Past Speakers

“Mr. Stirling has extensive experience in developing transformational fundraising strategies to advance research and other hospital priorities,” said Patrick M. Magoon, President and CEO of Lurie Children’s. “His outstanding knowledge, skills and passion make him the ideal leader to oversee our philanthropic efforts in support of the hospital’s mission.” Stirling has presented widely on fundraising to advance research and other key issues in philanthropy at professional conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada. He also has chaired conference committees for the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy and the Woodmark Group, an organization of 26 prominent children’s hospitals. Stirling received his doctorate in English Language and Literature from York University in Toronto. He has published articles in peer-reviewed academic journals and has presented papers at arts and humanities academic conferences across North America. Lurie Children’s is ranked as one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals in the U.S.News & World Report 2015-16 Honor Roll rankings. Founded in 1882, Lurie Children’s is the pediatric training ground for Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and one of only a handful of U.S. children’s hospitals with a dedicated pediatric research center, Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute. Lurie Children’s relies on philanthropy to serve more than 174,000 children and their families each year.