Gerald C. Weinberg Retires as MDA President & CEO
TUCSON, Ariz., Dec. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Gerald C. Weinberg, President & CEO of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), has announced his retirement. Weinberg informed the Board of Directors at its meeting last Friday in New York of his retirement, which will become effective as of the end of this year. Weinberg, who is 82 years old, has been an integral member of the organization for the past 54 years, having helped launch MDA and its Labor Day Telethon into national prominence. He remains committed to helping advance MDA's life-saving mission and will continue to serve on its Board of Directors and as a consultant.
"Curing muscular dystrophy has been a labor of love and continues to be a focus of my life," said Weinberg. "I have been contemplating retirement for the past few years and feel that now the time is right for me to step aside and let others lead this great cause. This is a critical time in MDA's history, but rest assured that I, along with the Board of Directors, remain keenly focused on continuing to build on MDA's legacy. We indeed have much to do, but there is no doubt that by working together the possibilities are endless and MDA's future remains bright—together we can make it happen!"
Effective immediately, MDA will be overseen by a collective Interim Office of the President comprised of Interim President Valerie Cwik, M.D., Interim COO Pete Morgan, as well as Executive Vice Presidents Gail Kerner, Esq. and Kevin Moran. This management team will be working closely with Mr. Weinberg over the next several weeks to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. A national search for permanent leadership will start immediately and will be overseen by MDA Chairman of the Board of Directors, R. Rodney Howell, M.D.
"MDA will forever be indebted to Jerry Weinberg for his decades of dedicated service and tremendous leadership," said Dr. Howell. "It has been an honor to work with him during my time with MDA. We must now focus on identifying the best candidate to fill Mr. Weinberg's shoes and help lead MDA in the coming years, as it continues to champion promising research and clinical trials in hopes of realizing treatments and cures for devastating neuromuscular diseases."
About MDA
MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive healthcare and support services, advocacy and education. See the award-winning MDA "Make A Muscle, Make A Difference" PSA.
In addition to funding some 300 research projects worldwide, MDA maintains a national network of some 200 hospital-affiliated clinics; facilitates hundreds of support groups for families affected by neuromuscular diseases; and provides extraordinary local summer camp opportunities for thousands of youngsters fighting progressive muscle diseases. Known globally for the MDA Labor Day Telethon, the Association is the first nonprofit organization to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Medical Association "for significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity."
Contacts:
Chris Giglio/James Coronios
[email protected]/ [email protected]
(212)529-5533
SOURCE Muscular Dystrophy Association
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