Partnership for a Healthier America President and CEO Update
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 12, 2017) – Today Lawrence (Larry) Soler, president and CEO of the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), announced his plans to step down from his position effective July 2017.
James R. Gavin III, MD, PhD, PHA Board Chair said, “Because of PHA’s work, today’s children have a better chance to achieve healthy weights, avoid many of the chronic diseases associated with poor nutrition and overweight, and live longer and healthier. Larry’s leadership during these past six years was instrumental in our transitioning PHA from merely a good idea to a highly effective organization.
“The board and I will miss him but the organization is well positioned with a talented and committed staff, and we will promptly begin a nationwide search to find our next leader,” Gavin said.
Mr. Soler joined PHA when it was a startup in 2011. During his six-year tenure as CEO, he led the development of more than 200 health and wellness partnerships with the private sector while raising more than $50 million to help PHA achieve its mission. Prior to joining PHA, Mr. Soler was Chief Operating Officer for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a $200 million voluntary health organization.
“It has been an honor to serve as PHA’s CEO for the past six years,” said Soler. “I want to thank the Board, our staff and First Lady Michelle Obama for giving me an amazing opportunity to serve families across the country. I am so proud of what we accomplished and very confident that our progress will continue.
“I’m also excited to start a new phase in my career this summer when I will make contributions and provide leadership to companies and organizations interested in better health, food, and wellness by creating partnerships, building grassroots capacity, and leading coalitions and campaigns more effectively,” Soler said. A search committee is being developed, and PHA will begin the process to recruit a new President and CEO immediately.
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About Partnership for a Healthier America The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation’s youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with—but independent from—First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort. PHA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that is led by some of the nation’s most respected health and childhood obesity experts. PHA brings together public, private and nonprofit leaders to broker meaningful commitments and develop strategies to end childhood obesity. Most important, PHA ensures that commitments made are commitments kept by working with unbiased third parties to monitor and publicly report on the progress our partners are making. For more information about PHA, please visit www.ahealthieramerica.org and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews.