Former President and CEO of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation to lead GLA’s fight against Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
Greenwich, Conn (May 24, 2016) - Global Lyme Alliance (GLA), a leading nonprofit funder of Lyme and tick-borne disease research and education, today announced that it has named Scott Santarella as its new CEO. Santarella is former President and CEO of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF) in San Francisco, where he successfully helped to grow the organization from a regional lung cancer research and patient services organization to a globally recognized leader in the lung cancer community. He brings nearly 30 years of experience as a senior executive with a proven track record in strategic planning, innovative marketing, fundraising and raising public awareness for underfunded diseases and causes. Prior to ALCF, he was President and CEO of the American Lung Association of New York (ALANY) and former Executive Director and COO of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRF/C). “Scott brings extensive experience in non-profit management, a strong passion for helping individuals who have been afflicted by disease, and a highly successful track record in operational strategy and fundraising,” said GLA Chairman Robert Kobre. “We are looking forward to having a CEO of Scott’s caliber drive GLA’s continued growth, and grateful that he has joined us in the fight against Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.” Prior to his top-level posts at ALCF and MMRF/C, Santarella held key roles with the March of Dimes, Knights of Columbus International, Center for Environmental Activities/Earthplace and the Educational Foundation of America. “I am excited and honored to be selected as the CEO of Global Lyme Alliance. I have always been impressed with their leadership in raising funds to support Lyme disease research, their robust programs supporting patient and physician education, and their tireless efforts to raise awareness of the disease,” Santarella said. “I look forward to working with the Board, staff and supporters to achieve our goal of identifying an effective and standardized diagnostic and accelerating the search for a cure.” A Westport, CT resident, Santarella graduated Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst with a B.A. in Journalism and received his Executive Leadership Certification from Harvard Business School. ABOUT GLOBAL LYME ALLIANCE Global Lyme Alliance, a leading Lyme and tick-borne disease nonprofit, funds cutting-edge research at leading U.S. universities for the purpose of developing reliable diagnostic tools, effective treatments and ultimately a cure for Lyme disease, while building greater public awareness for disease detection and prevention. The 501(c)(3) is headquartered in Greenwich, CT. For more information go to
GLA.org.