To the UMB Community:

This is my last Thanksgiving letter to you as president of UMB. The holiday is a poignant reminder of what I’ll leave behind at this extraordinary University. But it’s a reminder, too, that UMB has never been about the person leading it.

It is, instead, about the work you do—giving hope to the sick, justice to the wronged, help to the vulnerable, comfort to the suffering. Your work is the most important work there is.

And so this Thanksgiving, I give thanks that so much brilliance resides within these 72 acres on Baltimore’s Westside. I give thanks that thousands of people here decided to use their brilliance not to glorify themselves but to be of service to others. I give thanks that, every day, your work inspires still more people to follow your path, to fight for the causes and care for the communities that need more hands, more time, than you can give.

I am thankful that I can think of this place and these people all around me (for I will stay connected and come back often), and know that good is bountiful and compassion wins. Every time.

UMB will shine bright, with or without me. And this Thanksgiving, that’s what I’m most grateful for.

Sincerely,

Jay A. Perman, MD
President