New Cooper Institute Staff |
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| February 3, 2003 |
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The Cooper Institute Names New President/CEO,
New Chief Financial Officer
DALLAS — The Cooper Institute named Steven N. Blair, P.E.D., president and chief executive officer and David M. Chmielowiec, M.B.A., C.P.A., chief financial officer. In the newly created position of president and C.E.O., Blair will retain his prior role as director of research and will report to Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., chairman of the Board of Trustees. Chmielowiec, also in a newly created position, will serve as financial liaison to the Board of Trustees and will manage The Institute's financial affairs.
"To realize the long-term growth potential of The Institute, we needed someone at the top who has an international reputation in the field of research as well as fundraising and administrative ability," said Cooper. "When we started recruiting in the scientific field, we realized that right under our nose was someone who fit that qualification: Steve Blair."
Blair, who has been at The Cooper Institute for 22 years, leads The Institute's research program and has received several National Institutes of Health grants. He recently obtained from the National Institute on Aging a Method to Extend Research In Time (MERIT) Award, which allows him to apply for an extension of the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS) grant for three to five more years without the rigorous submission of a traditional application. The study, which boasts the largest existing cardiorespiratory fitness database, has been funded by the National Institute on Aging since 1984 and was recently extended for four more years.
"Having someone like Steve Blair at the helm will pave the way for us to recruit top-level scientists and provide more groundbreaking research," Cooper said. "The Board is ecstatic with both new appointments."
Chmielowiec brings to The Institute over 20 years of financial, systems, consulting, and senior management experience.
"David Chmielowiec's unique blend of experience with nonprofit and for-profit organizations, his financial leadership skills, and his personal interest in the health and fitness industry make him an invaluable part of the management team at The Cooper Institute," said Cooper.
Chmielowiec is a certified public accountant in Texas and holds a master of business administration degree from Indiana University and a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Ball State University.
Blair holds a physical education doctorate degree and a master of science degree from Indiana University as well as a bachelor of arts degree from Kansas Wesleyan University.
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