|
(SHORT HILLS, NJ) – September 25, 2009 – The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation today announced John Hughes (Jack) has been unanimously elected Chairman of the Board of Directors. Former Chairman Peter Kiernan III will serve as Chair of the Committee on the Board. Hughes is the Reeve Foundation's fifth Chairman since its inception in 1982 as the American Paralysis Association, following in the footsteps of Hank Stifel, Christopher Reeve, Dana Reeve and Kiernan.
Hughes has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2000 but his family has been associated with the Reeve Foundation for over 20 years when Jacks' brother was spinal cord injured. Michael Hughes, his father, was a long time Foundation board member, who wanted to turn the family's pain into positive, productive action, giving everything they could to strengthen the organization and advance spinal cord research.
"I believe that Jack Hughes, a builder of incredible businesses, from a family that understands what is at stake and how high the mountain is, and the architect of our unmatched research infrastructure, is the perfect leader to carry this baton even further," said Peter T. Wilderotter, president and CEO of the Reeve Foundation. "His years of experience with the Reeve Foundation and devotion to this cause allow us to leverage the strength of our past as we look to the future."
As Chairman, Hughes will preside over the Board of Directors, setting the strategic direction to advance the Reeve Foundation's critical dual-mission of care and cure. His duties will include overseeing: the creation of a national movement through a threefold strategy of new chapter formation, mergers and collaborations; the expansion of the Paralysis Resource Center which has assisted over one million people since its inception; and the continued growth of a research program that has funded 750 projects totaling $83 million. Hughes will assume this role effective immediately.
"I am honored to have been elected by my colleagues, working alongside the outstanding staff of the Reeve Foundation and our dedicated volunteers," said Hughes. "This is an exciting time for this field and we expect to continue our leadership in providing hope, support and ultimately find the breakthroughs that will help those living with paralysis and their families," Hughes added.
Hughes is chairman and founder of TopCoder, a global developer community and software company built on the premise that talent and skill are the determinant factors in the quality and utility of software. TopCoder's mission is to create objective ratings that place high value on the programming industry's best and brightest, and build opportunity and community for programmers through ongoing programming tournaments and employer connections.
Prior to TopCoder, Hughes was the founder and chairman of Tallán Inc., a provider of web-enabled business solutions. Hughes holds a B.S. degree in computer science from Boston College and resides in Glastonbury with his wife and three children.
|
