The Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital Foundation has recently introduced its new executive director.
Gerry Dearing, who stepped into the position in July, is getting settled in, making community connections, gaining local insights, and updating the foundation’s donor list.
“Our goal is still to raise funds to keep health care local,” said Peter Burns, vice-chair of the foundation. “We’ve got a great facility here. … and we have to ensure they are properly equipped.”
Dave Corner served as executive director for the last 10 years but planned to retire at the end of his term in December 2019, Burns mentioned. He stayed on until June while a search for a new executive director was conducted.
“After a long search, we found Gerry, and we’re excited about moving forward. He’s got some great experience in London with London Health Sciences, and he was (foundation) executive director at the Huntsville hospital.”
The purpose of the Tillsonburg hospital foundation is to raise money for capital equipment that isn’t covered by the province’s Ministry of Health.
In previous years, capital campaigns included digital mammography equipment for $1 million, X-ray Room 1 for $500,000, anesthesia equipment that cost $400,000 and a portable digital X-ray machine for $200,000.
During Corner’s time as director, over $10 million was raised for the Tillsonburg hospital.
“We are really looking forward to the next phase of fundraising for the hospital because we know we have to do it differently than it has been done,” said Burns. “We’re going to take what we have been doing and use that as a base to build on and move into some different areas, and hopefully Gerry is going to do a great job and lead us there.”
Dearing also brings experience from his role as director of development with the national Sunshine Foundation and is a certified fundraising executive, which attracted interest from the hospital foundation board.
Burns noted that COVID-19 has changed how organizations fundraise.
“We’ve got to find different ways right now, like online fundraising, and Gerry has good experience in that area,” said Burns. “Everybody is being pretty innovative right now. We have to be innovative in this world.
‘”So we’re looking forward to it and I think Gerry is a great addition to our team.”
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