Wakefern’s Chris Lane named NACDS chairman

Chris Lane, executive vice president at Wakefern Food Corp., has been named chairman of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS).

Lane, elected to the post yesterday at the NACDS Annual Meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., will serve as chairman for the 2019-20 term. He succeeds Mark Panzer, senior vice president of pharmacy, health and wellness at Albertsons Cos., who finished his chairmanship and was re-elected to a three-year term on the NACDS Board of Directors.

The NACDS board also elected Richard Ashworth, president of operations for Walgreens, as vice chairman and Rick Keyes, president and CEO of Meijer, as treasurer. Each will serve a one-year term. In addition, Keyes was elected to the NACDS Executive Committee.

Lane (left) has served as executive vice president at Wakefern, parent of ShopRite, since December 2016. He joined the Keasbey, N.J.-based grocery cooperative in 2003 as vice president of pharmacy and, in 2005, added health and beauty care to his responsibilities. He was promoted to vice president of grocery, direct-store delivery and commercial bakery in 2008, and then in 2011 he became senior vice president of nonperishables and later senior vice president of product divisions.

The food and drug retail veteran started his career as a pharmacist. Before coming to Wakefern, Lane served as vice president of pharmacy at Duane Reade.

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“While some aspects of the profession have not changed, the services performed by a pharmacist have,” Lane said Tuesday at the NACDS Annual Meeting in his first remarks as chairman. “Today, pharmacists are administering vaccines, educating patients on chronic medical conditions and managing medication therapy. For many of our customers, pharmacists are among the most trusted health care professionals they engage with. Pharmacists are often the face of health care to many communities throughout the U.S.”

Steve Anderson, president and CEO of NACDS, noted that Lane “talks passionately about pharmacy” and his experience in the field “fuels his commitment to achieving important results that advance the industry, for the ultimate good of patients and consumers.”

“NACDS chain and associate members, whose responsibilities involve the pharmacy and consumer goods alike, will appreciate Chris’ brand of leadership, and we look forward to his term as NACDS chairman of the board,” Anderson added.

Along with Panzer and Keyes, Lane was re-elected to a three-year term on the NACDS board. Also re-elected were Randy Edeker, chairman, CEO and president of Hy-Vee; Martin Otto, chief operating officer of H-E-B; Mark Griffin, president and CEO of Lewis Drug; and Bob Narveson, president and CEO of Thrifty White Pharmacy.

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The NACDS board also elected seven new members: Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Health at The Kroger Co.; Sean Slovenski, senior vice president and president of health and wellness at Walmart; Lori Flees, senior vice president and divisional merchandising manager for health and wellness at Sam’s Club; Jocelyn Konrad, executive vice president of pharmacy and retail operations at Rite Aid; Kirk Kaminsky, president of pharmaceutical solutions and services at McKesson/Health Mart; Debbie Weitzman, president of pharmaceutical distribution at Cardinal Health/Medicine Shoppe; and Mark Peterson, CEO of Genoa Healthcare.