Cleveland-Area Resident Elected to Lead Alzheimer's Association Board of Directors

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Dec 01, 2020, 11:00 ET

CHICAGO, Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alzheimer's Association has elected Brian J. Richardson from Avon Lake, Ohio, as Chair of its Board of Directors.

Richardson, who was first elected to the Association's Board of Directors in 2013, will now lead the 29-member, all-volunteer governing board in steering the strategic direction of the Association as it carries out its mission to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia – by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support.

Brian Richardson, Alzheimer's Association Board of Directors Chair

Richardson, 48, is Executive Vice President, Chief Transformation Officer of Covia Corporation, headquartered in Independence, Ohio. Prior to joining Covia, he was a senior-level executive at Sherwin-Williams. Richardson is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace University and earned his M.B.A. from The Ohio State University.

Since joining the Alzheimer's Association Board of Directors in 2013, Richardson has served on and chaired several Association committees, including Chapter Relations, Compensation and Diversity & Inclusion and the FY19-21 Strategic Plan. Previous to his national appointment, Richardson served on the Alzheimer's Association Cleveland Area Chapter Board from 2006-2014, including two years as chair. He is also active in other Cleveland-area nonprofits, serving as a Board Director and Member of the Executive Committee for United Way of Greater Cleveland since 2014.

"It is an honor to lead the Alzheimer's Association Board of Directors," said Richardson. "The leadership, staff and volunteers of this organization work tirelessly to fund research and improve access to care while providing much needed services to individuals and their caregivers, free of charge. In addition, the Association's public policy efforts have been instrumental to the federal government's funding of research to find a cure for this disease."

Richardson will serve as board chair for two years.

"Brian has been a great champion for the Alzheimer's Association and its mission in Cleveland and across Ohio for nearly two decades and has been a leader of our nationwide and global work since joining the governing board in 2013," said Harry Johns, President and CEO, Alzheimer's Association. "I am confident that his leadership as Board Chair will further advance the reach of care, while speeding and expanding research."

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association 2020 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report, including 220,000 in Ohio. Alzheimer's is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the fifth-leading cause for women. One in three seniors dies with Alzheimer's or another dementia.

The Alzheimer's Association advocates for the needs and rights of people facing Alzheimer's disease and other dementia. The Association calls for an increased commitment to Alzheimer's funding from the federal government for Alzheimer's research, education, outreach and caregiver support. It helps to pass landmark legislation such as the National Alzheimer's Project Act, which mandated the creation of the nation's first plan to fight Alzheimer's disease. It was also a driving force behind the passage of the Alzheimer's Accountability Act, which allows expert scientists at the National Institutes of Health to directly communicate with Congress about the resources needed to achieve the National Plan's goal of preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer's disease by 2025.

About the Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia^®. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.

SOURCE Alzheimer's Association