“Adding these strategic positions to the management team of Meharry Medical College and promoting excellent administrators to expanded duties, will allow us to better meet the goals and objectives of our mission,” said Dr. Riley. “Meharry Medical College is a true national treasure and a global leader in eliminating healthcare disparities through education, research and patient care.”
Under his new leadership Dr. Riley also awarded promotions in Institutional Advancement, Human Resources and Legal Affairs.
Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D.
Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D., joins Meharry Medical College as Executive Vice President. At Meharry, Dr. Franklin will have delegated authority to serve in the capacity of the president and CEO, and will oversee and direct designated key operating officers and other academic and operational managers. She will also chair the Institutional Budget Committee, oversee the college’s strategic planning process and succeed Dr. A. Cherrie Epps as Title III coordinator for Meharry. Dr. Franklin holds a B.A. in Psychology from Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina, (Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa), an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Emory University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, also from Emory University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Franklin is currently the associate vice president and vice dean for Academic and Student Affairs at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. In this role she is administratively responsible for all academic programs, including M.D., Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, Masters in Public Health and Masters in Clinical Research. Other academic programs including Graduate Medical Education and Continuing Medical Education programs are administratively housed in the office of the vice dean.
“Dr. Franklin is a superb academic leader and administrator who will aid me and the entire senior management team. She brings to her new position a wealth of experience in academic medicine, student support services and strategic planning”, says Riley.
Benjamin E. Rawlins, J.D., MPA
Benjamin E. Rawlins, J.D., MPA joins Meharry Medical College as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. As Meharry’s Chief Legal Officer, Rawlins will provide legal advice to the president and serve as corporate secretary to the Board of Trustees and all academic and administrative units of the college. He is currently deputy chancellor for Legal Affairs and chief of staff at the Oregon University System in Eugene, OR. Mr. Rawlins holds a B.A. in Political Science (Cum Laude) from Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, NC, a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC and an M.P.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Riley states “We are delighted that Mr. Rawlins will be joining the Meharry community. His superb credentials in higher education law and his extensive experience at three universities well prepares him to oversee Meharry’s fine legal team and serve our highly regarded Board of Trustees in the capacity of corporate secretary.”
Jim Powlus, M.S.
Jim Powlus, M.S. will return to Meharry on July 1, as Vice President for Information Technology. His responsibilities will include planning, budgeting, implementing and administering an infrastructure of information services and technology applications. He is an accomplished leader with over 15 years of experience in Information Technology with an emphasis on developing business solutions that support organizational strategies. Powlus is currently employed with Nissan USA as the application portfolio manager for Vehicle Operations, Exports, Pricing, Fleet, and Affiliate Vehicles. Mr. Powlus obtained a B.S. in Business Administration-Accounting from Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN and a M.S. in Information Systems from the University of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ.
“We are absolutely thrilled that Mr. Powlus is returning to Meharry. His prior leadership of the Division of Information Technology was marked by significant improvements in the college’s information technology planning, processes, infrastructure and support,” said Riley.
Osei Mevs, MPH
Osei Mevs, MPH, will be joining Meharry Medical College as the Associate Vice President for External Affairs. Mr. Mevs’ key responsibilities will be to coordinate all government affairs for federal relations, special projects and strategic partnerships; provide leadership for initiatives to increase and maximize support from federal, state and local governments in support of Meharry’s ongoing needs. Mr. Mevs draws heavily on his previous experiences as the healthcare policy advisor to Congresswoman Nita Lowey of the United States House of Representatives from New York’s 18th
Congressional District. Mr. Mevs is currently a member of MedStar Corporation’s External Affairs team. MedStar Corporation is a $2.7 billion non-profit healthcare organization and a community-based network of seven hospitals and other healthcare services in the Baltimore-Washington region. Mr. Mevs earned a B.A. in Psychology from New York University and an M.P.H. from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.
“Mr. Mevs’ impressive early career, educational background and understanding of the importance of federal, state and community relations will assist me and the college greatly as we develop a coherent and effective external relations strategy in the years ahead,” said Riley.
Janet M. Caldwell, M.S.
Janet M. Caldwell, M.S. joins Meharry Medical College as the Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications. Ms. Caldwell is responsible for raising the awareness of Meharry Medical College and its global contribution to the elimination of healthcare disparities. She oversees public relations and internal communications as well. Ms. Caldwell comes to Meharry from the pharmaceutical industry where she served as a consumer marketer specializing in multi-cultural marketing. Ms. Caldwell holds a B.F.A. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and an M.S. in Mass Communications from Middle Tennessee State University. Ms. Caldwell joined Meharry in February.
“As a native Nashvillian, Ms. Caldwell brings her extensive background in marketing and communications in big pharma to the college at a very opportune time as we strengthen our institutional messages among academic health science centers and as a leader in health disparities, research, education and service,” said Riley.
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