Meredith Aldridge named new leader of Medical Center’s Office of Development

Published on Wednesday, November 11, 2020

By: Ruth Cummins

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s new executive director of development brings rich experiences to the position, most recently her work in spearheading the campaign to raise $100 million for the expansion of UMMC’s pediatric facilities.

Meredith Aldridge, formerly director of development for Children’s of Mississippi, was tapped to lead the Medical Center’s fundraising efforts as the executive director of the Office of Development by Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. Her appointment was effective Nov. 1.

In addition to her continued role in leading the Children’s of Mississippi capital campaign, Aldridge will work with Woodward and other UMMC leaders to develop private philanthropic support for each of the Medical Center’s three main mission areas – education, research and patient care.  As executive director, she will oversee staff involved in fundraising, community partnerships, alumni affairs and program support.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of UMMC’s growth and expansion. As the state’s only academic medical center, UMMC offers essential training to future generations of providers, engages in critical research and offers patients access to some of the most advanced services in the state,” Aldridge said.

“Our development team enjoys sharing the wonderful work being done at UMMC with donors who support our mission. We look forward to finishing the $100 million capital campaign for the just-opened Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower at Children’s of Mississippi, as well as looking ahead to other needs in the areas of pediatric and adult cancer, transplant services, faculty support, and more.”

“In a relatively short time at UMMC, Meredith has demonstrated she has the right blend of organizational and interpersonal skills, passion for the work and personal integrity to lead this important effort,” Woodward said. “Philanthropy means so much, not just to the Medical Center, but to the people from throughout Mississippi it serves.”

A native of Marietta, Georgia, Aldridge is a graduate of Mississippi State University and the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.  She spent more than a decade at the Mississippi Attorney General's Office, serving as director of the Consumer Protection Division and as executive counsel to the attorney general.  

During her time at the AG’s office, she managed a staff of attorneys, sought external grant funding for specialized initiatives and served as Mississippi’s liaison to the National Association of Attorneys General.  After leaving government service, she was a director with the national law firm of Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy LLC. 

Aldridge has served as president of the Junior League of Jackson and as a member of the board of directors of several area nonprofit organizations.  She has been recognized as one of the Mississippi Business Journal’s 50 Leading Business Women.

Aldridge, her husband Ben and their children, Ann Carlton, 10, and Pate, 9, make their home in Jackson's Fondren neighborhood, just blocks from the UMMC campus. One of their favorite family activities is walking on Sundays to their church, St. James Episcopal in Fondren.

“UMMC’s economic impact on Jackson and the entire state cannot be overestimated,” Aldridge said. “With access to excellent health care near home, Mississippi is in a better position to attract and keep talented private-sector businesses and workers.

“UMMC’s success is Mississippi’s success, and I look forward to doing a small part in moving that forward.”