NEW YORK, July 21 /EMWNews/ -- The National Hemophilia Foundation

(NHF) announced the appointment of Val D. Bias as its Chief Executive

Officer.



    As CEO, Mr. Bias will direct NHF's ongoing efforts to reorganize and

unify the national chapter structure of 48 chapters and lead a community of

individuals and their families, who are living with bleeding and clotting

disorders. In the last decade, by serving in roles in Advocacy and Blood

Safety and as a special government employee on the Food and Drug

Administration's Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Advisory

Committee (TSEAC), Bias has established a solid reputation as a true

consensus builder, collaborator, and nationally trusted leader.



    "Val Bias has a history of significant achievement with the National

Hemophilia Foundation -- from his service as NHF's Chairman of the Board in

1992, to his tenure as a consultant and advocate, with the culmination of

the passage of the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1998," said Ray

Stanhope, current Chair of the Board of Directors for the NHF. The Ricky

Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act was signed into law and resulted in

compassionate payment of $750 million to persons with bleeding disorders

and family members who were infected with HIV through the contaminated

blood supply during the 1980's. "The Board believes that in addition to his

professional accomplishments, Val's dedication and commitment to The

National Hemophilia Foundation and the bleeding disorders community

provides him with the tools to effectively lead this organization which is

truly the guardian of our nation's blood supply," Stanhope continued.



    Bringing a track record of achievement with broad and complex issues,

Bias has ongoing relationships with key decision-makers in Executive and

Legislative branches of federal government, and has long-standing working

relationships with federal agencies such as The Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC), The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and The Food

and Drug Administration (FDA).



    "I am deeply honored not only to be the first African-American to hold

this position, but the first individual affected by a bleeding disorder to

have been appointed to lead this organization," said Bias. "I am focused on

ensuring the effectiveness of this organization in this critical time for

the United States bleeding disorders community. I sincerely hope to bring

about greater awareness and encourage greater collaboration between the NHF

and the World Federation of Hemophilia, and all they serve worldwide, and

very much look forward to working with the incoming White House

Administration to ensure the continued safety of our nation's blood supply,

access to medical care and access to all available products for those

living with bleeding disorders."



    Formerly Bias was Executive Director, Hemophilia Council of California;

CEO/Co-Founder, Compass Non-Profit Consulting Services; Consultant, Centers

for Disease Control & Prevention and Associate Executive Director,

Berkley/Albany YMCA.

    About the National Hemophilia Foundation



    The National Hemophilia Foundation is dedicated to finding better

treatments and cures for bleeding and clotting disorders and to preventing

the complications of these disorders through education, advocacy and

research.