The Board of Directors of the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) announced today that Nicole Friedland will retire as President & CEO from NAAF on February 6, 2026, after four years leading the organization and 37 years of transformative work improving health, and access to healthcare, for people around the globe. In January 2022, Friedland took the helm of NAAF, the largest alopecia areata patient advocacy organization in the world and the leading non-profit funder of alopecia areata research. Under her leadership, NAAF more than doubled its revenue and now provides more critical resources and support than ever before. “It has been an incredible joy to serve in this position and partner with the amazing alopecia areata community to drive positive change,” shared Friedland. “I have immense gratitude for the Board of Directors, the staff team, volunteers, corporate, medical and scientific partners, and donors who have made so much progress possible. My time as NAAF’s President & CEO has been a highlight of my career. NAAF has tremendous momentum to drive mission impact for the alopecia areata community.” During her tenure, Friedland launched innovative initiatives, expanded resources available to the alopecia areata community, and increased awareness about alopecia areata as an autoimmune disease, which often causes devastating mental, emotional, and economic impact. Of note, in the last four years, NAAF: Played a prominent media role following the March 2022 Oscars Ceremony, seizing the moment as a global alopecia areata awareness opportunity and engaging in nearly 100 interviews to help the public understand the impacts of alopecia areata. Delivered timely information and education about the three FDA-approved treatments for severe disease, starting with the first-ever FDA approval in the summer of 2022. Responded to the advancements in the treatment landscape by creating new resources to meet the changing needs of the community, including the Doctor Finder; the Treatment & Insurance Navigation Toolkit; and NAAF’s You Are Not Alone webinar series with over 75,000 YouTube views. Emerging from the global pandemic, reinvigorated NAAF’s annual in-person Conference, growing attendance to nearly 700 registrants at the 40th anniversary event this year. Launched the first ever Walk For Alopecia in 2023, now the world’s largest fundraising and awareness campaign for alopecia areata, raising nearly $3 million since its inception and elevating awareness about the disease. Fostered collaboration to build the first consensus treatment guidelines for alopecia areata treatment in the U.S., that will empower healthcare providers and those living with alopecia areata with current treatment best practices. Increased NAAF’s research funding and prepared the launch of NAAF’s annual survey research program VOICES-AA (Values, Outcomes, and Insights from Community Experiences). “Nicole’s leadership has been extraordinary,” shared Ann R. Hollins, Chair of NAAF’s Board of Directors and Chief People Officer of Vertex Inc. “She brought vision, courage, and relentless commitment to every facet of our work—always with grace and deep empathy. Nicole’s legacy will continue to shape the future of our organization and our community for years to come.” The NAAF Board of Directors has established a special Executive Transition Task Force and engaged the executive search firm The Alexander Group (TAG) to conduct a comprehensive national search for NAAF’s next President & CEO. Learn more about the NAAF President & CEO position here. Please contact us at info@naaf.org if you have any questions.
