06/09/14  Portland, Ore.

Jim Ervin heads OHSU Doernbecher’s fundraising affiliate

The Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Foundation has hired Jim Ervin as the foundation’s executive director. Ervin began his new job June 2.

The foundation board of directors selected Ervin after a national search. He will lead a nonprofit organization that raises more than $23 million in philanthropic gifts each year to support OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one the nation’s best children’s hospitals. The foundation also oversees the efforts of hundreds of volunteers who participate in community-based fundraising programs and events that support the hospital. Doernbecher is a part of Oregon’s only public academic health center at Oregon Health & Science University, and operates clinics throughout the state.

"In all our discussions with Jim during the search process, we were impressed with his innovative and highly strategic approach to building and stewarding donor relationships to support a compelling institutional vision,” said Kelly Johnson, president of the foundation board. “As we all surveyed how much we’ve grown as a foundation and how much more we want to accomplish, we knew we needed someone of Jim’s background and experience to help us achieve these lofty goals.”

“Jim brings to Doernbecher a deep commitment to our mission of improving children’s health,” said H. Stacy Nicholson, M.D., M.P.H., physician-in-chief, OHSU Doernbecher; and professor and chair, Department of Pediatrics, OHSU School of Medicine. “We know he will take an enthusiastic and collaborative approach to engaging stakeholders in our shared work to create an unparalleled pediatric health center.”

Ervin comes to the foundation from Durham, North Carolina, and brings 13 years of experience in managing development, campaign and major gift activities at higher education institutions and in nonprofit and pediatric hospital settings. He most recently served as director of principal and major gifts at Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center, and previously served as vice president for development at Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure, Inc. Ervin also has held several development leadership positions at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He grew up in Gastonia, North Carolina, and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ervin and his wife, Brooke, have a young son.

“Doernbecher Children’s Hospital has a stellar national reputation, and I’m honored to be a part of its mission,” said Ervin. “I look forward to working with the entire Doernbecher team, our enthusiastic volunteers and the communities we serve throughout the state to expand Doernbecher’s excellent care to even more children and their families.”

Ervin succeeds Ashley Schmidt, who served as interim executive director of the foundation for the past seven months, and Mary Turina, who left the foundation in 2013 to become vice president and chief financial strategist for the OHSU Foundation.