Bethesda, Maryland, United States, March 2026 – The ASHP Board of Directors today announced the appointment of Samuel V. Calabrese, BSPharm, MBA, FASHP, CPEL, as executive vice president and CEO, effective May 1, 2026. Calabrese will become ASHP’s fifth CEO in its 84-year history, succeeding longtime CEO Paul W. Abramowitz, PharmD, ScD (Hon), FASHP, who retired earlier this year.
Calabrese brings decades of health-system pharmacy leadership, deep experience in pharmacy training accreditation, and a longstanding commitment to ASHP’s mission and the profession. He currently serves as vice president of the ASHP Office of Accreditation Services, overseeing the accreditation processes for more than 3,000 pharmacy residency programs and 250 technician training programs nationwide.
Before joining ASHP, Calabrese spent 25 years in the Cleveland Clinic Health System, holding senior leadership roles, including executive chief pharmacy officer, associate chief pharmacy officer and pharmacy administrator, director of inpatient pharmacy services, and pharmacy manager. He also served as residency program director for the Cleveland Clinic’s health-system pharmacy administration and leadership residency.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sam Calabrese as ASHP’s CEO,” said ASHP President Melanie Dodd, PharmD, PhC, BCPS, FASHP. “Sam is an exceptional leader. His deep experience in hospital and health-system pharmacy, commitment to supporting our pharmacy workforce, and unwavering dedication to ASHP’s mission uniquely position him to lead the organization and guide ASHP into its next chapter of growth and impact on advancing the pharmacy profession and patient care.”
“I am honored to become ASHP’s CEO at this pivotal time for the pharmacy workforce and patient care,” Calabrese said. “ASHP has profoundly shaped my career and the profession and I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve our 65,000 members in this new capacity as we advance our shared mission and shape pharmacy’s future.”
Calabrese has an extensive record of service to ASHP and the profession, including roles on ASHP’s Board of Directors, the Commission on Affiliate Relations, the Council of Pharmacy Management, and as an ASHP delegate for Ohio. He has been an active leader within the Section of Pharmacy Practice Leaders (SPPL), including as chair of the Section Advisory Group for Quality and Compliance and as director-at-large and chair of the SPPL.
Calabrese served as faculty for the ASHP Foundation’s Pharmacy Leadership Academy and ASHP’s Australia Leadership Boot Camp and as a capstone facilitator for ASHP Certified Pharmacy Executive Leaders. He is a past president of the Cleveland Society of Health-System Pharmacists (CSHP) and the Ohio Society of Health-System Pharmacists (OSHP) and has been recognized with CSHP’s Evlyn Gray Scott Award and OSHP’s Walter M. Frazier Award.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, an MBA from Cleveland State University, and a certification in executive coaching from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland.
The ASHP Board of Directors selected Calabrese following a comprehensive national search. The board expressed its sincere gratitude to Douglas Scheckelhoff for serving as interim CEO during the search and CEO transition.
About ASHP
ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) is the largest association of pharmacy professionals in the United States, representing over 65,000 pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians in all patient care settings, including hospitals, ambulatory clinics, and health-system community pharmacies. For over 80 years, ASHP has championed innovation in pharmacy practice, advanced education and professional development, and served as a steadfast advocate for members and patients. In addition, ASHP is an accrediting body for pharmacy residency and technician training programs and provides comprehensive resources to support pharmacy professionals through every stage of their careers.
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