I knew after experiencing St. Jude in person that I could do work here I couldn’t do anywhere else -James R. Downing

​Last week, we recognized employees who reached a work anniversary at St. Jude in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

We had paused the annual Ovation Milestone Anniversary Dinner during the pandemic, so it was even more festive than usual. More than 2,000 faculty and staff who reached a milestone from five years to 45 years were honored. I was grateful to be counted among those attending, as I reached my own 35-year milestone in 2021.

When I first came to Memphis in 1986, the campus was not at all the landmark it is today. It had a small parking lot, a gravel lot, and Human Resources was housed in a trailer to the side, but as I came for my interviews, I realized something was unique—the culture of St. Jude. Every single person I met knew the mission of the organization. Whatever their role, they knew they were working to advance cures against pediatric catastrophic disease through research and treatment.

It was a place of excellence, competency, learning and constant improvement. The spirit of collaboration and innovation was visible just in that short visit. The employees believed that they were going to change the way medicine was practiced. They weren’t afraid to take on the most challenging problems in pediatric catastrophic diseases.

I was sold. I knew after experiencing St. Jude in person that I could do work here I couldn’t do anywhere else. It wasn’t because of the resources or the reputation but because of the people. I joined St. Jude and never looked back.

I imagine each new employee who comes to St. Jude feels the same way. They are eager to embrace the opportunity to find cures and save children. In their own way, they will contribute to the St. Jude culture while supporting the values of the institution. We’re proud that people spend their entire careers at St. Jude. Our employees are inspired to do their best work every day, which is why we celebrate these anniversary milestones.

As I looked out over the crowd at the Milestone Dinner, it brought me great pride that Ching-Hon Pui, MD; Debbie Crom; and Mary Ann Kimp, have devoted their careers to St. Jude. They were each honored for their 45 years of service to the institution and the incredible contributions they’ve made to the lives of children.

Those contributions, and the knowledge we generate here at St. Jude, change the way children are treated around the world. By working together, I believe that someday we will achieve the dream of St. Jude founder Danny Thomas, that no child dies in the dawn of life. 

Source: James R. Downing/LinkedIn