Canby Robinson Society names new donor relations director
Missy Eason
The Canby Robinson Society, Vanderbilt University Medical Center¹s leadership group for philanthropy, has a new director of donor relations.
Missy Eason, a 1977 graduate of Vanderbilt University with more than 14 years of volunteer service to Vanderbilt Children¹s Hospital and more than 20 years to the community, will replace Nancy B. Stroman, who has held the job for the past eight years.
Eason will assume the position on April 1.
Eason is no stranger to VUMC. As an undergraduate, she was a regular volunteer in the VCH Playroom. Since 1984 she has been a board member of Friends of Children¹s Hospital; served as the group¹s president in 1996-97; and is the local chairman of the Children¹s Miracle Network Champions Telethon in May. She has also served as an ex-officio board member for VCH.
Eason said that she wanted to give something back after her 13-year-old son was born prematurely and spent time in the hospital¹s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
³At that time, I basically felt like Vanderbilt Children¹s Hospital gave me a child. I wanted to give back,² she said.
³After 20 years of volunteer service to the community, I look forward to this new challenge,² Eason said. ³I can¹t think of a better place to use my skills. It feels like a natural fit since the hospital has been such an important part of my life.²
The Canby Robinson Society was founded in 1978 to honor and encourage those who seek to contribute to furthering education, research and patient care at VUMC. In recognizing and promoting philanthropy, the society encourages both unrestricted and restricted giving. Scholarship, research, patient care and medical education are areas that benefit from the funds raised. Many chairs, specialty centers, lectureships and research funds are made possible through members¹ contributions.
The Canby Robinson Society also aids and honors the medical student by awarding four need-based full tuition scholarships each year and annually selecting a graduating student to receive the ³Ideal Physician² award.
Dr. George Canby Robinson became the dean of the Vanderbilt University school of Medicine in 1920 and began the work that, before the end of the decade, changed the face of medical education at Vanderbilt.