Norman Scherzer

Executive Director

Norman J. Scherzer is executive director of The Life Raft Group, an international, non-profit organization supporting people with Gastro-Intestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST). Norman Scherzer began a career in public health as a disease management specialist for the Centers for Disease Control. He has served as a director of the New York City Department of Health’s Sexually Transmitted Disease Program and as a director of the New York City Prison Health Services Program.

After serving as the New York Regional Consultant for Disease Control for the United States Public Health Service, Norman went on to become the Assistant Commissioner of Health for New York City where he helped spearhead the city’s childhood immunization initiative and its response to the AIDS crisis.

Following his formal retirement from public health, Norman became the Chief Executive Officer of Graham-Windham services to families and children, the oldest non-sectarian child care agency in the United States, founded in 1806. Norman then became the President and CEO of a health policy and management consulting firm called 22nd Century Health Concepts, Inc. whose clients included the Harvard University Institute for International Development. When his wife, Anita, a GIST patient entered the first clinical trial for GIST, Norman helped found the Life Raft Group. He has served as executive director since 2002.

• Email nscherzer@liferaftgroup.org