In July 2005, the College of Medicine officially began the Florida Tomorrow Campaign for Medicine with a goal of raising $315 million by its completion in 2012. The campaign recently reached the half-way mark and has recorded more than $169 million in gifts, pledges and bequests.
As it forges ahead into the second and critical half of the campaign, the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs recently expanded its staff with four new development officers to help meet the needs of the College of Medicine and to ensure that private support continues to strengthen.
“The level of energy and enthusiasm that the new development officers have is going to take us a long way in reaching our campaign goal,” says Ann Braun, associate dean for development and alumni affairs at the College of Medicine.
Carrie Mills
Carrie Mills, a Gainesville native, has seen the impact fundraising can have on a community, and with both parents working in the health-care field, she learned early to appreciate medicine. Her passion for medical development stems from working with her parents, who founded a local organization that provides health care to the homeless in Gainesville. “Fundraising came naturally for me,” explains Mills. “I found it to be perfect for me and my personality.” After finishing her undergraduate studies at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, she moved to Jacksonville, where she worked in development for March of Dimes for three years. She’s excited to join the team of development officers at the College of Medicine — Jacksonville and to work with the faculty and begin meeting alumni.
Tiffany Doering
Tiffany Doering, who grew up in Gainesville and graduated from UF, joins the College of Medicine Office of Development and Alumni Affairs with 10 years of fundraising experience under her belt and understands the importance of development. “Without fundraising certain programs couldn’t exist and patient care would suffer,” she says. Doering will focus on raising funds for the departments of pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology and says she is amazed by the work she sees being done at the College of Medicine. “It’s been life-changing,” she explains. “I’m humbled everyday being around the people I work with.”
Victoria Rudd
For Victoria Rudd, working in development fulfills a personal passion. “It’s great that I get to do something that touches so many people,” she says. Rudd, who completed a master’s degree in non-profit management at Seton Hall University in 2006, comes to the College of Medicine from UF’s Levin College of Law where she was the assistant director of development. She is excited to support the work and research being done by the doctors and students at the College of Medicine.
Denise Stobbie
Denise Stobbie has found her niche in development through raising funds to help combat cancer. “I love bringing together donors’ interests and passions with the research projects of our physicians and scientists,” explains the new DO for UF Shands Cancer Center. “Philanthropy turns ideas and experiments into new therapies, and it will enable us to add more patient-care coordinators to our nursing staff.” Stobbie is a Gator journalism graduate who spent 18 years of her career working in public relations and development for UF’s Levin College of Law. Most recently, she was development director for The Salvation Army. Both her children currently attend UF.