Added expertise to help foundation expand resources, support scientific research vital to human health and performance
“The ACSM Foundation is privileged to engage talented, philanthropic individuals who are committed to help us grow needed resources to advance our mission,” said James Pivarnik, Ph.D., FACSM, president of the ACSM Foundation. “We are thrilled to welcome Sam, Michael, David, Ralph and Kristin to the board and welcome their insights as we strive to fund evidence-based research, education and advocacy initiatives in exercise science and sports medicine.”
Samuel Browd, M.D., Ph.D., is a board-certified neurosurgeon at Seattle Children's Hospital, Harborview and the University of Washington (UW) Medical Center. He also serves as a professor of neurological surgery and an adjunct professor of medical bioengineering at UW.
Michael McBrayer is the global senior vice president of global business and professional relations at DJO Global, covering the orthopedic and sports medicine markets. He has more than 30 years of executive management experience, primarily with DJO Global, where he has demonstrated success in sales management, marketing management and business development.
David Myers has worked in medical publishing for more than 30 years, both in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. He currently serves as senior publisher in the Health Learning, Research and Practice division of Wolters Kluwer where, in addition to other titles, he oversees publication of ACSM journals.
Ralph Reiff, MEd, ATC, LAT is the senior associate athletic director of student-athlete health, performance and well-being at Butler University. He coordinates all health care activities for Butler’s teams and student-athletes and oversees Butler’s sports medicine department, strength and conditioning program and the department’s medical personnel. He also directly serves as the athletic trainer for the men’s basketball program. Ralph has more than 35 years of experience working with a variety of sports teams and organizations.
Kristin Belleson is the new chief executive officer for ACSM. She joins ACSM from the American Osteopathic Association, where she served as interim chief operating officer and vice president of affiliate affairs and membership services. Kristin has more than 20 years of successful experience in association and nonprofit management.
Returning members of the ACSM Foundation board include: President James Pivarnik, Ph.D., FACSM; Treasurer Mark Hutchinson, M.D., FACSM; Mark Daly; Barry Franklin, Ph.D., FACSM; Jay Gladden, Ph.D.; NiCole Keith, Ph.D., FACSM; William Kraus, M.D., FACSM; Henry S. Miller, M.D., FACSM; Penny Mitchell; Todd Monrad; Kathryn Schmitz, Ph.D., M.P.H., FACSM, FTOS; Angela Smith, M.D., FACSM; Kimberly Stein, Ph.D.; and Walter Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM.
“The combined expertise, passion and influence of our returning and new board members will enable us to expand our impact, which we hope ultimately results in people worldwide living longer, healthier lives,” added Pivarnik.
The foundation also extends its appreciation and recognizes the contributions of outgoing board members: Sue Graves, Ph.D., FACSM; Elizabeth A. Joy, Ph.D., FACSM; Charles Kearns; Ash Lulla and Jeffrey J. Zachwieja, Ph.D., FACSM.
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About the ACSM Foundation
The ACSM Foundation was founded in March 1984. The foundation receives, administers and disburses funds to support ACSM’s educational, scientific and charitable purposes. Annually the foundation awards nearly $150,000 in research grants and travel awards. For more information, visit https://www.acsm.org/acsm-membership/support-acsm-foundation.
About the American College of Sports Medicine
The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 50,000 international, national and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine. More details at acsm.org.