ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores has named Joel Kurzman as a director of state government affairs.
NACDS said Wednesday that in joining its state government affairs team, Kurzman will collaborate with state associations and with NACDS member companies’ staff, advocating for pro-patient, pro-pharmacy policies directly with state lawmakers and state agencies in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Previously, Kurzman was senior policy manager for Abbott Laboratories in Illinois, according to NACDS. The Chicago native also worked in government affairs capacities for Prevent Blindness America and Anixter Center, both in Illinois.
"Joel brings to NACDS an extensive background in policy, advocacy, coalition development and research, and we look forward to him hitting the ground running on our already highly regarded state government affairs team," NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson said in a statement.
"He joins NACDS at a time when states are facing many challenges, and it is critical that pharmacy services are recognized as strategies to help reduce health care costs and improve patient health by helping patients take their medications as prescribed, thus preventing more costly forms of care," Anderson added. "Joel’s experience will offer great value as he illustrates pharmacy as the face of neighborhood health care to state policymakers."
Kurzman is the third government affairs appointment that NACDS has made over the past month. In early April, Julie Philp was named director of federal government affairs, and in late March NACDS announced that Jill McCormack has joined the association as a state government affairs director for Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.
