Aft Elected Chairman of Hoxworth Community Advisory Board

CINCINNATI—Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati, has announced that Dick Aft, retired president of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, has been elected chair of the Hoxworth Blood Center Community Advisory Board. 

"Most folks are familiar with Hoxworth as our region's blood bank, but few people are aware that it is a nationally unique medical research center." Aft says. "All of us on this Community Advisory Board are proud to work with Hoxworth’s internationally prominent staff. It is a jewel in UC’s crown as a leader in research and innovation in the extension of ‘shelf-life’ of donated blood and blood products and the conversion of individual's own blood as a weapon against cancer cells in their own bodies."

"Dick brings a wealth of experience to our Community Advisory Board. I have great confidence that his leadership and dedication will be an asset to our organization”, states Ronald Sacher, MD, director of Hoxworth Blood Center and professor of medicine and pathology in the UC College of Medicine.  

Since retiring from 14 years of local United Way leadership in 2001, Aft has earned a PhDin organizational leadership and development, spent 10 years teaching Values Based Management to Xavier University's MBA students and served "of counsel" with Gilman Partners Executive Search and Placement. He has also written four books of local, national and international United Way history. During the past year, Aft has chaired the national United Way Retirees Association.

In addition to chairing the Hoxworth Community Advisory Board, Aft currently chairs the Emeritus Board of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and serves on the Boards of  the Union Institute and University, CCMpower (formerly Friends of CCM) and the Ohio United Way.

His volunteer service often takes him to nonprofit organizations throughout Central and Eastern Europe. He served as the University of Warsaw’s ‘Visiting Scholar in Leadership” during July of this year. Recently, Prevention First (formerly the Coalitions for a Drug Free Greater Cincinnati) presented the inaugural Rob Portman Leadership Award to him for his professional and volunteer leadership

Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati, founded in 1938, serves 30 hospitals in 17 counties in Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana. Annually, Hoxworth collects more than 70,000 units of blood from local donors to help save the lives of patients in area hospitals.