CHICAGO, Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alzheimer's
Association has elected Brian J.
Richardson from Avon Lake,
Ohio, as Chair of its Board of Directors.
Richardson, who was first elected to the Association's Board of
Directors in 2013, will now lead the 29-member, all-volunteer
governing board in steering the strategic direction of the
Association as it carries out its mission to lead the way to end
Alzheimer's and all other dementia – by accelerating global
research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and
maximizing quality care and support.
Richardson, 48, is Executive Vice President, Chief
Transformation Officer of Covia Corporation, headquartered in
Independence, Ohio. Prior to
joining Covia, he was a senior-level executive at Sherwin-Williams.
Richardson is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace University and earned
his M.B.A. from The Ohio State
University.
Since joining the Alzheimer's Association Board of Directors in
2013, Richardson has served on and chaired several Association
committees, including Chapter Relations, Compensation and Diversity
& Inclusion and the FY19-21 Strategic Plan. Previous to his
national appointment, Richardson served on the Alzheimer's
Association Cleveland Area Chapter Board from 2006-2014, including
two years as chair. He is also active in other Cleveland-area nonprofits, serving as a Board
Director and Member of the Executive Committee for United Way of
Greater Cleveland since 2014.
"It is an honor to lead the Alzheimer's Association Board of
Directors," said Richardson. "The leadership, staff and volunteers
of this organization work tirelessly to fund research and improve
access to care while providing much needed services to individuals
and their caregivers, free of charge. In addition, the
Association's public policy efforts have been instrumental to the
federal government's funding of research to find a cure for this
disease."
Richardson will serve as board chair for two
years.
"Brian has been a great champion for the Alzheimer's Association
and its mission in Cleveland and
across Ohio for nearly two decades
and has been a leader of our nationwide and global work since
joining the governing board in 2013," said Harry Johns, President and CEO, Alzheimer's
Association. "I am confident that his leadership as Board Chair
will further advance the reach of care, while speeding and
expanding research."
More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's
disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association 2020
Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report, including
220,000 in Ohio. Alzheimer's is
the sixth-leading cause of death in the
United States and the fifth-leading cause for women. One in
three seniors dies with Alzheimer's or another dementia.
The Alzheimer's Association advocates for the needs and rights
of people facing Alzheimer's disease and other dementia. The
Association calls for an increased commitment to Alzheimer's
funding from the federal government for Alzheimer's research,
education, outreach and caregiver support. It helps to pass
landmark legislation such as the National Alzheimer's Project Act,
which mandated the creation of the nation's first plan to fight
Alzheimer's disease. It was also a driving force behind the passage
of the Alzheimer's Accountability Act, which allows expert
scientists at the National Institutes of Health to directly
communicate with Congress about the resources needed to achieve the
National Plan's goal of preventing and effectively treating
Alzheimer's disease by 2025.
About the Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's
Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated
to Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to lead
the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating
global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and
maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without
Alzheimer's and all other dementia®.
Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.
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SOURCE Alzheimer's Association