insights that continue to help shape the future focus of this industry. I look forward to his leadership as chair of NACDS.”

NACDS also added five new board members:

Jeremy Gosch, CEO of Hy-Vee Inc.
Andre Persaud, president and CEO of retail, Cub Foods/UNFI
Mike Stigers, president, Wakefern Food Corp../ShopRite
Jim Tsipakis, EVP and president, supermarkets and pharmacy, Giant Eagle Inc.
Jenni Zilka, president, Good Neighbor Pharmacy

Mike Wysong is concluding his term as NACDS chairman but will stay on the executive committee.

Meanwhile, current board members Omer Gajial, EVP, chief merchandising and digital officer at Albertsons Cos., and Sharon Sternheim, president and CEO of Zitomer/Thriftway Drug Corp., were re-elected to three-year terms. Additionally, NACDS shared that its honorary board now includes Randy Edeker, who will formally retire and step down from his role as Hy-Vee chairman in July, and Brian Nightengale, who was president of Good Neighbor Pharmacy. Both Edeker and Nightengale previously chaired the NACDS board.

NACDS is holding its annual meeting this week in Palm Beach, Fla. During the event, Wysong shared thoughts on his time spent leading the board. “Being the chair of NACDS was the honor of my life,” he told the audience. “All my visits were a gentle reminder that you provide the frame for our industry, our association and our painting of collaboration. You contribute through your products and services, and the way you offer them. Our association plays a critical role in shaping our future, and provides a clear strategy and roadmap while enabling everyone to participate in achieving our collective goals.”