Emory Fundraiser Appointed Vice Chancellor for UAMS

06-11-02 (Little Rock) UAMS Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson, M.D., has appointed John I. Blohm to the position of vice chancellor for development at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Mr. Blohm, a senior associate vice president for health sciences development at Emory University in Atlanta, a private university, will begin work at UAMS in July. Blohm will also become the executive director of the UAMS Foundation.

"I am pleased to have John Blohm join the senior administration team at UAMS. He has extensive experience in fundraising for higher education in the health science fields. I believe he will help us demonstrate the value of charitable giving to Arkansas's academic health center," Wilson said.

"With continued reductions in certain federal and state appropriations for academic health centers, it is now more critical than ever that we involve philanthropists and charitable organizations in our programs. Our success in educating the next generation of health-care professionals and conducting groundbreaking research in Arkansas will significantly depend upon their generosity," the Chancellor said.

"UAMS is a marvelous institution that has served the people of Arkansas for decades. This is a wonderful opportunity," Mr. Blohm said while visiting the campus last week.

"Mr. Blohm is just excellent. I'm delighted that he decided to accept the invitation to come to UAMS," John Schlereth of Little Rock, chairman of the UAMS Foundation Fund Board, said. 

Kent Westbrook, M.D., interim chair of the Department of Surgery of the UAMS College of Medicine, chaired the search committee for this leadership position. He commented, "John Blohm is a real professional. He has been involved in fund raising on medical sciences campuses for many years. I anticipate that he will move fundraising activities to a new level professionally and financially. I certainly look forward to working with him."

Blohm succeeds Sherrel F. Johnson, who has been interim vice chancellor for institutional advancement since June 2001. "Sherrel has done an outstanding job as interim vice chancellor," Chancellor Wilson commented. "She helped us reach out to our friends and supporters around the state. Her extensive knowledge of Arkansas and grass-roots understanding of economic and community development has been an asset to UAMS."

Blohm has worked in higher education fundraising for 20 years. He has held positions in health sciences development at the University of Florida and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) as well as at Emory. He has coordinated university-wide comprehensive capital campaigns at the University of Florida and UAB. In his current position, he has directed fundraising and all development activities for Emory's Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health; Emory Hospital; and Crawford Long Hospital.

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For more information, click on these Web resources:

Emory University:
http://www.emory.edu/
UAMS Foundation Fund Board: 
http://www.uams.edu/advancement/foundation.htm
UAMS Development: 
http://www.uams.edu/advancement/
New Strategic Plan: 
http://www.uams.edu/today/2002/052302/strategicplan.htm
Sherrel F. Johnson: 
http://www.uams.edu/today/062801/johnson.htm 

PR Contact:    
Mike H. Mottler, Director
University Relations                              
Phone:  501-686-6270  
Fax:      501-686-5067 
E-mail:  mottlermikeh@uams.edu   

03/30/07