Tucsonans Named to National MDA Leadership

TUCSON, Ariz., July 31, 2001 - Several Tucsonans have been elected to the national leadership of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

During MDA's recent annual meeting in Los Angeles, Robert Ross of Tucson was re-elected to the Association's Board of Directors and was named MDA president. MDA's national headquarters are located in Tucson, and Ross has been the Association's top executive since 1963.

Also during the meeting, Gerald C. Weinberg, longtime MDA director of field organization, was named senior vice president.

Eleven other Tucsonans were elected to new one-year terms as national vice presidents of MDA. MDA vice presidents provide counsel in their areas of expertise and assist the Association through advocacy and staunch support of its lifesaving programs and activities.

Those re-elected as MDA vice presidents from Tucson are:

Ginny Clements, chairman of the board, chief executive officer and treasurer of Golden Eagle Distributors Inc.; James E. Dalen, M.D., editor, Archives of Internal Medicine; Ray Depa, general manager of KGUN-TV;

William A. Grana, M.D., M.P.H., professor and head of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center; C. Donald Hatfield, former editor and publisher of the Tucson Citizen; Lori A. Hinderer, president of Ability 2000; Hon. Jim Kolbe, U.S. House of Representatives;

Barbara LaWall, Pima County Attorney; Robert B. McMahon, chairman and chief executive officer of Metro Restaurants; David Mehl, president of Cottonwood Properties; and James S. Pignatelli, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Tucson Electric Power Co.

"Under the dedicated stewardship of Bob Ross, MDA has experienced another outstanding year," MDA National Chairman Jerry Lewis said. "Thanks to all these talented Tucsonans we're making rapid progress toward treatments and cures for neuromuscular diseases."

MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education. MDA maintains the Mucio F. Delgado Clinic for Neuromuscular Disorders at the UA Health Sciences Center in Tucson. MDA also maintains an MDA/ALS Center for those affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) at the University Physicians Neurology Clinic.

The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon will be broadcast Sept. 2-3, originating from CBS Television City in Hollywood and seen on KGUN, Channel 9, in Tucson.