The Board of Regents of the American College of Chest Physicians (Chest) has finalized the appointment of Stephen J. Welch as executive vice president and CEO, according to a news release.

“I am sincerely humbled and honored to have this opportunity and am excited for the future of Chest,” Welch said, in response to the announcement.

Welch had been serving as the interim executive vice president and CEO since May 2016. Prior to this appointment, he served in a senior staff role at Chest for 22 years, most recently as publisher and senior vice president of Publications and Digital Content, which includes managing the organization’s flagship scientific journal, Chest.

“We appreciate the exceptional performance of Steve, his senior team, and the entire Chest staff during this transition in executive leadership. We are excited about the opportunity to work with Steve in his new role going forward, as we begin outlining Chest’s strategic plan for the next 5 years,” said Chest President Gerard A. Silvestri, MD, MS, FCCP.