Steven C. Anderson, FASAE, CAE, IOM

Steven C. Anderson, FASAE, CAE, IOM is President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), a position he assumed in 2007. He represents and is the chief spokesperson for an industry that has annual sales of more than $1 trillion, employs more than 3.2 million individuals, and works with suppliers and other partners to help meet the health, wellness and daily needs of patients and consumers across America. Nearly all Americans (91%) live within five miles of a retail pharmacy.

Anderson also serves as Chairman of the NACDS Foundation, whose mission is to utilize and support education, research, and charitable involvement to help people improve their health and quality of life through an understanding of medication therapy and the importance of taking medications appropriately.

The influential National Journal has said that Anderson has a “reputation as Mr. Fix-It” in the country as a result of his association leadership as CEO. Association Bisnow has called Anderson the “turn around man.” He has “a reputation for building brand, clout, and revenue” at the three national trade associations where he has served as President and Chief Executive Officer.

In 2020, Anderson was selected as a Fellow by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), joining only 268 other association industry professionals who have received this designation since the program’s inception in 1986. The ASAE Fellows program is among ASAE’s highest honors, recognizing Individuals who have made a significant impact on the association community through exemplary volunteer service and leadership, extraordinary accomplishments, and other major contributions to ASAE and the profession of association management.

Anderson was named the “2016 Trade Association CEO of the Year” by an independent panel of association experts for an award presented by CEO Update magazine. Previously, he was named the “Association Executive of the Year” by Association Trends newspaper. Mass Market Retailers magazine cited Anderson as one of the 50 most influential people in mass market retailing. On two occasions, Washingtonian magazine has named Anderson as a “Power Player” and one of the nation’s “50 Best” trade association executives. Fortune Small Business magazine selected Anderson as one of its “Power 30” in America. Under Anderson’s leadership, NACDS was named as one of the “Top Places to Work” by CEO Update magazine.

Before joining NACDS, Anderson was President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Restaurant Association for eight years. Prior to that Anderson held management positions at the American Frozen Food Institute for 20 years, having served as President and Chief Executive Officer for 10 years. He was a candidate for the United States Congress from the Sixteenth District of Illinois before entering the association profession. Anderson served as a senior staff member to Congressman John B. Anderson (no relation), the Chairman of the Republican Conference of the United States House of Representatives, the third-ranking position in the Republican leadership.

Anderson is passionate and committed to education. Anderson currently serves on the Board of Visitors at the Wake Forest University School of Business, and the President’s Advisory Council at Elon University. Anderson was a Paul E. Wise Executive in Residence at the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. Anderson has served on the Board of Trustees of Cornell College and the Advisory Board of Cornell’s Berry Center for Economics, Business, and Public Policy. Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell announced Anderson’s appointment to the Board of Trustees of America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth, where he served for eight years. Anderson previously served on the Wake Forest University Parents Council and the Elon University Parents Council. Anderson served on the Board of Trustees of Flint Hill School in suburban Washington, DC. He has been a visiting lecturer and guest speaker at Wake Forest University’s School of Business, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, American University’s Washington College of Law, Elon University’s Political Science Department, Washington State University’s College of Pharmacy, and the University of Colorado’s School of Pharmacy. Anderson gave the Inaugural Sebok Lecture at the Ohio Northern University’s College of Pharmacy.

Anderson served for six years on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He is the Past Chairman of the National Board of Trustees of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management. Anderson is a current member of the U.S. Chamber’s Association Committee of 100, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Public Affairs Committee, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Advisory Committee.

He serves on the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Board of Directors where he is ASAE’s Chair-Elect. He will assume the role of ASAE Chair on September 1, 2021. Previously, Anderson served as Chairman of the ASAE Finance Committee, Chairman of the ASAE Public Policy Committee, Chairman of the ASAE Key Industry Associations Committee, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ASAE Insurance Commission.

He holds the IOM designation from the Institute for Organization Management, and the FASAE and CAE designations conferred by the American Society of Association Executives.

Anderson is a graduate of Cornell College. While studying in England during his time at Cornell, he clerked for The Honorable William Hamling, a member of the British House of Commons. Anderson completed the six-year Institute for Organization Management Program at the University of Delaware.

Anderson has appeared on NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, ABC World News Tonight, The Today Show, C-SPAN, various CNN and FOX News television shows, Bloomberg, and other major television and radio outlets. Anderson has been cited in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, United Press International, Reuters and other major domestic and international print publications.