CHAPEL HILL– A newly appointed committee will conduct a national search to recommend a successor to Dr. William L. Roper, who announced in May that he would step down as CEO of UNC Health Care, Dean of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs in May 2019.

UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Carol L. Folt and UNC Health Care Board of Directors Chair Dale Jenkins have named Robert A. Blouin, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as chair, and Charles D. Owen, vice chair of the UNC Health Care Board of Directors, as vice chair for the search committee.

Folt and Jenkins have appointed the following individuals to the search committee:

Aisha Amuda, student, UNC School of Medicine

Jack Bailey, President, U.S. Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline

Dr. George Hadley Callaway, member, UNC Health Care System Board of Directors

Haywood Cochrane, chair, UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees

Honorable Mandy Cohen, MD, secretary, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

Amy Higgins, system vice president, Strategic Planning and Network Development, UNC Health Care

Terry Magnuson, vice chancellor for research, UNC-Chapel Hill

Dr. Cristen Page, chair, Department of Family Medicine, UNC School of Medicine

Randy Ramsey, vice chair, UNC Board of Governors

David Routh, vice chancellor for university development, UNC-Chapel Hill

The search committee will hold its first organizational meeting from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 7, at the Center for School Leadership Development, Room 276. The committee will be charged with advancing two or more names to the UNC Health Care Board of Directors and the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees for approval, after which Folt will forward the names to UNC System President Margaret Spellings. She, in turn, will recommend one candidate to the UNC Board of Governors for their approval.

“I am confident that a worthy successor to Dr. Roper can be identified to lead both UNC Health Care and the UNC School of Medicine into the future,” said Spellings. “This position will require a candidate who is knowledgeable about the operations of a premiere medical school as well as a world-class hospital system – both of which positively affects North Carolinians across the state.”

“Given the strength and reputation of our medical school and health care system, we expect that this will be a highly sought-after position,” Folt said. “I’m grateful that such a strong group of individuals have agreed to serve on the search committee and look forward to working with them in identifying a candidate for this position who will enhance healthcare offerings for all North Carolinians.”

“We hope to move quickly to identify a successor and ensure a smooth leadership transition,” Jenkins said. “As North Carolina’s health care system this is a vital role for the health of the citizens of our state.”