Piedmont has named Kelly Kerner, who most recently worked in development at the University of Georgia in several senior executive roles, its Chief Philanthropy officer for the Greater Atlanta Piedmont Foundation. Kerner began his role on April 5.

Kerner served as vice president for development and alumni relations and as executive director of the University of Georgia Foundation. At UGA, he worked with the university president to set the university’s philanthropic objectives for increasing the endowment and annual support, as well as for strengthening relationships with the university’s top donor prospects. He also served as the primary contact with the university’s board of trustees and oversaw a team of more than 250 development/alumni relations professionals and support staff. His tenure at UGA began in 2014. Prior to joining UGA, Kerner served in a variety of roles in development offices at small colleges in the Northeast.

Among Piedmont’s strategic anchors is Stewardship, being a careful steward of the resources entrusted to it. As a nonprofit system, philanthropy plays a critical role at Piedmont in its ability to fulfill its mission and to serve patients in its communities.

“We are excited to have Kelly on board, as he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the Georgia philanthropic community,” Piedmont Healthcare President and CEO Kevin Brown said. “From the Marcus Tower to grateful patient initiatives, philanthropy plays a critical part of Piedmont’s mission to provide high-quality, patient-centered care close to home.”

At UGA, Kerner’s achievements included:

• Increasing overall giving from a three-year rolling average of $115 million in 2014 to $213 million in 2022.

• Raising a University of Georgia record $257 million in its fiscal year 2022.

• Increasing the alumni donation participation rate from 10% in fiscal year 2014 to 16% in fiscal year in 2022.

• Soliciting the largest individual gift in UGA history in fiscal year 2017 with a gift of $30 million for need-based scholarships.

Kerner will report to Patrick Battey, M.D., CEO of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and Piedmont’s Atlanta clinical hub, and will serve as a member of Piedmont’s Leadership Team, its top senior executives.

“Piedmont was founded in 1905, became a nonprofit in the 1940s and ever since, philanthropy has been a key component of our DNA,” Dr. Battey said. “We are excited to have someone of Kelly’s caliber who knows the importance of community and will help Piedmont to serve our patients and grow the organization.”

Among his professional associations, Kerner served as a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Commission on Philanthropy from 2010 to 2013. CASE is a global association of 97,000 professionals, at more than 3,100 institutions that champion education to transform lives and society.

“Working at UGA, I learned about the great work that Piedmont Athens does and that the entire Piedmont system performs across Georgia,” Kerner said. “I am looking forward to the challenge and thrilled to be part of an organization that is changing real lives across the state.”

Among his volunteer roles in the community, Kerner served on the Classic City Church Board of Deacons and, from 2009 to 2014, served as a parent leader of Boy Scout Troop 35 in Yarmouth, Maine.