Leadership
Meet the AAAAI Foundation Council
The governance structure of the AAAAI Foundation allows for direct and frequent reporting to the AAAAI Board of Directors. The members of the AAAAI Foundation Council each have a specific role and lead efforts in Annual Giving, Research and Long Range Planning, Annual Meeting Special Events and Lectureship Fundraising.
AAAAI Foundation Council Chair - William W. Busse, MD, FAAAAI
As the Chair of the AAAAI Foundation Council, Dr. Busse works with the Council to set overall goals, spearheads strategic planning efforts, leads Foundation Council meetings and presents recommendations to the Board of Directors. He is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and a Past President of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
AAAAI Foundation Council Vice-Chair - Kevin J. Kelly, MD, FAAAAI
As the Vice-Chair of the AAAAI Foundation Council, Dr. Kelly works with Dr. Busse to set overall goals and spearhead strategic planning efforts. He will transition into the role of AAAAI Foundation Chair at the 2019 AAAAI Annual Meeting. He is the Pediatrician in Chief of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Children's Hospital and a Professor of Pediatrics at UNC at Chapel Hill.
AAAAI Immediate Past President - David B. Peden, MD, MS, FAAAI
As Immediate Past President of the AAAAI, Dr. Peden serves as a direct link between AAAAI leadership and the Foundation Council, and encourages the Board’s involvement in AAAAI Foundation events and initiatives. He currently serves as the Andrews Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, Senior Associate Dean for Translational Research, Director for the Center for Environmental Medicine - Asthma and Lung Biology and Chief for the Division of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology UNC School of Medicine.
AAAAI President-Elect - David M. Lang, MD, FAAAAI
As President-Elect of the AAAAI, Dr. Lang serves as a direct link between AAAAI leadership and the Foundation Council, and encourages the Board’s involvement in AAAAI Foundation events and initiatives. He is Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, where he teaches evidence-based medicine. He also serves as Chairman of the Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Co-Director of the Asthma Center, and Director of the Allergy/Immunology Fellowship Training Program in the Respiratory Institute at Cleveland Clinic.
AAAAI Secretary/Treasurer - Mary Beth Fasano, MD, FAAAAI
As Secretary/Treasurer of the AAAAI, Dr. Fasano serves as a direct link between the AAAAI Board of Directors and the Foundation Council, and provides guidance on Foundation initiatives. She is Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Iowa where she also serves as the Director of the Allergy/Immunology fellowship training program and Medical Consultant for the SCID Newborn Screening Program. Dr. Fasano is also a past President of the Iowa Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
AAAAI Executive Vice President - Thomas A. Fleisher, MD, FAAAAI
As Executive Vice President of the AAAAI, Dr. Fleisher serves as a direct link between the AAAAI Board of Directors and the Foundation Council, and provides guidance on Foundation initiatives. Dr. Fleisher is a Scientist Emeritus at the Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health following 20+ years as Chief of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and 34+ years as a Senior Investigator in the Clinical Center.
Annual Giving Chair - Sharon B. Markovics, MD, FAAAAI
Dr. Markovics provides guidance on annual fundraising, develops new approaches for fundraising, and leads the GAIN Campaign (Grow Allergy & Immunology Now). She is in private practice with Manhasset Allergy and Asthma Associates, a division of ProHealth Care Associates, LLP, and is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Hofstra University. Dr. Markovics is also a past Governor and Chair of the AAAAI Federation of Regional, State and Local Allergy and Immunology Societies and is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the AAAAI.
Capital Campaign Co-Chair - R. Stokes Peebles, Jr., MD, FAAAAI
Dr. Peebles offers guidance on the development of a capital campaign consistent with our mission statement that includes research, understanding industry trends, and the multi-leveled groundwork necessary for success. Early in his career, Peebles received a Faculty Development Award from the ERT (now the AAAAI Foundation) which he credits with furthering his career. He is Professor of Medicine, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Section Chief for Allergy/Immunology, Fellowship Training Program Director, and the Elizabeth and John Murray Chair in Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Lectureships and Major Gifts Chair - Jonathan A. Bernstein, MD, FAAAAI
Dr. Bernstein provides leadership and guidance on the development of Foundation Lectureships and works with major donors to provide funding for the Foundation’s grants and overall mission. He is Co-Owner of Bernstein Allergy Group, Inc. and Bernstein Clinical Research Center, LLC and a Professor of Medicine, Division of Clinical Research at the University of Cincinnati Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology/Allergy Section. Bernstein is also the Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Asthma, and has served on the Board of Directors of the AAAAI.
Research and Long Range Planning Chair - Mariana C. Castells, MD, PhD, FAAAAI
Dr. Castells guides the efforts of the AAAAI Foundation's grant review and awarding process consistent with our mission statement, oversees tracking and reporting of our grant impact, and identifies future leadership for the Council. She is the Director of the Drug Hypersensitivity and Desensitization Center, the Director of the Allergy Immunology Training Program and the Associate Director of the Mastocytosis Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Castells has also served on the Board of Directors of the AAAAI.
Special Events Chair - Joseph D. Diaz, MD
Dr. Diaz oversees the large event-based fundraisers of the AAAAI Foundation that are hosted during the AAAAI’s Annual Meeting — the annual Benefit celebration and the 5K Run/Walk. He works to secure event sponsorship and promote robust participation by AAAAI’s members and industry partners to maximize the funds raised for research in our field. Dr. Diaz is the Medical Director of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of South Texas.