Shearrer named associate vice chancellor for medical alumni and development programs

David Shearrer, a leader in fundraising initiatives at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named the university’s associate vice chancellor and director of medical alumni and development programs.

The appointment, effective June 1, was announced by Larry J. Shapiro, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, and David T. Blasingame, executive vice chancellor for Alumni & Development Programs.

Shearrer, who was appointed assistant vice chancellor of Medical Alumni and Development in 2011, will be the School of Medicine’s chief fundraising and alumni relations officer. He replaces Pamela Buell, who has held the position since 2007 and is retiring at the end of this month.

Shearrer assumes leadership of Medical Alumni and Development at a pivotal time, with three years left in Leading Together: The Campaign for Washington University. To date, he has helped the campaign raise more than $900 million toward the goal of $1.1 billion for the School of Medicine.

“David’s extensive experience in major gifts and his ability to communicate clearly and passionately to alumni and others who want to further the great work here have been key to the success thus far of the campaign,” Shapiro said. “He has been, and will continue to be, a great asset to the university.”

Added Blasingame: “The School of Medicine is so fortunate to have David take on a greater role on our development team. His work as an accomplished fundraiser and administrator has done a great deal to increase support for our tremendous faculty and students. It is assuring to know he will have an even more significant role in the campaign.”

Before Shearrer’s appointment to assistant vice chancellor, he was executive director of development for clinical programs in Medical Alumni and Development. In that post, he built a program to enhance the relationship with donors and potential donors familiar with the medical care provided by the School of Medicine.

Among his many accomplishments, he spearheaded the William A. Peck Scholars Program, which provides scholarships for medical students. He also led fundraising efforts in the Department of Neurology, helping to establish the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders and the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Shearrer has worked in development in St. Louis since 1993. Prior to joining Washington University in 2002, he played a role in successful fundraising programs at The Salvation Army, Missouri Baptist University and St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from the University of Missouri in 1991 and a master’s degree in business administration from Webster University in 2005.


Washington University School of Medicine’s 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient-care institutions in the nation, currently ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.
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