The role of the ALSAC/St. Jude Boards of Directors and Governors is to:
- govern our organizations by establishing broad policies and objectives
- select, appoint, support, and review the performance of the chief executive officers
- insure the availability of adequate financial resources
- approve annual budgets and strategic planning
- account for the ethics, compliance, and performance of the organizations
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J. David Karam II
Karam II
- Chair
J. David Karam is the Chief Executive Officer of Sbarro, a leading Italian quick service restaurant company. Mr. Karam joined Sbarro when he was appointed Chairman of the Board in January of 2012 and assumed the additional duties of CEO in March of 2013.
Before joining Sbarro, Mr. Karam was the President of Wendy’s International from 2008 to 2011. During his tenure at Wendy’s, Karam led a successful turnaround, which included significant improvements in product quality, operational execution and brand profitability. Under his leadership, Wendy’s rose to become the second largest QSR Hamburger chain in the U.S., surpassing Burger King for the first time in the company’s 42-year history. In 2011, Karam was inducted into Wendy’s Hall of Fame.
Prior to joining Wendy’s in 2008, Mr. Karam was president of Cedar Enterprises, one of the largest franchisees in the Wendy’s system. While President of Cedar Enterprises, the company was awarded the R. David Thomas Founders Award, the Diamond Award for National Marketer of the Year and numerous other recognitions. He joined Cedar Enterprises in 1986 as Vice President of Finance before being promoted to President in 1989. Mr. Karam previously served as senior auditor for Touche & Ross from 1982 to 1986.
Karam is a CPA and holds a B.S. in Accounting from The Ohio State University and is a graduate of the Owner President Management program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration. He serves on the Board of Directors for Henny Penny Corporation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the Pontifical College Josephinum. He is the current chair of the ALSAC Board of Directors.
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Martha Perine Beard
Beard
- Secretary
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Paul J. Ayoub
Ayoub
- Chair
Paul J. Ayoub is chair of Nutter and a partner in the firm's Real Estate Department. He also is co-chair of Nutter’s COVID-19 Task Force and a member of the Nonprofit and Social Impact practice group. Paul represents clients in the financing and development of commercial real estate projects in Greater Boston, New England and throughout the country. He also advises for-profit and non-profit organizations in the area of corporate governance.
Paul represents major North American banks and local lending institutions in construction, permanent, and mezzanine loans. As a real estate attorney, he represents developers and private equity investors in the acquisition, sale, permitting, and leasing of all property types. Paul also advises clients on financing structure alternatives, including preferred equity, joint venture, and partnership arrangements. Additionally, he has extensive experience representing clients in complex debt reorganizations.
Paul is involved in several civic, professional and charitable organizations. He is Chair Emeritus and a member of the Executive Committee of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. He also has co-chaired the Chamber’s Regional Real Estate Development Leadership Council. Paul is a member and past president of the Board of Directors of the Real Estate Finance Association. He is a prior co-chair of the Real Estate Finance and Workout/Foreclosure Section of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Real Estate Section.
He currently serves on the Board of Incorporators of the Boston Local Development Corporation and served on the Mayor’s Reopening Advisory Board of the City of Boston during the peak of COVID-19.
Nationally, Paul serves as chair of the national Board of Governors of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as well as a member of the Board of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. He previously served as chair of the ALSAC Board. He also serves as a co-chair of the International WELL Building Institute’s 2021 IWBI Health Equity Advisory.
During law school, Paul was editor-in-chief of the Boston College International and Comparative Law Review. Prior to his career as an attorney, Paul worked in Massachusetts state government in various capacities, including as assistant press secretary to the Governor.
Paul and his daughter have published Inspire Me! A father-daughter book of quotations to motivate, teach and inspire, an Amazon best seller, the proceeds from which are donated entirely to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
For the past several years, Paul has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America and Chambers and Partners as a leading U.S. real estate attorney. He also was selected as one of the Boston Business Journal’s “2020 Power 50 – Extraordinary Year Extraordinary People."
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Judy A. Habib
Habib
- Vice Chair
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Frederick R. Harris Jr., MD
Harris
- Secretary
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Board
- Joyce A. Aboussie
St. Louis, MO - Steven J. Allen, MD
New Albany, OH - Joseph S. Ayoub Jr.
Boston, MA - Paul J. Ayoub
Boston, MA - Frederick M. Azar, MD
Memphis, TN - Martha Perine Beard
Memphis, TN - Robert A. Breit, MD
Northbrook, IL - Terry L. Burman
Lenox, MA - Ann M. Danner
Lake Forest, IL - Joseph M. DeVivo
Goleta, CA - Lisa R. Diller, MD
Newton, MA
- Joseph E. Eid, MD
Somerset, NJ
- Fred P. Gattas III, PharmD
St. Charles, MO - Judy A. Habib
Boston, MA - Gabriel G. Haddad, MD
San Diego, CA - Charles C. Hajjar
Milton, MA - Fouad M. Hajjar, MD
Orlando, FL - Frederick R. Harris Jr., MD
Memphis, TN - J. David Karam II
Columbus, OH - Scott A. Kupor
Menlo Park, CA - Sharon L. McCollam
Southlake, TX - Michael D. McCoy
Peoria, IL - Robert T. Molinet
Huntingdon, TN - Ramzi N. Nuwayhid
Boston, MA
- Thomas J. Penn III
Los Angeles, CA - Christina M. Rashid
Chicago, IL - Camille F. Sarrouf Jr.
