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Officers and Board
6300 Enterprise Rd
Kansas City, MO 64120
Chair
Nicholas Smock, Pharm D, M.B.A., FACA
Nicholas Smock’s career in pharmacy and business began during his high school years when he worked at his father’s independently owned pharmacy, Dick Smock Pharmacy, in St. Joseph, Missouri. As an undergraduate he worked at the local pharmaceutical wholesaler, C. D. Smith Drugs, before going on to complete his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) in 1983, while also working as a student pharmacist at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, Kansas. In 1984 he started one of the first Pharmacy Relief Services in the industry, which included work for independent, hospital and chain pharmacies. He has owned and operated retail and real estate businesses throughout his career as well.
Nick received a Masters of Business in Finance and Marketing in 1990 from the UMKC School of Business and began a career in upper management with various retail pharmacy drug store chains. In 1994 he started his career with Pharmacy Business Associates, now PBA Health, as the Vice President and Director of Contracts, and in 1998 he was appointed to his current position of President and CEO.
Since completing his non-traditional Pharm.D degree from UMKC in 2002, Nick has served on numerous university and trade association committees, councils and boards, including the UMKC Dean’s Advisory Council, the National Community Pharmacist Association (NCPA), APhA House of Delegates for the Missouri Pharmacists Association, and the Kansas City College of Apothecary Chapter, where he served as Treasurer. He has received both the UMKC Alumni Award and the Achievers of Excellence Award, and, as a member of the Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Society, he was awarded the Competent Toastmaster and Leader Designation while serving as President and Vice President of Membership and Landmark Worldwide Introduction Leader and Seminar Apprentice.
51 S Washington St Suite D
Oxford, MI 48371
President
Hilary Howell, PharmD, CCN, FACA
As a young teenager, Hillary worked as a pharmacy technician until graduating high school in 1998. Her passion for medicine led her to enroll in the Doctor of Pharmacy program at Ferris State University and graduated in 2004. Shortly after graduating, she married her high school sweetheart and took a position as a retail staff pharmacist at a local pharmacy chain. This ultimately led to a manager position with the same company. Hillary has two children, Hunter and Tanner, which she adores. 10 years into her position as a manager, her husband James was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer, leiomyosarcoma of the prostate. During his journey, the family decided to look into alternative treatments using both conventional and alternative therapies. Sadly, James’ journey ended 18 months later.
As a single mother, Hillary decided to take her career in a new direction. She opened Michigan’s first integrative cash based pharmacy, Apothecary & Co, in 2019, focusing on helping others to find their root cause instead of applying a “bandaid”. Apothecary & Co proudly specializes in compounding, point of care testing, and functional medicine consulting. Since opening in 2019, Hillary received her Certified Clinical Nutrition designation in 2021. She is currently pursuing a certification program through the Institute for Functional Medicine. Besides the love for functional medicine, her other passion is medicinal herbalism leading her to complete coursework through Rosemary Gladstar’s The Science of Art and Herbalism program.
608E Lockwood Ave
Webster Groves, MO 63119
ACA President-Elect
Steve Zielinski, PharmD, FACA
Dr. Steve Zielinski is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer (CEO) of Webster Pharmacy, where he is transforming an independent pharmacy into a thriving functional compounding pharmacy. In this role, he builds business systems that empower his team to deliver both traditional pharmacy services and integrative health solutions to the communities they serve.
Steve’s core belief is that pharmacies must deliver extraordinary, measurable results—not just dispense medications. At Webster, the mission is to revitalize and enhance life for every patient, ensuring that every healthcare dollar spent with the pharmacy feels like the wisest and most impactful choice. For Steve, this work is not about money—it’s about making a difference in people’s lives every single day.
Outside of work, Steve lives in O’Fallon, MO, where he’s a proud dad to three kids (plus a dog and a cat). He goes by @mule in F3 workouts and at GORUCK events. He enjoys fishing, swimming, family trips back to Rockford and Chicago—and has a passion for model railroading, where he details HO train engines at RPM meets and applies AI to bring his layouts to life.
6350 Frederick Rd
Catonsville, MD 21228
ACA Treasurer
Neil Leikach, RPh, FACA
Neil graduated in 1992 from the University of Maryland, School of Pharmacy with a BSPharmacy degree and 2021 with a Masters in Cannabis Science and Therapeutics. He married fellow graduate, pharmacist Dixie. They have two sons, Eric (married to Ke’Onna) and Marc. They also have a beautiful grand-daughter, Ember.
Neil started his pharmacy career as a driver for Paradise Pharmacy in 1986 and moved up to pharmacist manager by 1998. Neil opened Catonsville Pharmacy in the same location in February 1999. Neil and Dixie opened Finksburg Pharmacy in 2003. Paradise Professional Pharmacy was split from Catonsville as a closed-door pharmacy for the assisted living home business in 2007. They sold their pharmacies to a long-term pharmacist employee couple in October 2022.
