UCCRF President Ruth Ann M. Gillis Shares Foundation's Vision

With sharp business acumen, and a generous spirit of civic responsibility, Ruth Ann M. Gillis is just one of the many inspirational individuals involved with the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation. She has a long history with the University, first as a business student, and later as the Chief Financial Officer of the University of Chicago Hospitals and Health Systems, and a sustaining member of the Women’s Board and the President of the UCCRF’s Board of Trustees. She also has an impressive professional background in the private sector. Ms. Gillis is Executive Vice President of Exelon Corporation and President of Exelon Business Services Company. But what is most impressive about Ms. Gillis is her genuine and relentless commitment to furthering the causes she feels passionately about, cancer research in particular. In a crowded lunch spot in downtown Chicago, we sat down with Ms. Gillis to learn about what really drives her commitment to the UCCRF, and gain some insight into her impressions of how the Foundation has and continues to evolve. What we learned about the history of involvement of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center in significant cancer breakthroughs, and the inspirational work of its members was nothing short of remarkable.

You have a long and impressive history both with the University of Chicago and in the private sector.  What was it about the UCCRF, as compared to other philanthropic funds, that inspired you to get involved in cancer research?

As with most things, it’s all about the people who touch our lives. Cancer has impacted my life in the most dramatic of ways. My mother, my great aunt, and my grandmother all succumbed to different cancers. I also had a very close friend who twenty-three years ago was diagnosed with cancer. It was through her personal situation, and the fact that the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center was an amazing resource for her, that I learned about the remarkable work of this institution. The UCCRC is a wonderful resource for both clinicians and researchers, who have the experience and the resources to deal with very difficult situations. My friend is still an ardent supporter of the UCCRC. Through these situations, cancer became a part of my life. It didn’t take long for me to become proactive and devote myself to a cause that meant a lot to me personally.

How does your experience in the private sector influence your work at the UCCRF, and vice versa?

In my professional life, I’ve been very fortunate to have worked in organizations where community and civic involvement are not only valued, but also promoted and encouraged. When I first became involved in the Cancer Research Foundation, I was working at what was then First Chicago (JP Morgan Chase & Co. today), and they were very supportive of my being involved in an organization supporting cancer research, understanding of my time commitment to attend meetings and events. I feel strongly that corporations have a social responsibility as part of the communities in which they operate. That value is important to me and I’ve been fortunate to be a part of three organizations that value civic involvement. I’ve been involved in volunteer work since I’ve been in the fifth grade. It’s a part of my fundamental make-up, and the fact that my employers have been nothing but supportive of this personal inclination has been a big plus. In my professional and non-profit work, I have been able to apply the finance skills that I developed early in my career. I find that I am often asked for assistance on finance-related matters. My instinct is to go directly to the bottom line to determine how resources are being allocated, annual and future financial commitments and importantly the cash inflows and outflows – while this sounds fairly basic, it’s not unusual that the basics are just not quite in hand. I’ve found that my professional experiences and my University of Chicago MBA are assets.

In a Chicago Tribune interview, you mentioned the “importance of strategy, especially when social issues are concerned.” How would you describe the UCCRF strategy?

Strategy is an enabler of a shared goal, a shared value, or a shared vision. That’s true in business; it’s true in not-for-profit work, and it’s true in virtually everything we do. The UCCRF strategy is rooted in the UCCRC’s core goals of: cooperation, collaboration, and comprehensiveness. The strategy consists of a clear plan determining how the scarce resources available to us at the UCCRC are to be allocated. These scarce resources are intellectual -- spanning the broad experiences and talents of our clinicians and researchers, in addition to the human capital of our senior leaders and staff. They are also technological, and financial. Led by the efforts of Michelle Le Beau, PhD, who is the embodiment of the spirit of the institution, and whom we proudly support, the UCCRC and the UCCRF strategy effectively focus on marshalling these resources to ultimately pursue the most promising scientific breakthroughs through collaborative efforts.

Innovative approaches are essential to finding new scientific discoveries, and achieving improved survival statistics for cancer patients. What are some innovative projects that have recently taken place at the UCCRC, whose outcomes have been directly funded by UCCRF donations?

