Arkansas Pharmacists Association Names New CEO
by January 11, 2016 2:41 pm 302 views
Arkansas Pharmacists Association (APA) Chief Operating Officer Scott Pace, Pharm.D., J.D. has been selected to lead the APA as the new Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer.
Pace was selected from a pool of a dozen candidates with backgrounds in medicine, association management and non-profit administration.
“I’m honored to accept the position of Executive Vice President & CEO of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association,” Pace said. “For the past decade, I have worked within this organization to fight for pharmacists across the state and to find solutions to the many challenges facing the pharmacy profession and the healthcare industry. As a pharmacist, community pharmacy owner, APA member, and now CEO, I will continue to hold high the values of APA as we work together to further incorporate pharmacists as the medication experts in Arkansas’s healthcare system.”
During the 2015 APA Fall District Meetings, former CEO Mark Riley announced that he would retire by the end of 2015. Upon his announcement, APA President John Vinson organized a nationwide search for the next CEO, which garnered 12 applicants from across the country. A search committee, made up of leaders from all practice settings within Arkansas pharmacy, was able to narrow down the applicants to a pool of three well-qualified individuals who were interviewed by the full Board of Directors. The ultimate decision was made by the APA Board of Directors.
“During this crucial time for the pharmacy profession and the healthcare industry in Arkansas, the Association and its members need a CEO that will continue the strong tradition of leadership that has been a hallmark of the association,” APA President John Vinson said. “Scott’s impressive resume, his institutional knowledge of APA, and his background as a pharmacy owner and attorney make him the ideal candidate to lead the Arkansas Pharmacists Association into the next chapter of its long history of not only advocating for Arkansas pharmacists but for the health of all Arkansans.”
Pace holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Arkansas State University, a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He was recently honored as one of Arkansas Business’s 2015 40 Under 40. He and his wife Anne own Kavanaugh Pharmacy in Little Rock. They have two children, Cameron (5) and Carter (4).