FAAN Names New CEO

I write about FAAN, The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, or its many programs, almost every month, it seems. They've been around almost as long as I have, which means they were early adopters in the allergy biz.

They describe themselves as:

the world leader in information about food allergy, a potentially fatal condition that afflicts about 12 million Americans, or one out of every 25. A nonprofit organization based in Fairfax, Va., FAAN has 30,000 members in the U.S., Canada, and 62 other countries. It is dedicated to increasing public awareness of food allergy and its consequences, to educating people about the condition, and to advancing research on behalf of all those affected by it. FAAN provides information and educational resources about food allergy to patients, their families, schools, health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, and government officials. For more information, please visit FAAN at www.foodallergy.org, www.faankids.org, and www.faanteen.org.

I automatically associate Anne Munoz-Furlong with FAAN. And why not? She was FAAN's Founder, and has acted as CEO for its first 18 years. She and FAAN seem interchangeable.

And yet, 18 years is an era. And so Anne and her husband and FAAN co-founder Terry Furlong, will be stepping down from the day-to-day operation of the organization, although Anne will stay on the Board of Directors

To replace her, FAAN has chosen Julia E. Bradsher as its new CEO.

Dr. Bradsher brings to FAAN extensive knowledge of anaphylaxis, a severe, potentially fatal allergic reaction. For the past six years, as Senior Director of Marketing, she led the marketing team and strategic planning for all Dey Pharmaceutical products, including EpiPen(R), an autoinjector device containing epinephrine, a drug that can stop an anaphylactic reaction. In that role, she has dealt extensively with leaders in the allergy-related scientific community. She has also conducted research on the needs of those who suffer from food allergy and anaphylaxis. ...

Bradsher holds a Ph.D. in medical sociology from the University of Miami and a master's in business administration from the Sawyer School of Management at Suffolk University in Boston. She has authored 10 journal articles, seven book chapters, and other solicited publications, and she has held research and faculty appointments in private research institutes and universities.

So, a welcome to Dr. Bradsher and a hope that she understands the very large responsibilities she has taken on. I use FAAN as a constant resource, which means that it is one of the few places I trust to give me accurate information. On the Internet that's a very high compliment indeed.