Darryl Lewis, third-year Pharm.D. candidate, became the Student National Pharmaceutical Association’s national president at its annual meeting in Las Vegas, July 28-30. Lewis has spent the last year as president-elect preparing to lead the organization, which focuses on increasing diversity in pharmacy and other health-care professions and providing service to underserved communities.
Lewis submitted an application to the national office and then went through multiple rounds of interviews before giving a speech to the membership and being elected into office by the organization’s House of Delegates.
As president, Lewis will preside at the national meeting and various executive meetings in addition to sitting on the board of directors of the National Pharmaceutical Assocation. He’ll select appointed officers for the SNPhA executive board, oversee sponsorship proposals to pharmacy organizations, serve as official spokesperson and set the yearly agenda, vision and presidential theme. The presidential theme this year is “Connecting the PIECES.”
PIECES stands for patients, inclusion, empowerment, community, education and service. Lewis said that by focusing on these six key elements, SNPhA can continue not only to grow as organization but also continue providing excellent service to the communities its members live in. SNPhA hosts health fairs, screenings, classes, free clinics and more in the communities they serve.
Lewis said he was inspired to run for SNPhA president because he felt like it was a role that would allow him to make a true difference in his community.
“SNPhA aligned with my desire to serve my community and work to decrease the health disparities seen in our country and around the world,” Lewis said.
Lewis said he learned about the SNPhA while completing the Roy Darlington Fellowship at the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy during his undergraduate career and immediately joined the School’s chapter upon his enrollment in the Pharm.D. program.
Lewis was appointed recruitment and social chair for the School’s chapter before he decided to run for national office. He’s involved in several other organizations on campus including Kappa Psi, the Young Innovators Program in the Eshelman Institute for Innovation and the Beta Theta Lambda Alumni Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., where he serves on the wellness committee.
SNPhA’s mission is to plan, organize, coordinate and execute programs geared toward the improvement for the health, education and social environment of the community. It has chapters at pharmacy schools across the nation and gives members opportunities in community service, leadership development, networking and scholarships.
Lewis is a native of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and earned his undergraduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences from North Carolina Central University.