Boston, MA - Joseph C. Shaker
Oak Park, IL - Joseph G. Shaker
Oak Park, IL - George A. Simon II
Detroit, MI - Michael C. Simon
Chicago, IL - Tony Thomas
North Hollywood, CA - Richard M. Unes
Peoria, IL - Paul H. Wein
Guilderland, NY - Tama H. Zaydon
Coconut Grove, FL
ESA Representative
- LeAnn Wray
Brighton, MI
Emeritus
- Thomas G. Abraham
Coral Gables, FL - Susan Mack Aguillard, MD
Memphis, TN - Mahir R. Awdeh, MD
Memphis, TN - James B. Barkate
Gretna, LA - Jack A. Belz
Memphis, TN - Sheryl A. Bourisk
Ashland, MA - Stephen J. Camer, MD
Dedham, MA - George Elias, Jr.
Miami Beach, FL - Hasan M. Elkhatib
Westmont, IL - Fred P. Gattas Jr.
Memphis, TN
- Ruth C. Gaviria
Burlington, VT - Christopher B. George, MD
Tampa, FL - Sam F. Hamra
Springfield, MO
- Paul K. Hajar
Norwood, MA - Frederick R. Harris
Memphis, TN - Bruce B. Hopkins
Memphis, TN - Richard J. Karam
San Antonio, TX - Salli E. Le Van
Roswell, GA - Paul J. Marcus
Boston, MA - James O. Naifeh
Covington, TN
- Talat M. Othman
Marion, IA - Manal B. Saab
Flint, MI - Frederick W. Smith
Memphis, TN - Ronald A. Terry
Memphis, TN - Terre Thomas
Culver City, CA - Pat Kerr Tigrett
Memphis, TN - Thomas C. Wertz
Locust Grove, VA - Robert P. Younes, MD
Potomac, MD - Ramzi T. Younis, MD
Miami, FL
- Joyce A. Aboussie
Ex-Officios
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James R. Downing, MD
Downing
- President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
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Richard C. Shadyac Jr.
Shadyac
- President & Chief Executive Officer, ALSAC
Chief Governance Officer
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Leah J. Domitrovic
Domitrovic
Standing committees
Audit & Compliance Committee
The primary function is to oversee all material financial audit functions, legal and compliance functions, internal audit functions, and enterprise risk management functions, and to liaise and encourage open communication between ALSAC/St. Jude, the Board, and ALSAC/St. Jude’s independent auditors.
Building Committee
Its primary function is to provide oversight for the planning, interior and exterior design, budgeting, schedule/duration, construction contract methodology and construction of ALSAC and St. Jude facilities.
Compensation Committee
The primary function is to assist the Boards of Directors and Governors in fulfilling their oversight responsibilities by articulating and implementing the compensation philosophy for executives at St. Jude and ALSAC.
Conflict of Interest Committee
The primary function is to advise and assist St. Jude and ALSAC in maintaining high ethical standards and complying with applicable laws related to conflicts of interest and oversee conflict of interest issues of officers, directors, and certain covered employees.
Finance Committee
Oversee the financial affairs of ALSAC and St. Jude including:
The development and implementation of sound fiscal policies and management practices, of ALSAC and St. Jude both individually and on a consolidated basis; and
The annual and strategic/long-range budgeting process of ALSAC and St. Jude.
Approve and monitor the annual budgeted revenues and expenses, operational and capital, of ALSAC and St. Jude as well as the financial strategic plans of ALSAC and St. Jude.
Governance Committee
The primary function is to identify, evaluate and recommend best practices of governance that will enhance the effectiveness of the Board and assist the Board in developing, monitoring, and evaluating the Board’s governance policies and procedures.
Investment Committee
The committee’s primary functions are the formulation, implementation and ongoing oversight of those coherent policies designed to best serve the long-term financial objectives of the institution.
Marketing Committee
Support efforts to ensure that marketing and outreach efforts at ALSAC and St. Jude are well integrated from both a strategic planning and implementation standpoint, and reflect one voice in reinforcing our brand positioning.
Membership Committee
The purpose of the committee is to develop and administer a membership selection and evaluation process for initial appointment and subsequent reappointment to ensure that the Board will be comprised of a broad range of competencies, diversity and expertise to ensure its effectiveness.
Nominating Committee
Reviews all board members of both ALSAC and St. Jude so that appropriate nominations are made by the committee for recommending officers to the Boards.
Quality & Patient Care Committee
The committee performs due diligence for the Board of Governors to provide oversight of the performance of patient care by the clinical staff, and to serve as liaison to the Board for all issues that deal with the care of patients, and the safety of patients’ families and staff. The Quality & Patient Care Committee has a responsibility to report to the Board the quality of care rendered by all health care providers at the institution, and all programs to improve care.
Strategic Planning Committee
Develops and leads a process by which the Board and Management of ALSAC and St. Jude arrive at a shared vision of what the institutions should be in 10-20 years, including broad operating and financial parameters, and to begin a process of which we plan for and achieve that shared vision.