I am deeply honored to be nominated for the Gold Headed Cane Award.
My career has been highlighted by my work in advocacy for issues facing our specialty along with the business challenges of practice. I was nominated by ACAAI to the Joint Council (JCAAI) board in 2004, leading me to become JCAAI president (2010-2012) when it was still an independent organization representing both ACAAI and AAAAI. I facilitated the reorganization of JCAAI to become the Advocacy Council of the College during my tenure as ACAAI president (2014-2015). I have served as executive director of advocacy and government relations of the Advocacy Council for the past six years. Among my most significant advocacy accomplishments are representing the College to assure that allergy extracts were given special consideration in the USP <797> Chapter on Compounding and transforming the House of Delegates to act as a grassroots organization at the state and local levels. I also have represented the College as advisor to the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Panel and the RVS Update Committee (RUC).
Other milestones of my service include chairing the Marketing Task Force during the development of the Find an Allergist, Find Relief campaign and the development of the Find an Allergist functionality on our website. During my term as College president, the implementation of the Vision 20/20 strategic plan resulted in advocacy becoming a benefit of College membership, a redesigned patient website, refreshed College brand, change in annual meeting planning to include committee chairs, the launch of the College Learning Connection and committee reorganization to ensure diversity and inclusion in those participating in this critical College activity.
I have been honored by the College with the Distinguished Fellow Award, the Bela Schick Lectureship, served on numerous ACAAI committees, task forces, and workgroups (chairing 14 of them), co-chaired the Environment Practice Parameter Work Group and served on the Annals editorial board.
Beyond the College, I am co-founder (along with Stephen Pollard MD, FACAAI) and chief medical officer of Family Allergy & Asthma, based in Louisville, KY. I serve on the board of the World Allergy Organization and the editorial board of the WAO Journal. I also serve on several other boards, including the University of Louisville President’s Council and the Norton Healthcare board of trustees. I am a clinical professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. For over 20 years I served as the section chief of Pediatric Allergy & Immunology.
I live in Anchorage, KY with my wife Lelia and have four grown children and four grandchildren.