The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation Announces New Additions to Board of Governors

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) announces two new members to its Board of Governors: Sharon T. Sager, CIMA, Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor at UBS Private Wealth Management and Beatriz Illescas Putzeys-Claugus, Founder and Director of The Foundation for a Better World. They will help guide the ADDF in its continued mission of accelerating the discovery of drugs to treat, prevent and cure Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

“We are honored to welcome both Sharon and Beatriz to our Board of Governors, where they will join other world-class leaders from government, industry and the research community, who serve as ambassadors for the ADDF and provide strategic oversight and counsel,” said Randal Sandler, Co-Vice Chair and Secretary of the ADDF’s Board of Governors. “The ADDF’s venture philanthropy model allows the organization to turn risk into reward when seeking out promising new ideas, creating a business model of bold action that is continually pushed forward by our board.”

Sharon T. Sager has long been instrumental in the ADDF’s efforts to bring awareness and visibility to Alzheimer’s and the need for a cure to this devastating disease as a donor and friend of the organization. She will continue in her current role as Chair of the ADDF’s Board of Overseers in addition to serving as a newly appointed member of the Board of Governors. In 2017, Sager received the Charles Evans Award for her outstanding efforts on behalf of Alzheimer’s research, breaking a fundraising record at the time by raising $1.2 million for the ADDF’s Fall Luncheon. Sager’s accomplished career in private wealth management, spanning over three decades with five bear markets and three recessions, has given her great insight and experience which she will bring to her new role on the Board of Governors.

Beatriz Illescas Putzeys-Claugus has enjoyed a lifetime career of service, education and diplomacy, spanning from her time founding and running a pre-school in Guatemala to representing her country as Consul General to Houston, Miami and Atlanta. She created The Foundation for A Better World (FFBW) in 2011, where she serves as Director. Under her leadership, the FFBW has grown from broadly supporting eight organizations to highly involved support of twenty-eight organizations with a deep commitment to medical research. Today, The Foundation for A Better World partners with the ADDF on numerous programs and trials and has chosen the ADDF as its primary funding recipient.

“The combined expertise and passion of our board members is integral to the progress of the ADDF as the organization leads the way in finding and funding a diverse pipeline of drugs to target Alzheimer’s disease. As accomplished professionals, Sharon and Beatriz will greatly complement our board as we continue to advance the ADDF’s mission,” said Sandler.

In addition to the two new appointments, the following changes have been made to the Board of Governors:

• Randal Sandler has been named as the Co-Vice Chair and Secretary. He has served on the board since 2006 and is a longtime senior executive with Bridgewater Associates.
• Thomas F. McWilliams has been named as the Co-Vice Chair and Treasurer. He has served on the board since 2014 and is a private investor at Court Square.