Gary Shorb

Gary Shorb has served as Executive Director of The Urban Child Institute since February, 2017. He retired earlier this year from Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare where he served as CEO for 15 years. Gary joined Methodist in 1990 as executive vice president. Before his tenure with Methodist, he served as president of the Regional Medical Center in Memphis for four years. His community service is extensive, currently serving on the boards of Shelby Farms Park, Soulsville Foundation, Crosstown High School, The University of Memphis Foundation, Rust College, Tennessee Business Leadership Council, board member and past Chairman of the Overton Park Conservancy, and Tennesseans for Early Childhood Education. He also serves on the board of the publicly traded Mid-America Apartment Communities (MAA).

In November 2004, he received the Corporate Leadership Award from Volunteer Memphis’ Corporate Volunteer Council, and in 2005, received the Alexis de Tocqueville leadership award from United Way of the Mid-South. In 2000, he received both the Leadership Memphis Kate Gooch Award for Community Service and the Memphis Business Journal’s Healthcare Heroes Award for Administrative Excellence. In the 1980s and 1990s, a number of honors were bestowed on Shorb including United Methodist Administrator of the Year, Modern Healthcare Up and Comers Award, Outstanding Young Alumni from the University of Memphis, L.M. Graves Memorial Health Award, MidSouth Minority Business Council CEO of year in 2010 and Open Door Award in 2012. He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Memphis in the spring of 2015 and an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary in 2013. He was named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2016 list of 130 Non-Profit Hospital and Health System CEOs to Know.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Clemson University and a Master of Business Administration from Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) and Honorary Doctorate from University of Memphis and Memphis Theological Seminary. Gary is married and has two grown children and two grandchildren.