News & Stories
Welcoming Our New President & CEO
On February 1, 2024, the ALS Network, formerly The ALS Association Golden West Chapter, announced Sheri Strahl, MPH, MBA, as its new president and CEO.
Sheri has served as the organization’s chief operating officer since 2019, helping lead one of the largest ALS non-profit organizations in the nation by forging bespoke and groundbreaking programs to connect need with support; connect questions with answers; connect thought leaders with new ideas; connect research to funding; and to connect advocates to challenge the status quo.
As the ALS Network’s first president and CEO with a public health background, Sheri’s dynamic, servant-leadership approach reflects how the ALS Network engages the ALS community – through meaningful connections to urgently advance three mission pillars of work in care, research, and advocacy.
“Sheri is that rare leader with a mix of compassion and a drive for excellence,” Patricia Schimbor, Esq., ALS Network Board Chair said. “Her ability to manage details while advancing the strategic vision for this new phase of our organization is incomparable.”
Sheri takes the helm of the ALS Network from Fred Fisher, MSW, LCSW who becomes the Network’s first president emeritus after more than 20 years as president and CEO. She will lead during a period of meaningful change underscored by the organization’s name and brand refresh that debuted at the Champions for Cures and Care gala on January 19. Sheri played a pivotal role in leading the organization to the milestone moment by shepherding both structural and legal changes from the ALS Association Golden West Chapter to the ALS Network. The new path was shaped by input from the ALS community including people living with ALS, caregivers, health care experts, scientists, advocates, and community partners. With Sheri’s leadership, a reimagined organizational direction reflects an unrelenting dedication to accelerate progress in finding cures for ALS.
“There’s power in the opportunities that are present at this specific moment in time,” Sheri said. “The unique synergy and momentum we are experiencing allow us to achieve better outcomes with greater efficiency as the ALS Network.”
“Collectively, we will continue to build upon our past successes and urgently accelerate progress, while seizing opportunities to achieve better outcomes with greater efficiency and maximum impact.”
Sheri’s principal goals during her first year as president and CEO include:
- Ensuring every stakeholder knows what the ALS Network is and how to connect with the organization’s variety of state-of-the-art programs and services.
- Strategic expansion of the Network’s research program in collaboration with other partners, scientists, and clinics.
- Broadening ALS advocacy efforts on both the federal and state levels.
- Buildout of care service offerings to aid the ALS community in new and important ways, including specific programs geared toward caregivers.
“Expanding our reach includes developing and maintaining meaningful connections,” Sheri said. “The ALS Network is the center, in many ways, of all of these different stakeholders who come together to make positive, lasting impact to benefit the ALS community.”
Sheri’s vision for the Network is consistently informed and reinforced by the people living with the disease and those striving to make a difference.
“I am humbled to see strength and grace personified by those living with ALS, those caring for loved ones, and by those working tirelessly to provide help and to find cures,” Sheri said. “I’m inspired each and every day as we continue on this interconnected journey where commitment to excellence, to discovery, and people-centric care are the hallmarks of everything we do.”
Sheri’s tenure as the Network’s new leader is guided by more than 25 years of healthcare and nonprofit leadership experience. In addition to her role as president and CEO, she currently serves on the Clinical Advisory Panel of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine where she represents and advocates for the ALS patient community. She has also held leadership positions with The Village Family Services and The Help Group.
Sheri is a recognized expert in her field and has traveled nationally and internationally to present original research and model community programs at numerous conferences including the annual conferences of the American Public Health Association, the Child Welfare League of America, and the National Council for Community Behavioral Health. She is also a member of the American Public Health Association, the Society for Human Resource Management, the Certified Community Emergency Response Team and a board member of Child & Teen Counseling.
Sheri has two daughters, one who will graduate from high school in spring 2024 and the other in her second year at UCLA. She is also a pet parent to two dogs and in her free time enjoys yoga, running, live music, and trying to read through an ever-growing stack of New Yorker magazines.
Read Sheri’s note to ALS Network constituents and watch her video about becoming president and CEO of the ALS Network:
Please join us on Thursday, March 7 for ASK ME: ALS Network Town Hall at 5:00pm PST / 3:00pm HST. During this informative evening, you will learn about the future of the newly rebranded ALS Network (formerly The ALS Association Golden West Chapter).
You will hear from Sheri Strahl, ALS Network’s new president and CEO, about her vision for the organization moving forward. We will also be joined by some special guests, including Aaron Lazar, actor, singer, and 2024 Essey Spotlight Award recipient who is living with ALS and using his personal experiences to share messages of hope, healing, courage, and resilience.
Joining the program will be David Buseck and Karen Sutton, ALS Network Board Members and people living with ALS. In addition, audience questions will be addressed, so we look forward to our ALS community participating!