Neil has served in many leadership positions. He was President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Pharmacy Alumni Association and the Maryland Pharmacist Association. He has also been a member of the Lambda Kappa Sigma Educational Trust Liaison Committee. He is a member of many local and national professional pharmacy organizations. Neil volunteers for his synagogue and for The Associated, Federation of Jewish Charities. Neil was honored with many Maryland Pharmacists Association’s awards including the Bowl of Hygeia in 2022. He is the current President of the Maryland Board of Pharmacy and has been a commissioner since 2017.
Neil strongly supports independent community pharmacy and organizational involvement. As a storeowner, Neil had the flexibility to be actively involved in his profession and community, which allows him to give back some of what has been given to him.
Acheson Teaching Hospital Pharmacy
Corvallis, OR
ACVP President
Brian T. Bowers, PharmD, RPh, FSVHP, FACVP, DipICVP
Dr. Brian T. Bowers is a 2009 graduate from Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA), who took the ‘trail’ out to Oregon from Pennsylvania in 2011 where he works for Oregon State University. He is the pharmacy director at the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine and is a current professional faculty member within the College of Pharmacy. When not working in the pharmacy dispensing prescriptions and overseeing the operations, he enjoys a lot of his time in the outdoors where he likes to fish, hunt, camp, and hike with his dog, Kane, a mixed breed pit and boxer, who is a spittin’ image of ‘Chance’ from the movie Homeward Bound. He also enjoys being active in his church and playing soccer.
Directors
ACA Past Presidents
L. Malmo – 1940-41*
Max N. Lemberger – 1941-42*
Frederick D. Lascoff – 1942-43*
J. K. Attwood – 1943-44*
L. D. Bracken – 1944-46*
L. A. Weidle – 1946-47*
James S. Hill – 1947-48*
Charles E. Wilson – 1948-49*
Ronald V. Robertson – 1949-50*
A. R. Granito – 1950-51*
C. J. Masterson – 1951-52*
John B. Heinz – 1952-53*
Louis B. Longaker – 1953-54*
Louis J. Fischl – 1954-55*
Mearl D. Pritchard – 1955-56*
Leroy A. Weidle, Jr. – 1956-57*
Calvin Berger – 1957-58*
Gerald L. Nutter – 1958-59*
Edward F. Keating – 1959-60*
Henry H. Gregg – 1960-61*
Wilkins Harden – 1961-62*
Lee E. Eiler – 1962-63*
B. S. Rogers – 1963-64
Walter P. Scheffe – 1964-65*
George A. Raven – 1965-66*
William B. Hennessey – 1966-67*
C. J. Wade – 1967-68*
L. M. Caldwell – 1968-69*
Victor H. Morgenroth, Jr. – 1969-70*
M. Donald Pritchard – 1970-71
Joseph G. King – 1971-72
Casimir H. Srutwa – 1972-73*
William H. Bergen – 1973-74*
J. Gary Newton – 1974-75
Howard L. Stark – 1975-76
Douglas Crotts – 1976-77*
Albert E. Rosica, Jr. – 1977-78*
Martin L. Lambert, Jr. – 1978-79*
Guy D. Robinson – 1979-80
Thomas K. Denson – 1980-81
William S. Lackey – 1981-82*
William R. Letendre – 1982-83
Roger B. Miller – 1983-84
Evelyn D. Timmons – 1984-85*
Gilbert N. Weise – 1985-86
Paul M. Armstrong – 1986-87*
George E. Kirk, Jr. – 1987-88*
Earl W. “Bill” Bradley – 1988-89*
Galen Z. Morris – 1989-90*
Calvin H. Knowlton – 1990-91
Louis O. Zande – 1991-92*
Carl F. Emswiller, Jr. – 1992-93*
William E. Osborn – 1993-94*
Paul W. Lofholm – 1994-95
Larry J. Mayhew – 1995-96*
Daniel A. Herbert – 1996-97*
George R. Gerding – 1997-98
Jack L. Coffey – 1998-99*
Murray C. Lightman – 1999-00
Kent A. Richardson – 2000-01
Gerald G. Ritt – 2001-02
Don Coody – 2002-03
John S. Oftebro – 2003-04
Carolyn E. Hilscher – 2004-05
A. Jeffrey Denton – 2005-06
Randall S. Myers – 2006-07
Clay W. Moore – 2007-08
Bernard J. Klouda – 2008-09*
Buford T. Abeldt – 2009-10
Nelson L. Showalter – 2010-12
Jay Watts – 2012-2013
Ben Smith – 2013-2014
Jim Martin – 2014-2015
Jerry Greene – 2015-2016
Tom Hunt – 2016-2017
Ryan Oftebro – 2017-2018
David Liebman – 2018-2019
Steve Pryor – 2019-2020
Dixie Leikach – 2020-2021
Linda McElhiney – 2021-2022
Marisol Lopez – 2022-2023
Kim Ferguson – 2023-2024
ACA Board & Officer Nomination Form
ACA Board of Directors Nomination Form
Nominations are now open for the position of Vice President of the ACA Board and two Director positions.
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Staff
