OREF Appoints Sharon Mellor, Ph.D., CAE as CEO

ROSEMONT, Ill., Oct. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) board of trustees has announced the appointment of Sharon Mellor, Ph.D., CAE as chief executive officer. Mellor will assume leadership of the foundation Dec. 1, 2011. Founded in 1955, OREF is an independent, nonprofit fundraising organization that seeks support from companies and individuals for clinically relevant research and education that contributes to improving orthopaedic care and quality of life for patients of all ages.

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"We are proud to welcome Dr. Mellor as OREF's new CEO," said S. Terry Canale, MD, OREF board president. "With her skills and demonstrated success in fundraising and resource development, OREF is poised for a bright future."

Mellor comes to OREF with extensive experience in fundraising for medical and educational foundations, most recently as associate vice president for resource development at the College of DuPage (COD) and executive director of the COD Foundation. She has also served as CEO for the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation, as associate executive director of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation, and in executive positions in development and communications for the American Osteopathic Association.

"Sharon Mellor has everything OREF was looking for in a CEO," said Ramon L. Jimenez, MD, search committee chair and OREF board president-elect. "We are particularly impressed with her emphasis on optimizing the effectiveness of donor contributions and in developing support for all sectors of the orthopaedic community. This is an exciting time for OREF."

Mellor, a MENSA member, earned a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in organizational behavior and development from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati; an MBA from Loyola University, Chicago; and a BA in journalism and organizational communications from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. Mellor has served as president of the Chicago Association of Healthcare Executives and the American Society of Dental Foundation Executives. She is a member of the American Society of Association Executives, Association Forum, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the West Suburban Philanthropic Network. She resides in Downers Grove, Ill.

OREF is the leading and most experienced administrator of grants for the advancement of orthopaedic specialty care, having awarded more than 3,800 grants and awards totaling $115 million through September 2011.

SOURCE Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation