in Hampton Roads in Hampton Roads - Eastern Virginia Medical ...

When she’s not working to strengthenEVMS, Ms. Hough spends time withher children, (from left) Beach andtwins Lara and Griffin.brought structure to the way EVMS interacts withits audiences both on and off campus.“She sets a very ambitious agenda, and shedelivers on it,” he says. “For one, we blew away ourAnnual Fund goal. If we can keep this ball rolling,we’ll be in a wonderful position.”fast forwardAll the success, however, doesn’t equate to aneasy first year at the medical school. Challengeswere in ample supply. About the time she started,the global economy lurched downward and, withit, philanthropic giving. Tight consumer walletshave led to lower state revenue, and EVMS, likeevery other Virginia institution of higher learning,has seen its share of state funding drop as the statecopes with a budget in the red.There have been internal challenges, too. Thelaunch of an all-new web site in September, a projectMs. Hough championed, did not go as smoothlyas expected. She has acknowledged the ongoingdifficulties and is holding the outside contractorsworking on the site accountable and pushing herstaff to find solutions.“She doesn’t just want things done. She wantsthem done right,” Vincent Rhodes, director ofmarketing and communications, explains. “Sheholds herself and her staff to very high standards.If there’s a problem or a mistake, she wants to get tothe bottom of it and figure out how to fix it — fast.Claudia has been very supportive of redirecting ourstaff and finding extra help to fix web site problems.She wants EVMS to have the best, most useful sitepossible.”Fortunately, temporary setbacks and a downeconomy aren’t a deterrent for Ms. Hough.“We just have to work a little harder and be a littlescrappier,” she says.Fund-raising targets have increased from lastyear, and the school is planning to amplify itscommunication efforts. Ms. Hough doesn’t wantEVMS to be Hampton Road’s best-kept secretany longer. All the work, she says, will have beena success only when everyone in Hampton Roadsknows what EVMS does and why it’s a critical pillarin the region’s health-care infrastructure.“I think the assets and the opportunities faroutweigh the challenges,” says Ms. Hough. “Theproduct is too good. The product has too muchstrength behind it. The product is our students, ourfaculty, EVMS Health Service and our research.There are too many positives to let any excuse getin the way.”32Fall 2009 www.eVMS.EDU Fast forward