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One of the University's own will return to campus to head the Carolina Center
for Public Service.
Lynn White Blanchard, who grew up in Raleigh and earned two graduate degrees at
Carolina, will begin work as the center's new director on Jan. 7. Blanchard
comes to the University from her post as vice chair of community initiatives in
the Department of Community Health and Health Studies at the Lehigh Valley
Hospital and Health Network in Allentown, Pa.
As director of the Center for Public Service, her duties will include carrying
out a mission of supporting Carolina's public service efforts. She will manage
the center's staff as well as help raise funds to meet its budget needs.
Formally launched in the fall of 1999, the center builds upon the University's
strong legacy of public service by connecting students, faculty, staff and
other resources with the citizens of North Carolina and beyond. It offers
"one-stop shopping" where anyone with a public-service question or need can
contact the center, and officials try to find helpful University resources.
A search committee of Carolina administrators, faculty, staff and students as
well as a community agency representative recommended Blanchard for the job.
That panel was chaired by Cynthia Wolf Johnson, associate vice chancellor for
student affairs.
"Dr. Lynn Blanchard is an ideal choice for the director for the Carolina Center
for Public Service, as she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience with
public service in the state of North Carolina, yet she has been away long
enough to bring a fresh perspective," Wolf Johnson said. "Her collaborative
approach and genuine dedication to strengthening community will serve the
University and its communities well."
Blanchard will work in the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost,
and the search committee made its recommendation to Robert Shelton, who heads
that office. Chancellor James Moeser offered Blanchard the post at Shelton's
recommendation.
"In her one-on-one interview, Dr. Blanchard impressed me with her passion for
effective public service and her high regard for Carolina," Shelton said.
Blanchard earned master's and doctoral degrees from Carolina's School of Public
Health, studying in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education. She
holds a bachelor's of science in education from East Carolina University as
well as a two-year degree from St. Mary's College in Raleigh.
In her position with the Department of Community Health and Health Studies,
Blanchard led an effort to improve health and the quality of life in the Lehigh
Valley, a two-county area in eastern Pennsylvania with a population of some
575,000.
One way that effort, known as the "Measurable Enhancement of the Status of
Health" (MESH), went about improving area residents' health was by fostering
community change through community engagement. Blanchard's team first
identified health initiatives already under way and then contributed to those
efforts as appropriate and launched new ones when needed.
Programs MESH has been involved in include fluoridation of Allentown's water
supply, a two-year campaign to improve children's health through physical
fitness and universal screening for signs of family violence in Lehigh Valley
Hospital's Emergency Department, with patients identified as victims of
violence being referred to community resources.
"Dr. Blanchard's background is an ideal fit with the mission of the center,"
Shelton said. "She works well with groups of varying background, has experience
in fund raising and her enthusiasm is a perfect match with the energies of our
students."
The philosophy behind the MESH program stresses community input in reaching
solutions to community problems. Toward that end, MESH has organized public
forums on topics such as school violence and children's health.
And in one rural area of the state, MESH holds "Neighbor to Neighbor Community
Discussion Suppers," which address issues raised by local residents. These
discussions have led to initiatives ranging from a GED program to a walking
trail in a community park.
"Dr. Blanchard has a strong record of community involvement. One of her prized
strengths is her ability to bring multiple groups together to succeed on a
project. This ability is ideal for the center," Shelton said.
In recognition of MESH's work, the Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network
has been honored with two awards over the past two years -- the Hospital
Association of Pennsylvania's 2000 Achievement Award for Community Stewardship
and the VHA Inc. (formerly Voluntary Hospital Association) 2001 Leadership
Award in Community Health Improvement.
The hiring of Blanchard follows a three-month search that included finalists
appearing at public forums held on campus in October.
"The committee was pleased with the quality of applicants, most particularly
the finalists," Wolf Johnson said. "Each finalist demonstrated unique strengths
for what can be a demanding position. We believe that Dr. Blanchard has the
skills and experience necessary to bridge all of the diverse requirements of
this position."
Blanchard will replace Nicholas Didow as center director. A professor in the
Kenan-Flagler Business School, Didow left the post last summer to return to
teaching full time. Edward "Ned" Brooks, one of the center's original
organizers, has served as interim director since July 1.
"It's been a pure joy helping implement the Carolina Center for Public
Service," Brooks said. "No university in the nation is more committed to public
service than UNC-Chapel Hill. That goes for students, faculty, staff and
alumni. The amount and quality of effort that go into serving the public,
particularly residents of North Carolina, by the people of this University is
really amazing."
Brooks said he will miss working at the center, but he leaves it in good hands.
"We're very fortunate that Lynn Blanchard is returning to Carolina to lead the
center," he said. "She knows the University and the state well. She's committed
to public service, and she's a most effective leader."
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