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Annual Fundsupports excellence across institutionDonors to Eastern Virginia Medical School aredemonstrating their faith in the medical school inrecord numbers.The school saw a 20 percent surge in donorswho contributed to the 2008-2009 Annual Fund.That support brought in $782,735, surpassing the$700,000 goal by 12 percent.All of that is good news for the school, accordingto Mark Babashanian, EVMS vice president foradministration and finance.“The Annual Fund is a vital source of reliableoperational income,” Mr. Babashanian says. “Muchof our income is restricted in how we can use it. Thedonations we receive through the Annual Fund arenot restricted and afford us the flexibility to designatethose funds to meet our most pressing needs.”Those needs can include faculty recruitmentand development, technology improvementsfor education purposes, campus modernization,unforeseen needs or opportunities that arisesuddenly, Chris Dagley, annual fund director,explains.For the 2009-2010 Annual Fund, the institutionhas set a goal of $800,000. That money will be usedfor student scholarships, to help finance technologyimprovements that will enhance student learning,to hire new faculty and to upgrade research labs,Mr. Dagley says. The school also set an annual goalof raising $325,000 to support the EVMS StrelitzDiabetes Center.Leading the Annual Fund effort again this yearare key supporters of EVMS: Wayne Wilbanks,former rector of the Board of Visitors and newmember of the EVMS Foundation Board ofTrustees, and Robin Ray, former president and chairof the EVMS Foundation and recently appointed tothe Board of Visitors.G. Robert Aston Jr., president and chairman ofthe Eastern Virginia Medical School Foundation,credited Mr. Wilbanks, Mrs. Ray and their team forthe success of the 2008-2009 campaign.“To achieve these results in this economy is atestament to inspired leadership,” says Mr. Aston,chairman and CEO of TowneBank.Mrs. Ray says individuals and businesses wantto support the school because of its mission toimprove the health of the community. “Our donorsunderstand what the school means to the region,”says Mrs. Ray, president of Atlantic DominionDistributors. “Without the medical school, the levelof medical care here would suffer.”Mr. Wilbanks, managing principal and chiefinvestment officer of Wilbanks, Smith & ThomasAsset Management, LLC, reiterated the importanceof the Annual Fund to the school’s fiscal health.“The annual fund supports excellence acrossthe institution,” says Mr. Wilbanks. “EVMS mustgrow and innovate to continue to meet the needsof Hampton Roads in the coming decades. Weneed the community’s help to do that, and we areconfident donors will answer the call just as theyhave this year and in year’s past.”EVMS President Harry T. Lester applaudeddonors and volunteers alike for their support andefforts on behalf of the medical school.“We are indebted to everyone who made thisimportant campaign a success,” he says. “Theirsupport enables us to make Hampton Roads ahealthy, prosperous place to live, and that’s awonderful thing.”To learn more about opportunities to support Eastern VirginiaMedical School, go online to www.evmsfoundation.com.Faculty and staff invest in EVMSThe success of the Annual Fund relies on thegenerosity of supporters throughout HamptonRoads, but it also depends on EVMS faculty andstaff members who give back to the school.Meeting the Annual Fund goal allows EVMS tocontinue pursuing its missions year after year. It isfitting, then, that the people who best understandthe school’s missions and impact on the communityshow their support.“When seeking support from organizations,foundations and individuals outside the walls ofEVMS, it speaks volumes if we lead by example,”says Chris Dagley, director of annual giving.Continued on page 39President Harry T. Lester, right, thanks George Darby for his loyal support of the school.36 Fall 2009 www.eVMS.EDUPHILANTHROPY
philanthropyCosmopolitan Internationalis a loyal friend in fight against diabetesOne of the most critical components ofbiomedical research is money. Without financialsupport, the best ideas never advance.That’s why a dependable funding source is soimportant. And one of the most loyal supportersof research at Eastern Virginia Medical School isCosmopolitan International.The international organization, which callsitself “the club that fights diabetes,” gave $1 millionto help found what is now known as the EVMSStrelitz Diabetes Center. The group has continuedto support the center over the years, most notablywith an international project that raised nearly$765,000 to support INGAP research. Recently theorganization’s Capital Federation, which includesclubs throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, pledgedanother $100,000 over five years.A key focus of interest amongCosmopolitans is the researchinto INGAP, a proteinco-discovered by Aaron Vinik,MD, PHD, research directorat the EVMS StrelitzDiabetes Center.Though the group supports research andpatient care at diabetes centers across the country,the ongoing research at EVMS is of specialinterest. That’s one reason why the group invitedJerry Nadler, MD, professor and chair of internalmedicine at EVMS and director of the StrelitzDiabetes Center, to present the keynote address attheir 2009 international meeting in New Orleans.A key focus of interest among Cosmopolitans isJerry Nadler, MD, left, chair of internal medicine and director of the EVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center, thanks Cosmopolitan CapitalFederation representatives Robert G. “Bob” Williams, center, and L.J. Smith for the organization’s latest $100,000 pledgethe research into INGAP, a protein co-discoveredby Aaron Vinik, MD, PHD, research director atthe EVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center. Diabetes resultswhen the body’s immune system mistakenly killsoff insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas;INGAP is a protein that encourages re-growth ofbeta cellsDr. Nadler spoke to the Cosmopolitans aboutnew research that combines INGAP with thedrug lisofylline. INGAP encourages the growthof insulin-producing beta cells, while lisofyllineblocks the destructive immune system and protectsthe new growth. When this combination therapywas studied in mice, researchers were able to reverseType 1 diabetes 70 percent of the time — even inmice with severe disease.“That’s why I wanted Dr. Nadler there,” says BobWilliams, a former president of the internationalorganization and vice chair of the club’s foundation.“People were happy to hear their money has beenwell spent.”Cosmopolitan International is a model ofphilanthropy. Not only is the organization loyal toits cause (it has supported diabetes for some 35 years),Cosmopolitan International and its members areextremely generous.There are some 70 clubs across the United States,Canada and Mexico encompassing 2,000 members.The individual clubs sponsor a variety of fundraisingevents, and individual members also donateto the cause.The club hands out gifts equivalent to $500 permember each year.“We give away a million dollars a year, and thereare only 2,000 of us,” Mr. Williams says. “That’spretty impressive for a small organization.”PHILANTHROPYwww.eVMS.EDU Fall 2009 37
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Page 35: Graduate named toleadership post at
Page 39 and 40: Faculty and staffinvest in EVMScont

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