NACDS Elects 2024-2025 Officers, Welcomes New Members to Board and Executive Committee

Kevin Host speaks here in his capacity as NACDS vice chair and as chair of the NACDS Political Action Committee. Host was elected as NACDS chair of the Board, and will accept the gavel on Tuesday morning.

During the 2024 National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Annual Meeting, NACDS elected new officers and five newly elected Board of Directors members for the coming year. Additionally, NACDS re-elected two Board of Directors members whose terms were set to expire.

Kevin Host, senior vice president of pharmacy, Walmart, will serve as the new chair of the NACDS Board of Directors, succeeding Mike Wysong, chief executive officer, CARE Pharmacies, who completed his term and who will remain on the NACDS Board of Directors.

In addition, Rick Gates, senior vice president and chief pharmacy officer, Walgreen Co., was elected NACDS vice chair, and Dave Warner, president and chief executive officer, KPH Healthcare Services, Inc., was elected NACDS treasurer. Each officer will serve a one-year term.

Warner and Karen Staniforth, chief pharmacy officer, Rite Aid Corporation, were also newly elected to the NACDS Executive Committee.

"A compelling leader, Kevin Host will contribute mightily to NACDS' vision for the next generation of thriving pharmacy care and retail health services," said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson. "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."

Five new NACDS Board of Directors members also were elected:

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

Two NACDS Board of Directors members were also re-elected to three-year terms:

• Omer Gajial, executive vice president, chief merchandising and digital officer, Albertsons Companies
• Sharon Sternheim, president and chief executive officer, Zitomer/Thriftway Drug Corp.

Randy Edeker, who has served as executive chairman, chairman, chief executive officer, and president, Hy-Vee, Inc., and Brian Nightengale, who served as president, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, were elected to the NACDS Honorary Board. Edeker and Nightengale served as chair of NACDS from April 2015 to April 2016 and from April 2022 to April 2023, respectively.

Editor's Note: Photos of the newly elected Executive Committee and Board of Directors members will be available via Flickr.