Stuart Klein retired on November 3 after 18 years as Executive Director of the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute and Assistant Dean and Lecturer at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
Faculty and staff at the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute celebrated his retirement at an appreciation luncheon on September 26.
The special occasion included remarks from Medical Director, Dr. Nancy Mendenhall. She praised the unique insights and talent Stuart brought as a leader, which helped position the Institute as one of the most successful proton centers in the world. Among his greatest strengths were his fiscal stewardship, collaborative leadership style and ability to problem-solve by understanding the details of clinical operations.
“That understanding of the details of the operation enabled him to represent our organization well to the board of directors and nationally,” Mendenhall said. “So, it was a wonderful combination of not micromanaging but understanding details and the willingness to dig in and understand how things worked. There are numerous examples.”
The program also included a tribute video with special messages from colleagues, former patients and Stuart’s family. The team presented him with gifts including a photo book signed by faculty and staff, and a commemorative chair from the University of Florida. Kobi Ellis presented Stuart with a custom fishing pole on behalf of Ion Beam Applications (IBA), and thanked him for his vision and partnership throughout the years.
As a lasting tribute to Stuart’s dedicated service and visionary leadership, a fund has been created in his honor, and the executive office will be named the Stuart Klein Executive Suite. Gifts to the Stuart Klein Executive Leadership Fund will enable future leaders of the Institute to advance strategic priorities and maintain high-quality patient care.
We invite you to make a gift in recognition of his retirement by visiting Stuart Klein Executive Leadership Fund - University of Florida Advancement (ufl.edu).
We look forward to a bright future ahead, one that would not be possible without Stuart’s many contributions. As Dr. Mendenhall eloquently said, “When I think about Stuart’s commitment to understanding details and his compassion for patients, I think he would have made a wonderful physician. But his calling was to be an administrator. He did a superlative job, and we are very grateful to him for his immense contribution to UFHPTI.”
