IMA President Paul Derstine Announces Retirement

Derstine became president of IMA in 1992. Prior to joining to IMA, much of Derstine’s career had been committed to international development work in the Caribbean, primarily Haiti, and in Africa. He directed organizations involved in primary health care, micro-enterprise credit and coffee and cocoa. He also served as general manager and part owner of an equipment leasing business, and senior vice president of a commercial bank leasing division, both in Pennsylvania.

Derstine has served on various boards of directors, including The Grant Foundation/Hospital Albert Schweitzer (Haiti), the American Leprosy Missions, the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations, the NGDO Coordination Group for Onchocerciasis (“River Blindness”) (Geneva) and the Maryland International Advocacy Council.

In addition to significant growth, IMA’s accomplishments under Derstine’s leadership include:

Building a wide range of partnerships with pharmaceutical manufacturers, foundations, universities, ministries of heath and faith-based national health associations.

Leading consortiums and other partnerships to build and strengthen health care systems in the Democratic Republic of Congo and war-torn Southern Sudan.

Helping to manage the global distribution of Diflucan®, a medicine provided by Pfizer Inc. that is used to treat AIDS-related opportunistic infections.

Serving as a partner in the AIDSRelief consortium, a program of President Bush’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) in Tanzania.

Achieving the highest levels of organizational efficiency. In its recent special report, America’s 200 Largest Charities, Forbes magazine and Forbes.com identifies IMA not only as one of the largest 200 nonprofit organizations in the United States but also as one of the 20 most efficient among that group. In addition, IMA continues to receive the highest efficiency ratings possible from the watchdog organization Charity Navigator.