Amy J. Gray of Wellington has been appointed the new chief executive officer of the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association.
“We are delighted to bring Amy on board as our new CEO,” CMTA Board Chair Gilles Bouchard said. “With her extensive experience, proven leadership and passion for our mission, Amy will help us accelerate the momentum in our fight against CMT.”
Gray is excited about the appointment.
“I am honored to have been selected by the board as the next CEO of the CMTA,” she said. “I firmly believe there has never been a more exciting time in the organization’s history. The CMTA has seen tremendous progress the last five years, and I look forward to building on this success in the years to come. My most important priority will be to aggressively pursue potential treatments and ultimately a cure for CMT, with the Strategy to Accelerate Research (STAR). I firmly believe that the CMTA is on the brink of advancing game-changing breakthroughs for the entire CMT community, and I intend to tirelessly dedicate myself to this effort every day with the highest sense of urgency.”
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is one of the most commonly inherited neuropathies, affecting the long nerves that go to the feet and hands of approximately one in 2,500 people worldwide. As the nerves die, the muscles around them atrophy. Despite its prevalence — more people have CMT than ALS — it’s often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all.
The CMTA (www.cmtausa.org) is a patient-led nonprofit that is aggressively searching out treatments for CMT by putting together a group of top-flight researchers and experts and directly funding their work.
Gray brings to the CMTA more than 17 years of management experience in national voluntary health agencies, combined with a strong understanding of mission-driven organizations.
Gray was most recently the senior vice president of constituent and community relations for the National Parkinson Foundation (NPF), responsible for providing the overall leadership, strategy and vision for the foundation’s fundraising efforts, planned giving legacy society and network of chapters. Before joining the NPF, Gray served in executive roles at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Gray is a graduate of St. Cloud State University in Minnesota and lives in Wellington with her husband and children.
ABOVE: Amy J. Gray
