ACR Announces New Executive Vice President Steven Echard Save

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Steven C. Echard, IOM, CAE  is the new Executive Vice President (EVP) of the American College of Rheumatology. Echard was offered the position in March of this year after a comprehensive, nationwide search that was conducted prior to announcing the departure of long-time EVP Mark Andrejeski.

Echard had been serving as CEO of the American Association for The Study of Liver Diseases (ASSLD) since early 2014 prior to accepting the opportunity. During his tenure with ASSLD, Echard made many notable contributions that increased the organizations global footprint and long-term viability, including:

• Redefining the organization’s strategic plan and increasing its member-based program offerings;
• Introducing a new brand image and a robust communications program to support the new strategic focus;
• Launching AASLD’s Foundation to support the research and training initiatives to advance the study of liver disease; and

Nearly doubling its membership while increasing its global engagement and outreach.

Prior to his role leading AASLD, Echard served as the Executive Director of the Rheumatology Research Foundation for nine years. Under his leadership, the Foundation grew from an operating budget of $3.5 million to an impressive $17 million budget with over $70 million in assets. He also held a number of leadership roles within the American College of Rheumatology prior to his tenure with the Foundation.

Echard is also an active member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and has served on the Board of Directors for their Center for Association Leadership for the past two years and in several key leadership roles for the 10 years leading up to his appointment.

“We are thrilled to have Steve return to ACR as our new EVP.  He brings a wealth of experience in association management, together with a real understanding of the complexity and range of our specialty.  We have no doubt that under his capable leadership, ACR will continue to grow and thrive,” said ACR President, Paula Marchetta, MD, MBA.