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WASHINGTON — Steve Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, has been honored as the 2016 Trade Association CEO of the Year by an independent panel of association leadership experts.
Steve Anderson
NACDS said Monday that Anderson is just the third CEO to receive the award, which is presented by CEO Update magazine. The previous honorees were Thomas Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Thomas Kuhn, president of the Edison Electric Institute.
The Trade Association CEOs of the Year are recognized for effectiveness in presenting the industry or profession’s story; reputation for accomplishing the association’s mission; proven leadership in and outside the group; successful financial results; and demonstrated social capital via volunteer contributions to association-related, charitable or civic groups, according to NACDS.
The independent panel choosing Anderson as the 2016 Trade Association CEO of the Year consisted of senior representatives of executive search firms Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds Associates and Vetted Solutions; senior representatives of legal, government affairs and accounting consultancies Policy Solutions, Tate & Tryon, Venable, and Webster, Chamberlain & Bean; and the current or past CEOs of the American Petroleum Institute, American Society of Association Executives, Council of Scientific Society Presidents, National Association of Automobile Dealers, Nuclear Energy Institute and the American Chemical Society.
“This award is one of the highest honors that can be given to an association executive, since it has only been given to two other CEOs previously. Steve has a national reputation of building brand, clout and revenue at the three associations he has led, and that is surely the case at NACDS,” NACDS chairman Randy Edeker said in a statement.
“However, Steve constantly gives recognition for the success of NACDS to the NACDS membership and staff. One of his many strengths is building incredibly member-centric and talented teams,” added Edeker, who is chairman, president and CEO of Hy-Vee Inc. “This honor is in recognition of the success NACDS has had in the past and, more importantly, our positioning for success in the future.”
Anderson has served as president and CEO of NACDS since 2007. Previously, Anderson was president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association for eight years, and he held senior positions at the American Frozen Food Institute for 20 years, serving as president and CEO for 10 years.
In addition, Anderson served on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce board for six years, and he’s the past chairman of the National Board of Trustees of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management. Currently, he’s a member of the U.S. Chamber’s Public Affairs Committee, Association Committee of 100 and the Foundation Advisory Committee.
Anderson, too, has served as a member of the American Society of Association Executives Board of Directors, chairman of its Public Policy Committee and chairman of the Board of Trustees of its Insurance Commission. He also is a member and past chairman of the American Society of Association Executives Key Industry Associations Committee.
