B. W. RUFFNER BEGINS TERM AS ASOR BOARD CHAIR
ASOR is pleased to announce that Dr. B. W. Ruffner began a three-year term as Chairman of the Board on July 1, 2013. The ASOR Board unanimously and enthusiastically elected Ruffner to the position at its November 2012 meeting in Chicago. Ruffner follows P. E. MacAllister who served as Board Chair for 19 years and became Chairman Emeritus on July 1.
Dr. Ruffner has been a practicing physician since receiving his medical degree from The Duke University School of Medicine in 1964. From 1970–1976, he was Chief, Division of Oncology, at The University of Virginia Medical School . From 1976 to the present, he has been an Attending Physician at Erlanger and Memorial in Chattanooga, TN. He has also served on the faculty at UVA (1970–1976) and The University of Tennessee, Chattanooga Unit (1976 – present). He has held a number of leadership positions with the University of Tennessee Medical School including Assistant Dean (1997–2004) and Interim Dean (2006–2007). He has been Chairman, UT Physicians from 1997–present, and is Past President of the Tennessee Medical Association (2010–2011).
Ruffner also been very involved in civic organizations. He has been Secretary of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga, President of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Association, and President and Treasurer of the Chattanooga Area Clinical Pastoral Care Association. In addition, he has of course been very involved in ASOR. He has served as a trustee for more than 13 years, and he was Treasurer from 2003–2006. He has been active as a volunteer on many ASOR affiliated excavations: Sepphoris with Eric and Carol Meyers; Banias with John Wilson; Kursi with Vassilios Tzafleris; Tayinat with Tim Harrison; and Shikim with James Riley Strange.
In addition to his successful medical career and fulfilling community activities, B.W. is married to Rhoda M. Ruffner and has three children: Katherine, Andrew, and Elizabeth Strange.