The Mid-America Coalition on Health Care said Tuesday that Vernon “Troy” Ross has succeeded Christine Wilson as president and chief executive.

Ross is a veteran pharmaceutical sales and marketing executive who has worked on several health-related collaborations in the Kansas City area.

As CEO of the coalition, he will lead the private, nonprofit organization that is composed of about 60 members representing the area’s employers, hospitals, health plans, physician and medical groups, universities, public health groups, governmental units and pharmaceutical companies.

The coalition’s goal is to improve the health of area residents and control the growth of health care costs.

Wilson said in a news release that it was “tough to walk away after being involved with the coalition for almost 20 years.” But she said the right staff and board are in place to build the coalition’s leverage in shaping community health.

Ross recently spent about 20 years in sales positions for Novo Nordisk, Pfizer and Warner before most recently being chief marketing officer for ApplicationOne.