Meet the Campaign Co-Chairs

The Campaign is led by co-chairs Shirley Baldwin, Andy Fine and Lewis Webb. They are inspired to serve EVMS and the campaign to benefit students, patients and all of Hampton Roads.

Shirley Baldwin, owner of Baldwin Advisory and former Director of Taxation at the Norfolk-based CPA firm Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer, serves as Co-Chair of the Deliver on the Promise Campaign Steering Committee. She is also the current Chair of the EVMS Foundation Board of Trustees. Elected in June 2020, she is only the second woman to lead the board. She recently shared what fuels her passion for EVMS.

When and why did you become involved with EVMS?

I became involved with EVMS because of Wayne Wilbanks. Wayne and I have shared clients over the years and have served on charitable boards together. He asked while I was serving on the board of Chrysler Museum if I would be interested in serving on the EVMS Foundation Board. I was very interested, but deferred board service at the first ask due to other commitments. Unless I can dedicate the time and attention required, I do not want to take a seat at the table that someone else can occupy to use their time and talents to propel an organization forward.

After my time on the Chrysler Board ended, I agreed to become an EVMS Foundation board member. At that time, I thought I knew all about EVMS and my education began at the first board meeting.

Why do you support EVMS? Do you have an anecdote about EVMS that really moved you? Area of investment?

Prior to my board service, I knew EVMS was a medical school formed by the community for the community. I did not realize the school had a medical profession program, nor did I realize how broad the impact of the school was on the region.  EVMS is so much more than a medical/health professions school – its physicians perform state-of-the-art research in reproductive medicine, cancer, diabetes and, most recently, cognitive disorders. EVMS teaches community-based medicine through using simulation/standardized-patient education. A campus tour is a must for community leaders and members. It is one thing to tell someone about EVMS, but quite another for them to see behind the walls of EVMS for themselves and hear the story from the doctors and students.

A topic that often arises on a tour of EVMS is the HOPES Clinic (Health Outreach Partnership with EVMS Students Clinic). This is a free clinic staffed entirely by volunteer students, resident physicians and local business organizations.  To many underserved members of our community, it is their only access to medical care. To the students, it is an opportunity to learn medicine and give back to a community that supports them.

EVMS not only teaches and is recognized nationwide for its community-based approach to medicine, but it is also a major economic driver for the Hampton Roads region, in concert with Sentara and CHKD.  These institutions create jobs that grow the economic base in Hampton Roads and together they can overcome health care disparities that have plagued our region.

What motivates you in your roles as BOTH Foundation Chair AND a Campaign Co-Chair? That is quite the commitment!

The single driver that motivates me the most in my position as Board Chair and Campaign Co-Chair is the students. Their enthusiasm and dedication are inspirational, and I tell campaign volunteers to arrange campus tours for potential donors. Once a donor has had the opportunity to meet the students and hear the story from "insiders," they seldom turn down the opportunity to give.

What do you hope the Deliver on the Promise Campaign will achieve in the near future? In the long term?

In the short term, I hope that the Campaign will provide needed funding for student scholarships and endowment for professors. I believe that human capital is the driver of success.  In the long term, I hope that the Campaign's success will cement partnerships between Sentara, CHKD, ODU, Norfolk State and Hampton University that will strengthen all the institutions and encourage continued economic growth in Hampton Roads.

What do you enjoy doing outside of your work and volunteer roles?

Outside of work and volunteer roles in the community, I enjoy spending time with my husband and daughter. My husband and daughter race dirt bikes. My daughter, Sarah, is a past U.S. National Enduro Champion, and I have had the opportunity to travel with her and my husband to various parts of the United States and world to see her race.

I am a bit tamer than the two of them. I enjoy bicycle riding – my husband and I have biked in many locations in the U.S. – mainly on the rail to trail locations. To date, our two favorite rides have been the Great Alleghany Passage (the GAP) from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cumberland, Maryland, and the George S. Mickelson Trail from Deadwood, South Dakota, to Edgemont, South Dakota.

Andrew Fine has been active in commercial real estate in the Hampton Roads area since 1962. As Co-Chairman of The Runnymede Corporation, he is also active in the community, serving as Co-Chair of the Deliver on the Promise Campaign Steering Committee. He is also a long-time member of the EVMS Foundation Board of Trustees.

When and why did you become involved with EVMS?

Our family was and continues to be a supporter of EVMS since the conception. In 1973, Hampton Roads was the only heavily populated part of Virginia without a medical school. We had many unmet medical needs, in particular, a severely underserved minority population. My family understood those unmet needs and wanted to help. Our EVMS founders were an inspiration and their vision compelling.

Why do you support EVMS? Do you have an anecdote about EVMS that moved you? Area of investment?

50 years later, we still have an underserved minority population with many conditions which remain unmet. The medical school reaches many of those in need, but this work is underfunded and much work remains to be done.

What do you hope the Deliver on the Promise Campaign will achieve in the near future? In the long term?

Our campaign focus is to improve the the school’s ability to hire and retain the best physicians in their fields. We also seek additional scholarship funding which will allow us to compete nationally for the best and the brightest students.

With improved funding, these activities give us the opportunity to raise the quality-of-care a across the region.  We are very mindful of the responsibilities and our campaign committee will be the best stewards possible to meet and exceed the community’s expectations.

What do you enjoy doing outside of your work and volunteer roles?

My favorite is hanging out with my wife, children, grandchildren & good friends.

Lewis Webb, the Chair of the Private Client Services Group and a member of the Business Taxation Group at Kaufman & Canoles, is currently serving as Co-Chair of the Deliver on the Promise Campaign Steering Committee. He is also an active member of the EVMS Foundation Board of Trustees.

Why did you choose to invest in Minus 9 to 5?

I also serve as Chair of the United Way’s initiative, United For Children, a collective impact effort currently primarily focused in the St. Paul’s area of Norfolk. Through that work in helping children and families, I became aware of Dr. Bruce Perry's work and the crucial importance of these ages in our children's development. The M. Foscue Brock Institute for Community and Global Health is an essential partner in United For Children, and I always take it as a sign when synergies like this show up. So I am selfishly getting to support two organizations I love with one gift.

What excites you about stepping into the Co-Chair position alongside Shirley Baldwin and Andy Fine?

I have worked with Shirley and Andy on many projects and know that they will run a great campaign that will be successful and fun.  The success so far is incredibly inspiring, and happy to do whatever I can to continue the momentum.

What do you hope the Deliver on the Promise Campaign will achieve in the near future? In the long term?

For both the short term and long term, progress and growth toward implementing our mission as a medical education institution. Institutions that do their job well and fill critical roles are deserving places for community investments. EVMS has proven itself to be a great steward of our resources, and we, in the community, will reap the benefits many times over.

What do you enjoy doing outside of your work and volunteer roles?

Nothing makes me happier than running on the trails of Sea Shore State Park, sitting (actually lying) down with a good book and going out to dinner (safely) with my children and girlfriend.

What motivates you to stay involved?

Being motivated to stay involved is easy. I am surrounded by great motivated people doing interesting and important things in a community where we can directly see the results. My law firm grew out of a culture of giving back by encouraging involvement, and I get to work with many of my clients in the charitable world. So connection points are constantly getting deeper and more layered. I love working with the people I admire on multiple projects over the years. We collaborate to understand what is needed and who should be supported, allowing us to make a difference.

EVMS has proven itself to be a great steward of our resources, and we, in the community, will reap the benefits many times over.