There are two specific examples that come to mind. The Women’s Board has been a long-standing supporter of the UCCRF, and has since its inception supported the Ben May Lab. The Women’s Board has also expanded its fundraising initiatives so that other important projects and undertakings may also receive the seed funding to launch strategic investigations. One of the initiatives with which we’ve been involved has been a pledge to support the Drug Discovery Laboratory in the Gwen and Jules Knapp Center for Biomedical Discovery. This laboratory works to discover new drugs, and new compounds that enable the treatment, and the improvement of cancer patients’ lives. Amittha Wickrema, PhD is a UCCRC investigator who recently discovered a compound that will inhibit the growth of a cancer that is quite insidious – multiple myloma. This drug discovery is huge and the Women’s Board is proud to have been involved.

The other example I could point to is the Campaign for Cancer Prevention, a Board of Trustees funding initiative. This campaign supports a project spearheaded by Habib Ahsan, MD, which investigates genetic and other hormone-related determinants of cancer and cancer risk. Dr. Ahsan’s work centers on the examination of the genetic origins of cancer, and has recently published data related to breast cancer research in women who carry certain hormone genes that are predictors of breast cancer. By further understanding the growth of cancerous cells in this early stage, we can develop more effective solutions to battling breast cancer and improving survival statistics. If researchers at the UCCRC receive the support they need to carry out the completion of projects, such as the two I’ve described, we will continue to make a difference. Our support complements the funding received from the National Institutes of Health and other Foundations, and at the end of the day, that’s what we can do to help.

Many people are hesitant to make a donation in these difficult economic times. What is your approach to inspiring these individuals to stay committed to supporting the UCCRC?

In these difficult economic conditions, corporations, individuals, and foundations are all faced with the same challenges. There was a sharp drop in the financial markets in last part of 2008 and another 15-20 percent drop since the beginning of this year. There have been significant contractions in accumulated wealth and value, so it is understandable that people are going to be very careful about where they are going to be investing their money. As always, donors need to examine what they are capable of contributing, but to keep in mind that cancer research and clinical applications of what we learn through research take time. I’ve been involved in cancer research since 1985, and although we’ve made great advances, we have yet to find a cure. This is a long journey requiring consistent research and a consistency in donations to continue to support those research initiatives. We have to be able to appeal to people who have a passion, who share our mission and our values, and hopefully work with them in enlisting their support in a sustained way.

As with everything else, there are some years when our supporters need to pull back or modulate their donations whether it’s their time, treasure, or talent. There are also years when our supporters are able and willing to make greater contributions. We all recognize this as a year to modulate, but we also need to think along a continuum. The UCCRF values the continued support of our donors. We are striving to achieve a sustained level of donations over time. In that regard, our main challenge will be to stay the course. Cancer is still out there and still insidious. We are at a very critical juncture and at the brink of many discoveries that could at the very least mitigate the harshest impact of these cancers.

How is the UCCRF different now than when you first joined? Also, how do you envision the UCCRF changing / evolving in the coming years?

The reality is that some aspects of the UCCRF have changed a great deal, and other aspects haven’t changed at all. For one, the technology has changed enormously. We had a recent tour of the new cancer center laboratory space, and it was simply jaw dropping. The intellectual capability of the people on campus has done nothing but rise. Dr. Michelle Le Beau’s vision for collaboration and comprehensiveness was (and continues to be) critical to maintaining the current level of professional expertise. When I first started working at the UCCRF, the institution was much more siloed, which is not unusual in academic medical centers. Researchers were for the most part working independently. I think both the professionalism and organization of the Cancer Foundation management has continued to evolve and improve. Mary Ellen Connellan, the Executive Director of the UCCRF, thinks strategically about how we as an organization should consider positioning ourselves for long-term success. She is always questioning how we are going to reach various fundraising goals and recruit new members to the Women’s Board, the Associate’s Board, the Auxiliary Board, and the Board of Trustees.

How the UCCRF raises money has also changed. The Women’s Board pioneered the concept of the grand auction. Forty-five or so years ago, Mrs. Robert Gwinn, who was a Women’s Board member, and her husband, who was the CEO of Encyclopaedia Britannica, traveled to Seattle. There they attended a fund-raising event. When Mrs. Gwinn returned to Chicago, she declared that she had found the most incredibly innovative way to raise money. Various stores donate merchandise, event guests bid on the donated items, and the proceeds go directly to the charity. At the time, this was a novel and extraordinary way to raise money. When I joined the Women’s Board, we had meetings where we would hand-make the posters presenting the items. For example, if we were auctioning a dress from Marshall Fields, we would make a little felt dress for the poster -- yes, we did that. We quickly graduated to pasting magazine pictures on the posters. While a tremendous amount of work; it was also great fun. Today all that work is done electronically.

