The College of Pharmacy is saying goodbye to two outstanding advisory board chairs: Kelly Brock, ‘02 PharmD, chair of the Genesis Board, and Tom Veale, chair of the Executive Leadership Board.
Brock and Veale brought substantial expertise and energy to their respective boards. Brock shaped the mission of the Genesis Board, which was created in 2014 to enhance the student experience and facilitate student success. Veale provided stewardship and valuable professional expertise during the planning and construction of the new College of Pharmacy building.
“Serving on the Genesis Board has been a great way to give back to the college that gave me so much when I was a student,” says Brock, President of KB Pharmacy Solutions, Inc., a healthcare consulting company she founded in 2010 and newly appointed as the Executive Director of the Community Pharmacy Foundation. “It has been a great way to stay connected to the college, and I sincerely enjoy the opportunity to interact with and mentor students.”
Replacing Brock on the Genesis Board is Farah Towfic, ‘11 PharmD, Director, CEO Operations, US Pharmacopeia. TJ Johnsrud, ‘66 BSPh, President, NuCara Management Group, Inc., replaces Veale on the Executive Leadership Board, led by Dean Donald Letendre, and supports the College’s strategic goals and vision.
Towfic and Johnsrud are committed to continuing the excellent work of their predecessors.
“I hope to build on Kelly Brock’s leadership and vision to sustain the Genesis Board as an entity that supports student success and enhances the student experience,” says Towfic. “Our activities are focused on building networking capabilities and similar skills, and on enhancing the fantastic education that the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy delivers.”
Johnsrud hopes “to provide the same leadership that Tom Veale did for so many years.” He is committed to helping the College prepare for “new challenges” and working to maximize pharmacy professionals’ role in the “whole scheme of healthcare.”
Legacies of support
Tom Veale and his wife, Debbie Veale, ‘81 BSPh, are long-time supporters of the College. As Chair of the Executive Leadership Board, Tom Veale provided significant leadership during the construction of the new College of Pharmacy Building.
“Whenever I could, I used my political and business connections to advance the interests of the College of Pharmacy,” says Veale. “I would also unabashedly seek contributions to the school to help with the building, as well as college scholarships and programs.”
Veale’s commitment runs deep. He credits his wife’s degree and her stable career in pharmacy for providing him with the support he needed to launch his business. Veale is the Founder and President of TRISTAR Insurance Group, one of the nation’s largest diversified insurance services firms, with 30 offices nationwide.
“My family and I owe a lot to the College of Pharmacy, and so it has been a pleasure to give back a bit of what we received,” says Veale, whose wife remains a board member of the Executive Leadership Board. Debbie is Director of Payer Relations for CVS Pharmacy and a member of the National Council of Prescription Drug Programs, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, and California Retailers Association.
Students first
Brock helped to launch the Genesis Board and served as its inaugural chair. She is grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with her alma mater and its students. Brock has many memories from her time on the board, but there is an especially poignant one. It involves an informational session for students on burnout. During the session, Brock shared her own experience with burnout.
“I remember one student that was struggling with burnout but was afraid to admit it,” Brock recalls. “I felt like we connected with the students and helped address a very critical topic that is often associated with top-notch professional programs. If we can make the difference in the life of even one student, it is worth it!”
As she has progressed in her career, Brock says she has been thankful for her education and the personal connections at the College. Serving as chair of the Genesis Board, and guiding its development in its early years, was a way for her to pay back the college for all that she gained when she was a student.
“My Iowa roots are strong and provide a critical foundation for me,” she says. “I am proud to be part of the Iowa Pharmacy family; it is hands down the greatest pharmacy family in the country.”