Portland, Oregon - October 1, 2021

The Board of Directors of the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) announced today that its Chief Executive Officer, Randy Beranek, will retire after almost 14 years of leading the organization through tremendous growth and positive change. When Beranek took the helm in 2008, the Foundation’s annual revenue was $4 million and this year, anticipated revenue is more than $14 million.

Beranek will retire on December 31, 2021. Leah McCormick Howard, Chief Operating Officer of NPF, will step into the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2022. Howard joined NPF in 2012.

“Leading the National Psoriasis Foundation has been an extraordinary experience and the highlight of my career,” said Beranek. “The opportunity to serve people with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and related diseases, in collaboration with the NPF board and staff, has been a privilege and an honor. I am proud of our accomplishments during the past 14 years, especially in shifting NPF to a community organization approach, supporting the passage of step therapy legislation in more than 30 states. I'm especially proud of the fact that 75% of every dollar spent goes directly to our mission. Of that, we've increased the total investment in research from 9% to 36% of our total mission investment."

Beranek led the organization’s creation of groundbreaking research initiatives, the Psoriasis Prevention Initiative (PPI) and the PsA Diagnostic Test Grant Program. In addition, the first-ever psoriasis patient registry was established, in partnership with CorEvitas, now housing the voluntary information of more than 15,000 patients and leading to scientific advancements.

The establishment of the Patient Navigation Center, the world’s first personalized support center for people impacted by psoriatic disease, was another milestone for NPF during Beranek’s tenure. Since its opening in February 2016, the center has served more than 55,000 patients in the U.S. and more than 20 countries around the world.

Beranek has been a leader within the National Health Council (NHC), serving as chair of the NHC’s board and influencing the broader field of national voluntary health nonprofits.

Ron Grau, Chair of the NPF Board of Directors, noted that NPF “is deeply grateful to Randy Beranek for driving our success and positioning the organization to continue having an impact on the lives of patients many years into the future.”

Grau stated that the Board of Directors has appointed a Search Committee to conduct a national search for the next Chief Executive Officer for NPF, with an eye to completing the search in mid-2022.

After more than 37 years of active and effective leadership in the nonprofit sector, Beranek’s future plans include remaining an active resident of the Portland community while enjoying personal interests and time with family and friends during a well-earned retirement.

On January 1, 2022, Leah McCormick Howard will become the NPF Interim Chief Executive Officer. Prior to serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the NPF, Howard was the organization’s Vice President for Government Relations and Advocacy. As the Interim CEO, Howard will lead a capable staff team and work closely with the Board of Directors to assure continuity of the NPF mission. Howard holds a J.D. from George Mason University School of Law and has more than 20 years of experience in the sector.

About the National Psoriasis Foundation

Serving the community of people impacted by psoriatic disease for more than 50 years with patient support, advocacy, research, education, and funding, the National Psoriasis Foundation is the leading nonprofit fighting for individuals with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The mission of NPF is to drive efforts to cure psoriatic disease and improve the lives of more than 8 million individuals in the United States affected by this chronic immune-mediated disease. As part of that effort, NPF created the Patient Navigation Center to offer personalized assistance to everyone with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. In recent years, NPF has funded close to $30 million in research grants and fellowships that help drive discoveries that may lead to more and better treatments and ultimately a cure. Learn more at psoriasis.org