This group has always been willing to step outside of the box and take risks. The year that I was co-chair of the Grand Auction, we made a bold decision to hold the event at a brand new hotel in town, called the Four Seasons Hotel. The Grand Auction was one of the first, if not the first, black tie fundraiser held in the beautiful ballroom of the Four Seasons. Now, our junior board organizes events such as “Karaoke for a Cure,” and poker tournaments. What’s always been nice about the Board of Trustees and the Women’s Board is that we have members who have been involved for thirty plus years and we have members who have been on the board for thirty days, bringing balance and merging interests and talents that are all valued. Everybody has a role and everybody has something to add, and that’s what I cherish about being a part of the UCCRF. The boards combine the innovative thinking of newer members and the history and legacy of the longer tenured members. The passion that drives people to get involved is very real, and we never take that for granted. We are all involved because we want to make a difference, even in the smallest of ways.

Is there anything you’ve learned from UCCRF donors that has been interesting or impactful over the years?

Everyone has a personal motivation for wanting to be involved in cancer research, but I think that’s very true of any philanthropic or civic organization. What has always impressed me about our donors is their unwavering commitment to our cause. Our donors see in the present a very real need in an environment where the effects of political and economic conditions can significantly influence the work that is done. We are fortunate to know so many people who understand our mission, share our commitment to cancer research, and are able to look to the future and provide the sustainable support that we need to function effectively as an institution. Also inspiring is working with and getting to know the people whose lives have been impacted by cancer, and who care deeply about the outcome of our work. What I’ve learned in particular is that if you have a passion and act on it, remarkable things can indeed happen.

What keeps you inspired after all these years? In other words, what is your favorite part of the job?

What keeps me inspired is constantly finding innovative solutions to cancer treatment and that the discoveries we make are far-reaching. Even though we don’t yet have a cure, we have made incredible advances that have positively influenced the approach to treating several other diseases and conditions. For example, there has been a great sharing of knowledge between researchers in the area of diabetes and cancer. There has also been a great sharing of information between AIDS and cancer researchers. The boundaries of the impact of our work are dynamic and constantly growing. What keeps me inspired is that with each little step, I know that we are getting closer to improving clinical outcomes and getting closer to finding a cure. I would also like to mention that I am honored to have met and known Dr. Charles Huggins, whom I consider to be an inspirational researcher. I was expecting our second son when I met him; in fact I think my son was born three days or so afterward. I was at the UCCRC for the annual Women’s Board tour, and we were in the laboratory that preceded the wonderful Ben May Lab. This was a very small, rudimentary lab, that didn’t look much different from a high school chemistry lab. As soon as we walked in, the Nobel Prize winner greeted us. He looked at me and asked, “Are you a lawyer?” I politely responded, “No, I’m a banker,” to which he replied, “Oh…I have something you’d like to see.” He then opened a metal filing cabinet and there in a little plastic sleeve, was his Nobel Prize. He nonchalantly placed it in my hand for a few minutes before we continued on with the tour. I remember being struck by his modest and unassuming nature. He is, and always will be, a role model and an inspirational figure at the UCCRC.

What are the objectives of the Capital Campaign for Cancer Prevention, and how do they differ from previous UCCRF fundraising campaigns?

Up until now, many of the UCCRF campaigns have been focused on modernizing the University of Chicago hospital facilities. The Capital Campaign for Cancer Prevention, however, is about programmatic support. It’s about the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center’s three C’s – cooperation, comprehensiveness, and collaboration. It’s about providing an environment where these core beliefs can thrive through bringing together our intellectual and technological resources. This campaign is about enabling our researchers, and about leveraging the innovation that comes from the interaction of numerous ideas and perspectives. It is also, ultimately, about advancing cancer prevention and reducing the risk of death, through the support of an integrated and multifaceted program that engages a wide variety of expertise and experience.


Do you have any final thoughts that you would like to share with our readers?

The University of Chicago is a very special institution. It is a treasure in Chicago and we are very fortunate to have a Comprehensive Cancer Center and a wonderful network of hospitals at the University of Chicago. It is our responsibility to nurture and to grow this treasure, a challenge we are only capable of achieving through the sustainable fundraising efforts of the UCCRF. We can’t protect this institution and the value of its treasure – and we certainly can’t continue to advance it - unless we are equipped with the necessary resources to help enable the research, the clinical work, and the outreach to patients. Since I’ve been affiliated with the University of Chicago, the focal point of the institution has always been the patients. It’s why we do the research. It’s why we have the hospitals, and it is why I am so proud to be a part of this extraordinary institution.