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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Tim Reihm
Director of Marketing, Outreach and Development Alliance for Natural Health USA
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Alliance for Natural Health USA appoints ANH founder as new leader
Closer integration and new roles in ANH-USA and ANH International aim to counter increasing challenges and increase opportunities for natural health
ATLANTA, GA, April 13, 2023 - Multi-disciplinary scientist, Rob Verkerk PhD, has this week been appointed Executive Director of the Alliance for Natural Health (ANH) USA, a non-profit that has been at the forefront of defending the right to natural health and freedom of choice. Dr. Verkerk, who founded the Alliance for Natural Health International (ANH-Intl) in 2002 in the UK and has acted as its Executive and Scientific Director ever since, brings decades of experience and passion as a pioneer of the natural health movement, ultimately aimed at changing the current healthcare paradigm to embrace the principles of regenerative health.
He succeeds Gretchen DuBeau, Esq, who, after leading ANH-USA for 15 years, has decided to transition to the Board of Directors, where the organization can continue to benefit from her unique and wide-ranging experience.
In accepting the new position, while retaining his existing position heading up ANH-Intl, Dr. Verkerk said, “I’m thrilled to take the reins at this critical time when governments and big corporations are attempting to tighten the noose on natural health options by restricting access and eliminating choice, despite an enviable track record of safety and effectiveness".
The ANH-USA Board decision to appoint Dr. Verkerk as its new leader took into account Dr. Verkerk’s extensive experience dealing with some of the most draconian threats originating within the European Union, which in many ways serves as the blueprint for US regulators to restrict natural health. Such concerns have also motivated the decision to closely integrate the operation and function of ANH-USA and its international counterpart.
“It brings me great joy to have been a part of the grassroots movement fighting for our freedom to live freely and naturally, locked arm in arm with our fellow freedom fighters over the past 15 years,” reflected Ms. DuBeau, “and I'm honored now to pass the baton to Rob Verkerk for the next, exciting era of the organization’s growth and development."
Under Dr. Verkerk’s leadership and in response to the scale of the challenges ahead, ANH-USA will be diversifying its strategic approach in 2023 and 2024 and will be expanding the scope of its lobbying work in Congress.
To achieve its ambitious objectives, Dr. Verkerk indicated that the organization will be looking for wider sponsorship and new strategic alliances. He urged companies and organizations with shared interests in natural health to come forward to consider projects and opportunities that will be of mutual benefit.
ENDS.
EDITORS’ NOTES
Other changes in ANH-USA leadership team
At the board meeting of ANH-USA on April 3-4, 2023, Ron Hoffman MD, widely recognized as one of America’s most influential complementary medicine practitioners, as well as being the founder and Medical Director of the Hoffman Center in New York City, was elected President of the ANH-USA board.
Meleni Aldridge, nutritional and integrative practitioner, long time board member of ANH-USA, and Executive Coordinator of ANH-Intl, was appointed as Treasurer.
Jo Twombly remains as Deputy Director but broadens her role as Head of Policy and Advocacy. This will include responsibility for increasing the scope and impact of lobbying activities targeting policymakers on a diversity of issues affecting natural health.
Tim Reihm also has an expanded function as a director, being appointed as Director of Marketing, Outreach and Development, with broad responsibility for public facing communication, building strategic relationships, and diversifying ANH-USA revenues.
Finally, Michael Ames-Sikora is promoted from Managing Editor to Editorial Director and is now principally responsible for research on policy matters.
New executive director's video statement
About ANH-USA
The Alliance for Natural Health (ANH) USA is a grassroots advocacy organization aligned with citizens from across the United States who share a common interest in standing up for the right of all Americans who choose to optimise their health using natural and regenerative means, in ways that work to the benefit of both people and planet.
ANH-USA works collaboratively with other organizations with similar goals in order to maximize reach and the pressure that can be applied on policymakers.
ANH-USA was formerly known as the American Association for Health Freedom and, before that, the American Preventative Medical Association, the latter being established in response to the public outcry following an armed raid of the offices of Dr Jonathan Wright in 1992. This highly respected, law-abiding physician had over one hundred thousand dollars worth of computers, medical records, and nutritional products seized by the FDA, only to have them returned several years later with no charges ever having been made.