New officers elected to serve on Advancement Board

The Advancement Board is an 80-member advisory group that represents the objectives of the University of Kansas Medical Center, The University of Kansas Hospital and Kansas University Physicians Inc., collectively known as the academic medical center. The board works to develop community and political support for the academic medical center and to bolster philanthropic efforts for education, research and patient care.

Cheryl Jernigan, of Kansas City, Mo., will begin her second term as the board’s chair. A cancer survivor, she is a leader in cancer and health care advocacy currently serving on the National Cancer Institute’s Director’s Consumer Liaison Group and their National Community Cancer Center Program’s Advisory Committee, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s national Advocates in Science Steering Committee and board treasurer for their Advocacy Alliance, and as an advocate reviewer for several national research programs.

Locally, Jernigan is involved with Turning Point, the Women’s Capital Connection, Within the Ribbon, and the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault. She also is a founding member of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Greater Kansas City Area Affiliate and currently co-chairs their public policy committee. Cheryl joined the Advancement Board in 2006 and serves on advisory boards for the School of Nursing and Biospecimen Shared Resource Library and chairs the advocate advisory board for the Breast Cancer Prevention Center.

Former Kansas Senator David Wysong, of Mission Hills, Kan., is chair elect. Wysong served as a Kansas State Senator from 2005-2009, County Commissioner, Johnson County, 1996-1998; and City Councilman, City of Mission Hills, 1996. He has served as a board chair for the Community Foundation of Johnson County, St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation, Johnson County Community College Foundation and treasurer on the Johnson County Library Foundation.

Wysong is a past chair and advisory board member of the Foundation on Aging, and served as vice chair of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. He was recently named Johnson Countian of the Year by the Johnson County Community College Foundation. Wysong is currently a KU Endowment trustee. He joined the Advancement Board in 2005 and has served on the Governmental Affairs Committee.

Mary Hunkeler, of Mission Woods, Kan., is the Advancement Board’s secretary. Hunkeler served as a board member of Children’s Mercy Hospital from 1988 to 1994. She rejoined the board in 2000 and served as board chair in 2007 and 2008. She has served in the community through board membership at the American Red Cross Greater Kansas City Chapter; American Royal Association, Children’s Therapeutic Learning Center, Heart of America United Way, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, Metropolitan Community College Foundation, and the Missouri State Medical Alliance Association.

Hunkeler is a sustaining member and past president of the Junior League of Kansas City, MO. She also served on the KU Research Institute Board of Directors from 2001-2006, as chairman of the board from 2005-2006. She joined the Advancement Board in 2005 and serves on the Board Development Committee.

The Advancement Board meets twice each year, with committee meetings and community affairs events held throughout the year. In the fall of 2008, Board members were active in the community successfully promoting the passage of the Johnson County Education Research Triangle initiative. The board’s immediate project includes helping the academic medical center in its quest for National Cancer Institute designation.