JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nemours Foundation today announced the election of John F. (Jack) Porter III, retired Chairman and CEO, Delaware Trust Co., to Chairman of the Board. A member of the Board since 1995, Mr. Porter succeeds William T. Thompson III, who has served as Chairman with great distinction and dedication since 2000. Both Thompson and Porter also serve as Trustees of the Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust.
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Porter formally accepted his new responsibilities at the January 18, 2005 Board of Directors meeting in Jacksonville, Florida, in which the Board structure was aligned with the broadened scope of Nemours Foundation and its mission.
Porter commented on his new role: “In my 33-year affiliation with Nemours, I have never felt more enthusiastic about this organization -- in large part due to the innovation, energy and creativity Mr. Thompson infused into his tenure as Chairman. I am extremely honored and, frankly, excited to work with professionals from so many disciplines at Nemours, from academics and medicine, to health and prevention. I find their intelligence and passion refreshing.”
Established by the Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust in 1936, Nemours Foundation initially began operation as an orthopedic hospital in 1940. Today, Nemours is a comprehensive health care system operating in four states, with one of the largest pediatric group practices in the United States. The organization is focused on raising the bar in children’s health and health care through its four core service dimensions: patient-centered medical care, biomedical research, education, and health promotion/disease prevention.
“Children’s health issues are much different today than they were 50, 25 or even 10 years ago,” said W. Jeff Wadsworth, Nemours CEO and President. “With Jack Porter as Chairman, we are well positioned to take Nemours to the next level, beyond the treatment of sick children, toward the development of systems of excellence for children’s health and care.”
“We are indebted to Mr. Thompson, Mr. Porter and our Board for designing a governance structure that recognizes the complex and dynamic nature of health care and adds new strength to Nemours at this exciting juncture in our history,” added Wadsworth.
Porter received an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia (1956) and an M.B.A. from the University of Delaware (1965). He received an honorary doctorate in business administration from Goldey Beacom College (1997) in Wilmington, Delaware. Porter joined the Delaware Trust Company in 1958, became President in 1979 and served as its Chairman and CEO from 1988 until his retirement in 1997. Porter has been affiliated with Nemours since 1970, serving as Chairman of its Board of Managers from 1987 to 1995. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of Nemours and a Trustee of the Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust since 1995. Throughout his career, he has been active in many business and community organizations, including Delaware Business Roundtable, Christiana Care, Grand Opera House, and Winterthur Museum and Gardens. He currently serves as a director of the Glenmede Corporation and Glenmede Trust Company, as well as several investment subsidiaries of non- Delaware bank holding companies. Porter resides in Wilmington, Delaware with his wife, Ann Mayfield Porter.
About Nemours
Nemours is a non-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in children’s health and health care. The sole beneficiary of the Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust, Nemours owns and operates one, full- service, freestanding children’s hospital (Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children) in Delaware, and four major children’s specialty centers (Nemours Children’s Clinic) in Delaware and Florida. Nemours employs more than 3,900 people, including 445 subspecialty physicians, 87 of whom were recognized in 2004 by their peers as among the Best Doctors in America(R). Nemours treats more than 230,000 children annually. For more information, please visit http://www.nemours.org/ .
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CONTACT: Odette Struys, National Media Relations Manager of Nemours,+1-904-232-4186, or fax, +1-904-232-4180, or ostruys@nemours.org
Web site: http://www.nemours.org/