The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) today announced the slate of candidates for its Board of Trustees, President-elect and Honorary President. The elections for these positions will be held March 4-May 2, 2016. Association members will have the opportunity to meet the candidates at the APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Baltimore, March 4-7, 2016.

The two candidates for President-elect for 2017-2018 are Nicki L. Hilliard of Little Rock, AR, and Brad Tice of Thompsons Station, TN. The two pairs nominated for election to serve 2017-2020 terms on the APhA Board of Trustees are: Gregory A. Fox of Carmel, IN, vs. Sandra Leal of Tucson, AZ; and Randy McDonough of Iowa City, IA, vs. Joe Moose of Concord, NC. Phil Burgess of Chicago, IL, is unopposed as the candidate for Honorary President.

Attendees of the 2016 APhA Annual Meeting will have an opportunity to hear from the candidates for President-elect and Trustee at the First Session of the APhA House of Delegates on Friday, March 4, in Room 307-310 of the Baltimore Convention Center. Attendees will be able to visit face-to-face with the candidates at the “Meet the Candidates” session to be held on the APhA Main Street in Pratt Street Lobby of the Baltimore Convention Center Monday, March 7, from 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm.

Ballots for APhA's upcoming Board of Trustees elections will be e-mailed to members on the afternoon of Friday, March 4, 2016, along with ballots for candidates for the executive committees and sections of the APhA Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APhA-APPM) and the APhA Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science (APhA-APRS). Further election and candidate information will be available online in early-February.

Candidates for President-elect

Nicki L. Hilliard, PharmD, MHSA, BCNP, FAPhA, is a Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Pharmacy. Hilliard has pharmacy practice experience in community (independent and chain) pharmacy and free medical clinics, but has focused most of her career to be an innovative educator of nuclear pharmacy practice and management. She has expertise in interprofessional education, online learning and educational technology. Hilliard is a former APhA-APPM President and APhA Trustee, serving on the APhA Governmental Affairs, Strategic Planning and Policy Standing Committees. She served on the Board of Pharmacy Specialties and is the current Chair of the Pharmacy Provider Status Task Force and the Government Affairs Committee for the Arkansas Pharmacists Association. She received her BSPharm and PharmD from UAMS College of Pharmacy and a Masters in Health Services Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has been recognized with the APhA William H. Briner Distinguished Achievement in Nuclear Pharmacy Practice, APhA Fellow, APhA Award of Merit and the Bowl of Hygeia.

Brad Tice, PharmD, MBA, is the Director/Product Leader for Medication Therapy Management for Cardinal Health, Inc. Dr. Tice received his bachelor of science from the University of Kansas in 1994 and PharmD in 1996. He also received an MBA from Vanderbilt University Owen School of Management in 2012. His career has spanned pharmacy wholesaler, entrepreneurial start-up, chain pharmacy, academia, and managed care. He has focused his entire career on developing, implementing and advocating for pharmacists’ services to enhance the ability to improve patient care and for pharmacists to be recognized and compensated for that value. He has served the profession in numerous capacities including the Pharmacy Quality Alliance, serving as initial consultant to help get quality measurement on pharmacy started and on technical expert panels on quality measure development (NCQA, CMS) and improving MTM within Medicare Part D (CMMI). He has also served the American Pharmacists Association as speaker of the APhA House of Delegates and currently serves on the board of trustees as member-at-large. He has served in numerous elected positions within the Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APPM) and was a national member-at-large as a student pharmacist. His professional recognitions include being named Product Leader of the Year in 2015 for Cardinal Health, Distinguished Achievement Award in Clinical/Pharmacotherapeutic Practice, 2010, American Pharmacists Association – Fellow, 2008, Albert B. Prescott /GlaxoSmithKline Leadership Award 2005, and Iowa Pharmacy Association, Young Pharmacist of the Year in 2002.

Candidates for Trustee (Pair One)

Gregory A. Fox, RPh, is a current APhA Trustee and Pharmacy Merchandiser for The Kroger Co.’s Central Marketing Area, encompassing Indiana, Illinois, and parts of Missouri, Michigan, and Ohio. Fox’s experience includes community, managed care, long term care, and consultant pharmacy. He served on numerous health insurance plan boards as a board member or P&T committee member. He received his pharmacy degree from the University of Cincinnati and is a graduate of the University of Mississippi APhA Community Pharmacy Business Management Program. A very active APhA member, Fox is a Trustee and a contributing member of the Finance Committee, Government Affairs Committee, Political Action Committee, and the Strategic Directions Committee. He is a member of the APhA APPM section and is a House Delegate and a contributing author. Included on his resume is the President of the Ohio Pharmacists Association when legislation passed allowing pharmacists to immunize and provide collaborative services. He initiated and testified for similar laws in Indiana. Fox serves on the Indiana BOP Technology Committee, IPA, OPA, Indiana and Illinois Retail Committees, and the Medication Safety Partnership of Indiana. Fox is responsible for the development of the Kroger/Purdue Community Pharmacy Residency. He is an Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy Practice for several Colleges of Pharmacy and sits on three Pharmacy Dean’s Councils. Fox was awarded the BCPA Pharmacist of the Year, Ohio’s Young Pharmacist of the Year and Kroger Chairman’s Award. Purdue recognized Fox with the 2010 “Friend of Pharmacy Award” for dedication to the profession and the College.

