Annual Meeting attendees encouraged to include Tuesday evening's dinner program in their plans as NACDS honors Anderson's two decades of transformational leadership.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) announced today that the Board of Directors Dinner & Entertainment, scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, during the 2026 NACDS Annual Meeting, will feature a tribute recognizing NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, following the announcement of his retirement effective December 31, 2026.

The tribute will celebrate Anderson's 20 years of service leading NACDS and his role in sharpening the Association's strategic focus, strengthening its financial and operational foundation, and elevating its national influence on issues affecting people, pharmacies, suppliers, and the broader healthcare system.

"Tuesday night at the NACDS Annual Meeting will provide a fitting tribute to Steve Anderson's leadership of NACDS over the past two decades," said Rick Gates, Chair of the NACDS Board of Directors and Senior Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer of Walgreens. "Steve took the helm at a challenging moment, and he helped transform NACDS into one of the strongest, most respected healthcare trade associations in the nation. It will be an opportunity to celebrate what Steve and this industry have accomplished together - and it will be a powerful statement about NACDS' effective positioning for the future."

Anderson announced on February 18, 2026, that he will retire as President and CEO of NACDS, concluding a tenure defined by steady association leadership and a sustained focus on advancing pharmacy's role as an essential, community-based source of care.