By
Michelle McCollum
Arizona Summer Wildcat
Kent Rollins accepts position to focus on private donations
After serving as president of the Arizona Alumni Association for 20 years, Kent Rollins retired from the university to become the first president of the UMC Foundation, a new organization created to earn private donations.
Although the University Medical Center has always accepted private donations, the foundation is the center's first organization to be based solely on private donations.
"The objective is to support the great work of the University Medical Center as a teaching hospital," said Rollins, who began his job July 7. "Many teaching hospitals are not able to make money based on what's happening with HMOs and indigent healthcare, so they need private giving."
Rollins said he was the top candidate for the presidency since he and UMC President Greg Pivirotto were good friends. Pivirotto believed Rollins could do the job well.
"(Pivirotto) has been asking me for several years to come over and head the foundation," said Rollins. "I just gave in."
Rollins, 56, came to the UA in 1971 as a graduate student seeking a degree in education. Upon gaining his master's degree, the New York native started working in the Dean of Students' office.
"I wanted to be a principal or superintendent of a school," Rollins said. "But when I was offered a job at the university, I thought I'd take it for a year or two. Now, 30 years later, I'm retiring."
Describing himself as "patient, competitive, and personable," Rollins sees his presidency as a creative change in his career. He plans to find long-term ways of ensuring funding and support for UMC that will keep it competitive with other teaching hospitals around the country, he said.
Sandra Ruhl, Rollins' successor as president of the Arizona Alumni Association, said she has known Rollins for 14 years and is confident he will do an excellent job.
"Kent has been an outstanding leader for 20 years because of his professional expertise, his commitment to the university's success, and his ability to develop strong relationships with students, alumni, the campus, and the community," Ruhl said. "Everyone who knows Kent likes him. He is sincere, warm, engaging, a good listener, and an excellent communicator and collaborator.
"He is enthusiastic about the challenge of developing a new foundation to support UMC," she added. "He has all the leadership, professional, and interpersonal skills necessary to be successful."
