SIUE’s Butler Named President-Elect of National Pharmaceutical Association
The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy’s Lakesha Butler, PharmD, clinical associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, was installed as president-elect of the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA) during the organization’s 2016 convention held July 29-31 in Atlanta.
“I am excited to represent SIUE on a national level and be elected to lead the NPhA, a nationwide professional organization for pharmacists, whose mission aligns with my personal passion of helping to improve the quality of health care in underserved communities,” said Butler, who is the first School of Pharmacy faculty member to be elected NPhA national president.
Also representing SIUE, Yasmyn Knight, a fourth-year School of Pharmacy student, was appointed Region V Facilitator of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA). Knight is the first School of Pharmacy student to hold a national office in the SNPhA.
Through her role, Knight will oversee the growth and development of SNPhA chapters along the West Coast, and aid in the organization’s expansion to include global chapters.
“It is an absolute honor to be a student representative for the SIUE School of Pharmacy,” said Knight. “I am humbled to be appointed to this national position. The mission of SNPhA is to advocate for the profession of pharmacy and embrace diversity, and I am extremely committed to furthering that mission.”
“I am incredibly proud of Yasmyn being appointed as a national officer of the SNPhA,” added Butler. “Seeing her dedication and passion for serving the underserved, and her effective leadership on a local level with our SIUE SNPhA chapter, now amplified to national leadership, presents a proud moment for me as the SIUE SNPhA advisor.”
Founded in 1947, the mission of the NPhA is to represent “the views and ideals of minority pharmacists on critical issues affecting health care and pharmacy, as well as advancing the standards of pharmaceutical care among all practitioners.”
Photo: (L-R) Yasmyn Knight, fourth-year student in the SIUE School of Pharmacy, and Dr. Lakesha Butler, clinical associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice.
