Dr. Lang Assumes New Role as Alumni Association Board President

During the course of his long and distinguished career at Cleveland Clinic, Richard Lang, MD, MPH (IM’82), has held a variety of clinical, administrative and leadership positions. “It’s been a fun, eye-opening learning process, a growing process,” he says. Now, he looks forward to serving his fellow alumni as the new President of Cleveland Clinic’s Alumni Association Board.

“This is an opportunity to give back again to Cleveland Clinic, and keep moving the Alumni Association forward,” he says. Having served on the Alumni Board for the last several years, he says he has been impressed by the growth in the Alumni Association’s influence and membership, now at 24,000 worldwide and by the framework of the Association. “I can’t say enough about the stewardship of Mindy Stroh and her Alumni Relations staff, the leadership that has preceded me, and the Alumni Board members’ varied talents, perspectives and backgrounds. This is a wonderful opportunity to continue their progress.”

Dr. Lang’s goals as President are in keeping with those established by his predecessor Dale Shepard, MD, PhD (IM’06, H/O’09), and the Alumni Board, he says: “One central objective will be to further engage the association membership, a highly diverse group of professionals representing different ages, disciplines and areas of the country and world. I would like to enhance the value of being connected to Cleveland Clinic as an alumnus or alumna, and cement and grow that relationship. Our numbers have greatly expanded, and it is so important to continue to work to communicate in a meaningful way with our members and those who will become alumni, so that they know how they are part of the Cleveland Clinic family and can further contribute to its future.”

Dr. Richard Lang (far left) with our current Alumi Board of Directors

He comments that he, the Alumni Board, and the Alumni Association can help members in so many ways. “We can leverage our advancing communications and information technology systems to educate alumni, assist them in their practices, and allow them to take part in the always evolving growth and evolution of our organization. We can connect and reconnect people with us, and with each other.”

Dr. Lang says he already is enjoying his new position with the Alumni Board and the ways in which it will allow him to build on his prior experience. “I think about having been at Cleveland Clinic for almost 40 years—as a medical student, resident, staff member, and department head, now about moving to an emeritus role—and also having been a patient. It’s interesting and so valuable to have all of those different perspectives as I move forward in this new position. I take sincere pride in being a Cleveland Clinic alumnus. It’s one of the greatest honors I have enjoyed, and everyone who has that honor should cherish it.”