CEO of American Cancer Society to retire in April

Gary Reedy, chief executive officer for the American Cancer Society and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, announced he will retire in April 2021, according to a press release.

Reedy became CEO in 2015, after more than 15 years as a volunteer leader for the Atlanta-based organization, including serving as past chair of the ACS Board in 2013 and the ACS CAN Board in 2011.

“We have been through both wonderful and challenging times together,” Reedy told volunteers and staff in an email. “When I stepped into the role of CEO in April of 2015, the newly organized single corporate entity of the American Cancer Society required us to rebuild together. You, our volunteers and staff, never wavered, and I couldn’t be prouder of our joint accomplishments.”

During his CEO tenure, Reedy provided the vision and leadership to rebuild the American Cancer Society after the organization consolidated from a federated model to a single corporate entity. Today, ACS has returned to its roots as a volunteer-led organization and has a new mission statement, core values, cultural beliefs, and a stronger commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity than ever before.

With its first unified, enterprise-wide strategic plan, the organization is working toward ambitious goals it set for the nation to reduce cancer mortality by 40% by 2035. Today’s American Cancer Society is more nimble, less risk averse, more courageous, and not afraid to innovate for greater impact, the release said. And ACS is delivering on its key initiatives by funding cutting-edge research, increasing screening rates, deepening corporate engagement, launching the BrightEdge philanthropic impact fund, and advancing policy and legislative change, including improved access to health care through ACS CAN.

“We are grateful for Gary’s dedication and leadership,” said Jeff Kean, chair of the ACS Board, “and we are fortunate that Gary will continue to lead this organization as we embark on an extensive search for the next CEO.”

The American Cancer Society Board will conduct a nationwide search with the hope of identifying a new CEO in early 2021, Kean said.