#202 - Richard C. Shadyac Jr.

The Life of Dad Show | Life of Dad - The Social Network For Dads

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy keep up with the Father's Day theme as they talk about Jimmy Fallon's book -- Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA -- which would make a great Father's Day gift! Tommy also shares a fun story about the time he met Fallon!

Then the guys talk with Richard C. Shadyac Jr., who is the President and Chief Executive Officer of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. They talk with Shadyac about the FedEx St. Jude Classic that provides St. Jude Children's Research Hospital patients with a unique opportunity to interact with professional golfers and celebrities, while introducing professional golfers to the hospital's lifesaving mission of finding cures and saving children battling childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. They also talk about fatherhood and how Richard got involved with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Richard is ALSAC's sixth CEO since the organization's founding in 1957. As one of the top healthcare charities in the U.S, ALSAC employs approximately 1,200 team members who operate from its headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, and in 33 regional fundraising offices across the country. ALSAC relies on generous supporters and volunteers who make donations and support tens of thousands of fundraising activities annually to help St. Jude in its mission of finding cures and saving children with cancer and other deadly diseases.

Shadyac has led ALSAC to record-breaking achievements, guiding strategic efforts that have increased fundraising revenue 44% since the start of his tenure, despite a global economic decline that have resulted in significant drops in charitable giving overall. Key strategic initiatives launched during his leadership include enhanced fundraising and awareness efforts in the fitness, digital, multicultural and international areas. In addition, Shadyac has expanded marketing and donor development strategies and is overseeing efforts to elevate St. Jude as an iconic brand. Shadyac established cultural pillars for the organization that focus on high performance, innovation, collaboration and being strategic.

Prior to becoming President and CEO, Shadyac served as the Chairman and President of the ALSAC Board of Directors. He joined the Board in 2000 and also served as the Vice Chair and was active on several Board committees, including Finance, Marketing, Strategic Planning, Building and Special Events.

His father, Richard C. Shadyac Sr., was one of the first members of the Board when St. Jude opened in the early 1960s and was a confidant to Danny Thomas, the founder of St. Jude. Shadyac Sr. also served as ALSAC's CEO for 13 years before his retirement in 2005.

A practicing attorney for 27 years, Shadyac worked as a managing partner in the Washington D.C./Northern Virginia law firm Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell, LLP and led the firm's Virginia offices located in Falls Church. Rick has been a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the Virginia State Bar, the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, the American Bar Association and the Arlington and Fairfax County Bar Associations. He earned a B.A. in political science from Marquette University and a law degree (J.D.) from Loyola University in Chicago.

In addition to his responsibilities as CEO of ALSAC, Shadyac leads community enhancement efforts by serving on the boards for the Greater Memphis Chamber and Memphis Tomorrow.

Go to stjude.org for ways you can help out.