Longtime leader of Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter will say goodbye
WEST NORRITON » Under Wendy Campbell’s nearly 20-year leadership, the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter’s signature color purple raised awareness about the disease in more places than ever.
Many may remember back in the fall of 2015 when the fountain water at the Valley Forge Casino Resort even turned purple to signify the King of Prussia recreational mecca’s partnership with the organization.
With Campbell’s retirement on June 8, the CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter recalled some of her proudest moments while at the helm of the nonprofit organization that serves the needs of nearly 300,000 people in the Delaware, South Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania region who are affected by Alzheimer’s or a related disorder.
“As I think back on the last 18 years, I take great pride in being part of a chapter that has grown substantially on so many fronts from programs to advocacy to development,” the West Norriton resident noted in a press release. “I am most proud of building a staff, a board of directors and community of volunteers who demonstrate profound commitment to our mission as they serve our valued constituents.”
Campbell had joined the then Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter in 2000, subsequently leading the merger of the 12-employee chapter with the two chapters that served South Jersey and the state of Delaware two years later, forming what is now the Delaware Valley Chapter. During her time with the organization, Campbell grew its staff to more than 40 strong, as services increased to address the growing number of Alzheimer’s cases.
The release noted that the Philadelphia Walk to End Alzheimer’s became the first Walk in the nation to exceed $1.5 million in funds raised and has retained the top position in both dollars raised and the number of participants every year since 2015.
For nearly two years, Campbell also spearheaded the organization of a newlyformed Alzheimer’s Association Greater New Jersey Chapter, serving Central and North Jersey, as its interim executive director. As a member of the Alzheimer’s Association 2019-21 Fiscal Year Strategic Plan Steering Committee, Campbell helped establish the goals and craft the plan that will guide the organization as it seeks to achieve its vision of a world without Alzheimer’s.
“While I was hoping a treatment, cure or vaccine would be found during my tenure, I am proud to have been the Delaware Valley Chapter’s leader,” Campbell said. “I am confident the Alzheimer’s Association research program and its effort to increase public awareness will continue to turn up political pressure for even more research dollars, which will one day find Alzheimer’s ‘first survivor.’”
Prior to joining the Delaware Valley Chapter, Campbell, who lives in Jeffersonville, served for nearly 20 years as Vice President of Pennsylvania Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. She received her MBA and MPH graduate degrees from Columbia University in New York City.
The Delaware Valley Chapter, headquartered in Philadelphia, is the local arm of the national organization, The Alzheimer’s Association. The chapter operates regional and branch offices that serve Delaware, South Jersey, and Southeastern Pennsylvania, providing programs and services to more than 294,000 individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder.
The Alzheimer’s Association reported that every 65 seconds someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s. It is not a normal part of aging, but a degenerative brain disease that affects memory, thinking ability, perception, and sometimes behavior. It is the nation’s sixth-leading cause of death and the only one among the top 10 that has no cure, can’t be prevented or even slowed. It affects 5.7 million people nationwide, including approximately 200,000 younger than 65 — some as young as 30, who are living with younger-onset Alzheimer’s.