The Board of Directors of The Glaucoma Foundation (TGF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Elena Sturman as President and Chief Executive Officer, following the retirement of Scott R. Christensen who held the position since 2002. She will begin her tenure on May 15.
Ms. Sturman was most recently Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer at Phoenix House, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit drug & alcohol rehabilitation organizations. She spent much of her early career with the City College Fund, a 501-c3 organization raising money for the City College of New York. She served as the Fund’s Executive Director from 2005 to 2017.
“Elena has more than 20 years of proven success in fundraising and executive management in the non-profit and philanthropic sector. She will be an extraordinary asset to the Foundation. We look forward to working with her to further strengthen the resources necessary to our search for a cure for glaucoma,” says Dr. Gregory Harmon, Chairman of TGF’s Board.
Founded in 1984 by Dr. Robert Ritch, TGF is one of the premier not-for-profit organizations dedicated to eradicating blindness from glaucoma. The mission of The Glaucoma Foundation is to develop a cure for glaucoma through innovative research and collaboration. The Foundation’s efforts are currently concentrated on seeking a cure for glaucoma caused by exfoliation syndrome.
The Glaucoma Foundation’s interdisciplinary Annual International Scientific Think Tank continues to be a catalyst for new approaches in treatment and the search for a cure.
“The Glaucoma Foundation does extraordinary work in support of scientific research in our understanding of glaucoma. I am honored to have the opportunity to work with the board to support and educate more than 67 million glaucoma patients worldwide. It is exciting to be on the path towards a cure for this disease that is a leading cause of blindness and affects almost 3 million people in the US,” said Ms. Sturman.