Palisadian Doctor Named “Father of the Year”

Palisadian Murray Lappe, MD, a father, physician, entrepreneur and CEO of Four Futures Investments, LLC, was recognized as a “Father of the Year” at the 16th annual dinner presented by the American Diabetes Association of Greater Los Angeles (ADA-LA) and Father’s Day Council on June 18 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.

The award recognizes men who have made family a priority while balancing demanding careers and community involvement. It is championed by over 500 Angelenos and area businesses – most of whom live with diabetes or love someone affected by diabetes – that sponsor, support and attend the annual event.

“It really is true that the success I’ve achieved in my life and career was only made possible with the support and love of my parents, family and children,” Lappe said. “In my next phase, I plan to spend as much time with them as I can and the rest of my time giving back to the world’s children who suffer from diabetes. I’d give up all I have to take away the pain of a lancet or the sadness on a child’s face when she hears ‘numbers out of range.’”

Lappe grew up in Skokie, Illinois as a self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur since the age of 6. He attended college at University of Illinois and continued on to medical school at Northwestern University in Chicago, where he began his career as a physician with an interest in genetics and medical informatics.

After eight years of medical practice, Lappe hung up his stethoscope and founded two hugely successful, award-winning companies: National Medical Review Offices, the first workplace drug-testing program in the country and eScreen, which created the software to help companies track data for drug-testing programs.

When a federal law was passed requiring all federal and transportation workers to be drug-tested, he was instantly an expert in this new field.

Now, 25 years later, Lappe holds 17 patents and his system is the most widely used of its kind in America, with clients including the U.S. Department of Defense, FedEx, Wal-Mart, Sears, Kmart and most of the Fortune 500.

When he’s not inventing new industries, Lappe is passionate about his family. He takes pleasure in connecting with his four children Emily, Lucas, Gia and Max, and when he sold his first business, he bought the house next door to his parents.

“We are relatively new to the Palisades, but we love it here,” he said. “We enjoy our spectacular view of the ocean and waking up to the colors of the sky and water between the trees. There are a few spectacular eucalyptus trees on this property that must be 200 years old. The business district reminds us of small-town living, yet we have all the benefits of LA nearby.”

He also finds joy in driving classic cars and collecting antique scientific instruments, anatomical models and medieval armor. His favorite days of the year, however, may be when he takes the children from his group home for developmentally disabled boys out on Sunday afternoons.

Led by a council of L.A. area volunteer community leaders chaired this year by Denise Jonas of The Jonas Group, the Father of the Year event’s purpose is to heighten the meaning of fatherhood, while raising funds to stop diabetes, which affects one in seven Californians. Every year, the council in each city conducts a nomination process to identify honorees who meet the criteria to be nominated as Father of the Year. The Father of the Year award does not recognize an awardee’s specific career-related accomplishments and is not an endorsement of their work or products by the American Diabetes Association. Awardees are selected because their peers and family recognize them as a role model father.