The Tolan Group Completes CEO Search for Lewy Body Dementia Association
June 30, 2022 – The Tolan Group (TTG) has placed Allison Feldman as the new chief executive officer of the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA). CEO Kaye Johnson led the assignment. “The board of LBDA is excited to welcome Allison as our new CEO and know she will be a great ambassador for our organization and to the individuals and families impacted by this disease,” said Christina M. Christie, the non-profit’s board president. “Lewy body dementia (LBD) affects an estimated 1.4 million individuals and their families in the United States. At LBDA, we are committed to increasing recognition and diagnosis of LBD and ensuring all families have access to the information and support they need along their journey.”
Ms. Feldman was previously CEO of the Facial Pain Association, since 2019, and the Acoustic Neuroma Association, from 2015 to 2019. Earlier in her career, she worked for AELF Fund. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Emory University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Georgia.
Over the course of her 19 years in the non-profit arena, Ms. Feldman developed strong experience in numerous critical areas, said LBDA. These include: direct program provision, outreach, budgeting and finance, marketing, and communications, fundraising and development, volunteer management, governance, grant writing and fulfillment, sponsorship engagement, donor cultivation, building relationships, collaborating with external partners, and producing programs for thousands of people.
Creating Awareness
“More and more attention is being given to LBD, and my mission for the organization is to make sure we capitalize on this opportunity to create more awareness so we can all have a better understanding and treatment options for LBD,” said Ms. Feldman. “I have been impressed with the team at LBDA, and I look forward to working with each of them to advance our mission.”
Lewy body dementia is the second most common progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s disease and the most expensive dementia in the U.S. Frequently misdiagnosed, LBD may initially mimic Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or psychiatric disorders. Common symptoms include progressive cognitive impairment, changes in movement called parkinsonism, visual hallucinations, a sleep disorder in which individuals physically act out their dreams, and unpredictable variations in cognition, attention, and alertness.
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The Lewy Body Dementia Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the Lewy body dementias, supporting people with LBD, their families, and caregivers, and promoting scientific advances. The association’s purposes are charitable, educational, and scientific. LBDA was formed by a group of caregivers who met in an online LBD caregiver support group. Discussions about the need of support for LBD caregivers and the lack of public awareness about LBD led to the organization’s incorporation. The directors of the LBDA Board are located throughout the U.S., and LBDA volunteers are from the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
Proven Recruiters
The Tolan Group is a Hunt Scanlon Top 50 healthcare and life sciences executive search firm. It provides recruiting services for clients and candidates serving the private equity market, focused on placing leadership for healthcare services, healthcare technology, and the behavioral health segments of the healthcare market. The firm is based in St Augustine, FL, with satellite offices in Atlanta; Philadelphia; Appleton, WI; Orlando, FL; Charlotte, NC; and Tampa, FL.
Clintech Health to Launch this Summer
The Tolan Group has announced leadership changes to allow the firm to exponentially grow and scale. Effective July 1, founder Tim Tolan will move to executive chairman. Kaye Johnson, managing partner, will assume executive duties as CEO, including leading the day-to-day operations, finance, and strategy for the firm. Ms. Johnson joined The Tolan Group in 2015 and previously was responsible for all client delivery and operations.
Last year, The Tolan Group tripled its executive search business and continues to grow rapidly in its core market – healthcare tech, healthcare services, and behavioral health for private equity clients. The firm in headquartered in St. Augustine, FL, with remote employees based in nine cities. Managing partners Tim Russell and Rachel Gauthier will be responsible for all new business and client delivery respectively, reporting to Ms. Johnson.
Last November, the search firm hired Dave Stillmunkes to build and lead a new contract staffing division focused on providing clinical staff to long-term care facilities, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, and retirement homes. The new staffing division also hired Bradley Ash to build and lead its health tech service line to provide technical talent to healthcare tech vendors, providers and other healthcare organizations that require contract or temp-to-hire talent resources. The Tolan Group is spinning out that division as a separate company later this summer. Aptly named Clintech Health, it will be led by Mr. Stillmunkes.
Timothy J. Tolan is executive chairman for The Tolan Group. He has conducted searches for CEOs, CIOs, COOs, CFOs, presidents, senior vice presidents, vice presidents of business development and product development, and sales professionals. He has worked with large and small cap companies, as well as privately held and early-stage companies. In addition to his executive search experience, Mr. Tolan has been in the healthcare technology field for over 25 years holding executive-level positions for companies both public and private.
Ms. Johnson most recently served as chief operating officer at The Tolan Group before being elevated to the CEO post. She leads day-to-day operations, major projects and is responsible for all search execution for the firm. She directs the project team responsible for sourcing and qualifying candidates for placement. Since joining the firm, Ms. Johnson has placed C-suite, EVPs, SVPs, VPs, and countless individual contributors in sales, marketing, product management, as well as technical and clinical talent.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
