St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®, ALSAC announce new leadership to Boards of Directors and Governors

MEMPHIS, Tenn., July 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® and ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude, today announced new leadership to the ALSAC Board of Directors and St. Jude Board of Governors. Since the hospital opened in 1962, the Boards of Directors and Governors have been involved in the lifesaving mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving children.®

Judy A. Habib, co-founder and chief executive officer of KHJ Brand Activation and vice chair for the ALSAC Board of Directors, and Christopher B. George, M.D., a partner at Florida Cancer Specialist and vice chair of the St. Jude Board of Governors, have been chosen to lead as chairs of ALSAC Board of Directors and St. Jude Board of Governors, respectively. These roles took effect July 1. The members of the Boards of Directors and Governors are volunteers who serve without compensation and provide governance and strategic oversight for both ALSAC and St. Jude.

Habib joined the ALSAC/St. Jude Boards in 1994, recusing herself for two years in 2004 and 2005 to support the Thomas family in launching the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign, and has most recently served as the vice chair of the ALSAC Board of Directors. As CEO of KHJ Brand Activation, she leads a team that has been recognized by the Boston Globe and Boston Business Journal as one of the top-ranked marketing agencies and woman-led companies in the region. Habib also serves on the board of directors of the Massachusetts Women's Forum and the board of trustees of Ursuline Academy.

"Today we thank Judy for her service and welcome her leadership as chair of the ALSAC Board of Directors in continued dedication and support to the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital," said Richard Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. "Judy is proud to be part of the second generation, carrying on the legacy of her parents who also served the mission of St. Jude, while establishing her own legacy as a passionate servant leader to our mission and her community. I join everyone at ALSAC in congratulating her on her new position."

Habib's father, Halim G. Habib, MD, served on the ALSAC/St. Jude Boards from 1964 to 1993 and on the Emeritus Board from 1993 to 2009.

George joined the ALSAC/St. Jude Boards in 2008, serving on several committees, including as chair of the Quality and Patient Care Committee. He held the position of vice chair of the St. Jude Board of Governors from 2017–2019.

In his new role, George will oversee governance of St. Jude, which is transforming the landscape for childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases through a six-year, $7 billion strategy to accelerate progress in the clinic, in the laboratory and around the world. 

George is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and adult medical oncology. He earned a Master of Science degree in chemistry from the University of South Florida, where he was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Honor Society. During medical school at the University of South Florida College of Medicine, he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

"Through their stewardship and guidance, the ALSAC/St. Jude Boards are our partners in working to fulfill hospital founder Danny Thomas' dream for children," said James R. Downing, M.D., St. Jude President and CEO. "Dr. George's expertise will be integral to creating the future strategies that fuel innovation and advance research and treatment at St. Jude."

Duties of the ALSAC/St. Jude Board of Directors and Governors include governing their respective organizations and establishing new policies, selecting and reviewing the performance of chief executive officers, insuring the availability of adequate financial resources, approving annual budgets and overall accounting for the ethics, compliance and performance of the respective organizations.

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital^®
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.^® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, sharing stories and videos from St. Jude Inspire, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on Twitter and Instagram and subscribing to its YouTube channel.

SOURCE ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Related Links

http://www.stjude.org