Wasson Carroll County native Gregory D. Wasson, 50, became chief executive officer of Walgreens and a director of the company as of Sunday. He retains the position of president.

Wasson was raised in rural Delphi and moved when he was 13 to rural Monticello, where his parents still reside. He graduated from Twin Lakes High School in Monticello.

"Greg has worked hard all his life, but he's remained humble," said his father, Richard Wasson. "His mother always cautions him to slow down and get some rest, but Greg has always been a hard driver. Since the time he could walk, he constantly strived to get ahead."

Wasson joined Walgreens as a pharmacy intern in 1980 and advanced steadily through executive positions over the course of his 29-year career with the company. He was named a regional vice president of Walgreens store operations in 1999, became executive vice president of Walgreens Health Services (WHS) in 2001 and was named president of WHS in 2002. He became president and chief operating officer of Walgreen Co. in 2007.

Wasson and his wife, Kim, were married in 1981 on the day they graduated from Purdue University's School of Pharmacy. They now have two daughters.

Wasson's mother, Phyllis, worked as a hospital ward clerk for 25 years in Monticello, a career that influenced several of her children. Greg's brother, Brad Wasson, also is a pharmacist and vice president of retail clinical services for Walgreens. His sister, Terry Lhotka, is a store manager for Walgreens in suburban Chicago, while his other sister, Melinda Hoffman, is a nurse practitioner at St. Elizabeth Hospital. Greg's oldest brother, Rick, is a night supervisor at Caterpillar in Lafayette.

"It is a very exciting time for Walgreens," said Wasson. "Despite the challenges we face from a difficult retail environment, we believe our fundamental strengths as a company - the best, most convenient, community-based store network in America; our iconic brand; and strong balance sheet - are tremendous competitive advantages that will accelerate the strategic transformation and success of our company. I look forward to working with our 237,000 dedicated employees in building the future of Walgreens."