Sandra Leal, PharmD, MPH, FAPhA, CDE, is the Vice President for Innovation at SinfoniaRx, a provider of medication therapy management services nationally. Dr. Leal is working to establish integrated clinical pharmacy services in a variety of programs including a hospital discharge program, integrated behavioral health clinics, accountable care organizations and patient-centered medical homes. She is utilizing tele-health and other strategies to scale resources to communities, clinicians, and patients. Dr. Leal received her PharmD from the University of Colorado and her MPH in Public Health Practice from the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Leal completed her residency at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System and a Primary Health Care Policy Fellowship with the Department of Health and Human Services. Her work has been published in Diabetes Care, Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease, American Journal for Health-System Pharmacy and a discussion paper published by the Institute of Medicine entitled, “Patients and Health Care Teams Forging Effective Partnerships”. Dr. Leal currently serves as vice chair for the National Center for Farmworker Health and as current member and past chair of the Arizona Department of Health Diabetes Leadership Council. Her programs are a two-time recipient of the APhA Foundation Pinnacle Award, an ASHP Best Practice Award in Health- System Pharmacy and the NACHC Innovative Research in Primary Care Award.

Candidates for Trustee (Pair Two)

Randy McDonough, B.S., Pharm.D., M.S., CGP, BCPS, FAPhA, is Co-owner of Towncrest and Towncrest Compounding Pharmacies in Iowa City and Solon Towncrest Pharmacy in Solon, IA. Recently, he and his business partner started Innovative Pharmacy Solutions, a consulting and clinical documentation software company. Dr. McDonough is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing clinical services, managing staff, and marketing the business. He has helped to foster collaborative working relationships with several solo and group physician practices in areas such as immunizations, anticoagulation, disease state management, and medication therapy management services. He also helped to develop and implement health screening and case management programs for private pay patients and self-insured employers. He was instrumental in implementing Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services for the Iowa Medicaid Pharmaceutical Case Management Program. He provides MTM services for Iowa Medicaid, Medicare Part D, and private pay patients. Dr. McDonough has been committed to the education and training of community pharmacy residents. He has trained or supervised over twenty residents. Towncrest Pharmacy is a current community pharmacy residency site. Dr. McDonough received his BS, MS, and Pharm.D. degrees from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, where he is adjunct professor (clinical). He is frequently asked to speak on topics related to practice development and implementation. He has published articles and book chapters about pharmaceutical care and co-authored a book on this same topic. He is a member of the American Pharmacists Association, National Community Pharmacists Association, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, and the Iowa Pharmacy Association.

Joe Moose, PharmD, is a clinical pharmacist and co-owner of Moose Pharmacy and its 6 locations in NC. Joe received his PharmD from Campbell University (1990). Joe serves as a primary preceptor with the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Community Pharmacy Residency Program. He is also a preceptor for students completing introductory and advanced practice experiential education rotations with the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Campbell University, and Wingate University School of Pharmacy. He has contributed to the state of NC by serving on a variety of committees, including chairperson for the NC Medicaid DUR board. In his role at Moose Pharmacy, he has established collaborative practice agreements with local physician’s offices to integrate community pharmacists into a patient-centered medical home. Under his leadership, Moose Pharmacy has also partnered with the City of Charlotte and Union County to manage employees enrolled in diabetes and other disease management programs. Working with his pharmacy staff, Joe has implemented and enhanced a variety of clinical services in his pharmacy, including MTM. Joe also serves as the Lead Community Pharmacy Coordinator for Community Care of North Carolina. In this role he has built a network of over 200 high quality community pharmacies that strive to offer enhanced value to payers. He is the recipient of the Next Generation Pharmacist of the Year Award, Next Generation Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2010 NCPA National Preceptor of the Year, 2015 APhA Community Pharmacy Residency Excellence in Precepting Award, and 2015 NCPA Independent Pharmacist of the Year.

Candidate for Honorary President

Philip P. Burgess, RPh, DPh, MBA, currently holds numerous leadership positions within the pharmacy community. He has been the President of the Community Pharmacy Foundation since its inception in 2002, on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, and serving his 14^th year on the Illinois State Board of Pharmacy (5 terms as Chairman). After 40 years at Walgreens holding numerous corporate management positions including National Director of Pharmacy Operations and National Director of Pharmacy Affairs, he founded Philip Burgess Consulting in 2009. His company is primarily focused on assisting in regulatory changes that maximize the use of technology to improve patient care. Past activities include serving as APhA’s representative on the HIT Advisory Board, the Pharmacy e-Health Information Technology Collaborative, the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS during the Clinton and Bush Administrations, and on the National Board of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign. His various honors include the NACDS Harold Pratt Lifetime Achievement Award and the Operation PUSH Unity Partner Award. His pharmacy degree is from the University of Tennessee and received his MBA from the University of Chicago.

The following individuals served on the 2016 APhA Committee on Nominations and slated the President-elect and Trustee candidates: Steve Simenson (Chair), Carolyn Brown, William Riffee, Tim Tucker, and Wilma Wong.