American Diabetes Association Responds To Increased Funding For CDC And NIH Diabetes Programs

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 21 Dec 2007 - 3:00 PDT

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The American Diabetes Association (ADA), the leading non-profit health organization dedicated to preventing and curing diabetes and to improving the lives of the nearly 21 million children and adults currently living with the disease, announced that R. Stewart Perry of Lexington, KY, was elected Chair of the Board.

As Chair of the Board, Perry will be responsible for the oversight of the ADA's affairs. He will work closely with the President, Medicine & Science, President, Health Care & Education and Secretary/Treasurer on various activities/programs of the Association. He will also serve as the principal spokesperson and advocate for the Association regarding policy, goals, direction and management of the Association.

Perry has been a dedicated advocate of the ADA's mission and an active leader within the Association since he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1990. He has served in local, regional and national roles including ADA's National Community and Volunteer Development Committee, Chair of the Association's Southern Region Board and Chair of ADA's National Advocacy Committee.

Passionate about advocacy, Perry was instrumental in passing legislation for diabetes care in schools in Hawaii, Kentucky and Texas. In addition, he helped to advance stem cell research in California and Washington State as well as achieving a major court victory concerning employment discrimination against an individual with diabetes.

In addition to Perry's advocacy efforts with the ADA, he has also been a champion for fund raising at the ADA reaching new volunteers and supporters. He actively recruits new participants for the ADA's fund-raising events and raises significant dollars to further the mission of the Association. Perry is also Chair of the Development Task Force where he has taken a hard look at the funding sources of the ADA and developing new ways to build upon them.

Not only is Perry an active member of ADA, but he is highly involved in many additional community and civic activities including the Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, Lexington Lions Club, Lexington Rotary Club and the Rolex Kentucky Three Day event. He is also a founding member of the Fayette County Diabetes Coalition, a member of the Kentucky Diabetes Network, the "Get Fit KY" Board and the Kentucky Diabetes Research Trust Fund Board.

Perry, along with his father, is co-owner of Perry & Perry State Farm Insurance, one of the largest State Farm Insurance agencies in the state of Kentucky. He attended the University of Kentucky, Lexington Community College and the American College, achieving a Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow designation.

Diabetes is a serious disease that affects the body's ability to produce or respond properly to insulin, a hormone that allows blood sugar to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy. Nearly 21 million children and adults have diabetes in the United States. It is the fifth deadliest disease in the U.S. and it has no cure.

About the ADA

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's premier voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the Association has offices in every region of the country, providing services to hundreds of communities. The Association's commitment to research is reflected through its scientific meetings; education and provider recognition programs; and its Research Foundation and Nationwide Research Program, which fund breakthrough studies looking into the cure, prevention, and treatment of diabetes and its complications.

American Diabetes Association