CONTACT: Frank Fortin

202.223.7189; ffortin@aphanet.org

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) announced at its annual meeting this week that its building annex in Washington, DC, has been named for John A. Gans, the association’s executive vice president and chief executive officer from 1989 to 2009.

“This building became a reality because of Dr. Gans’ visionary thinking, and constant and tenacious leadership,” said Scott J. Knoer, MS, PharmD, FASHP, the current executive vice president and CEO of APhA. “Today, this building is the home of American pharmacy, and provides the association with a solid financial foundation to continue its work on behalf of our members and the profession of pharmacy.”

John A. Gans, PharmD, was APhA’s 11th executive vice president and chief executive officer for 20 years. During his term, membership tripled and revenues increased eight-fold, and he was a major catalyst in the transformation of the pharmacy profession. He is Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Pharmacy at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy at the University of the Sciences.

The John A. Gans Annex was constructed in 2009, and was designed to meet a wide range of modern engineering and environmental standards. Replacing an office building that was built in 1960, it is connected to the historic John Russell Pope Building on Constitution Avenue in Washington, the only privately owned building on the National Mall. John Russell Pope, one of Washington’s most noteworthy architects, also designed the National Archives and the Jefferson Memorial.

The APhA Board of Trustees also named the picturesque sixth-floor Potomac View Terrace, with its sweeping views of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and other national landmarks, the APhA Leadership Terrace, in recognition of the contributions of APhA leaders and staff who brought the vision to build the building to reality. Watch John Gans accepting the honor from Scott Knoer at the APhA Annual Meeting.