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| Vol. 25, No. 1 |
| January 15, 2003 |
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TIRR CEO Accepts UT System Vice Chancellor Postition
The chief executive officer and president of TIRR Systems has stepped down to accept a position as vice chancellor of governmental affairs and policies with The University of Texas System in Austin. While E. Ashley Smith will no longer be responsible for the day-to-day operations of TIRR Systems and its member organizations, he will assume the position of vice chairman of the TIRR Systems board and will retain membership on the boards of The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, TIRR Rehabilitation Centers and the TIRR Foundation. In February 1997, Smith joined TIRR as executive vice president and chief administrative officer. In 1999, Smith was elected president and CEO. “Ashley Smith has been associated with TIRR for six years and during his tenure has helped lead the organization in achieving significant milestones,” said Howard Wolf, TIRR Systems board chairman. “We are grateful that he agreed to continue to provide leadership and wisdom through his board involvement. As he embarks on this new leadership, we wish him the very best success.” Under Smith’s leadership, The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research has strengthened its reputation as a premier rehabilitation hospital and increased its ranking to No. 2 in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey of physicians. During the same time period, TIRR Rehabilitation Centers has expanded to 11 locations in the Texas Gulf Coast region and has increased the annual number of patient visits from 19,000 to 108,000 over the past five years. Smith has had extensive experience in legislative affairs through his work as an attorney with the Hutcheson and Grundy law firm, and served as a representative with the state legislature from 1980 to 1994. Since 2001, Smith has served as senior advisor to Gov. Rick Perry, who appointed Smith chairman of the Governor’s Council on Science and Biotechnology Development that same year. Smith is a board member and served on the executive committee of the Texas Hospital Association, and is also a member of the American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association board and an American College of Healthcare Executives diplomat. John Kajander has been named acting president of TIRR Systems and Charles Beall, acting president of The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research by their respective boards of trustees. Beall, a 32-year TIRR trustee, was asked to serve as president and CEO of TIRR Systems in 1989, upon retiring from Texas Commerce Bank in Houston. He served in that capacity until 1999 and then became chairman of the TIRR board. In addition he serves as chairman of TIRR Rehabilitation Centers, a network of 18 outpatient locations in Houston and Southeast Texas. “Charlie Beall has made and continues to make an extraordinary contribution to TIRR,” Smith said. “We are fortunate Charlie has agreed to provide the leadership the hospital needs while we search for a new president to lead this nationally-recognized institution through the 21st century.” With Smith’s departure to take the UT position, Kajander, who was executive vice president and TIRR Systems’ chief administrative officer, will now serve as acting president. Smith said the selection of Kajander is the result of both his solid business experience and the successes he has known in his five years with the company. “John is an excellent choice to step into this role, as his day-to-day administration history and knowledge of the needs of the organization provide the continuity that is important at this time,” Smith said. “The most important element of TIRR is its people. Their dedication and true concern for achieving the best results for our patients is what makes this a great organization,” Smith said. “With this strong leadership, we can flourish in the coming year.”
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