A.B. Short, chief executive officer of Decatur-based MedShare, is stepping down from the helm of the nonprofit he co-founded.
Meridith Rentz, most recently chief operating officer of Points of Light Institute, will become the new chief executive.
The move, which is part of a planned succession strategy, takes effect Sept. 1.
"I am not retiring, I'm not even thinking about that," said Short, 66. "I'm moving over and inviting some youthful and creative leadership to come in and take MedShare to the next stage."
Short, who co-founded the organization with Bob Freeman in 1998, said he will remain as Rentz's senior adviser for an unspecified time.
"Some of us who start things stay too long," he said. "We get comfortable and organizations can suffer." He said he asked the organization's board to start the process of finding a successor about a year ago.
MedShare collects surplus medical supplies and equipment from hospitals, companies and individuals and distributes them to health care facilities in developing nations. It also helps medical missions and safety net clinics in the United States and abroad. In doing so, the organization's work helps reduce the amount of medical waste in landfills.
"I'm going to take off my hat here and put on my MedShare hat," Rentz said. "MedShare is really on a fantastic trajectory." She said her plans are to continue to provide the same "high-quality services and expand our footprint."
MedShare currently has two warehouses -- in Decatur and in San Leandro, Calif. Officials hope to expand into the Mid-Atlantic region, which would cover Boston, Philadelphia and New York; and in southern Florida.
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