More than a quarter century ago, Loeb imagined a world in which public health planning could draw from primary data about individuals in the community—something unheard of at the time.

It’s what all major sport figures want to do: step down at the top of their game. If that’s the goal, then one of PHMC’s big players really got the timing right. PHMC’s Senior Vice President John Loeb, one of the organization’s creators—from the grassroots initiative that led to PHMC’s founding—and a driving force in its innovative work today, announced his retirement just as this issue was going to press.

In 1971, Loeb joined with a handful of public health visionaries to create what was then called Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, where he began as a community organizer, served ten years as deputy executive director and since then has held the position of senior vice president. “He has been instrumental in spurring and guiding the agency’s growth from a small, experimental, federally funded program to the nearly $180 million organization it is today,” says Richard J. Cohen, PHMC’s president and CEO.

It’s hard to capture 40 years of leadership in a brief article, so a few compelling examples must suffice.

More than a quarter century ago, Loeb imagined a world in which public health planning could draw from primary data about individuals in the community—something unheard of at the time. From this, he developed and won funding for PHMC’s Community Health Data Base, which now fields one of the largest regional household health surveys in the country and feeds the public health work of more than 300 organizations in addition to PHMC.

Loeb helped lead the community’s public health responses to critical challenges. He provided leadership in framing PHMC’s answers to homelessness and behavioral health services for women and adolescents in Philadelphia. He played a major role in helping PHMC address the HIV/AIDS epidemic and chaired the planning process in Philadelphia. And Loeb helped make PHMC the pioneer agency in launching the Medicaid child health program in Southeastern Pennsylvania to assure access to health care for children.

Finally, Loeb—who holds a holds a bachelor of arts from Trinity College and a master of social services from Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, where he is a member of the board of advisors and in 2009 received the Alumni Achievement Award—has marked his years at PHMC by serving as a mentor to countless others who have become public health and social service leaders themselves.

“Everyone at PHMC will greatly miss John’s insight, leadership and presence,” remarks Cohen. “We wish him well as he embarks on his next big project—living in New Orleans and working in the art gallery world there. In fact, I think we’re all a bit jealous!”

“My decision to retire is the culmination of a long exploration on which my wife Anna Belle and I embarked several years ago to decide upon the next stage in our life,” says Loeb. “I count myself as incredibly lucky to have worked in the field of public health in a truly wonderful organization with exceptional colleagues and so many partners in the community. I’ve had a great career in a city I love, and I look forward to a new adventure in New Orleans.”

But first, Loeb will stick around PHMC for a few more months helping to transition his treasure trove of institutional knowledge…as befits a star player. “I am continuing to work with Richard, with our new COO Wayne Pendleton, and with the rest of the leadership team, to ensure as smooth a change in structure and responsibilities as possible,” says Loeb.