Stories of Change

On the evening of June 7, 47 guests came together in the beautiful Anschutz Health and Sciences Fireplace Lounge to celebrate the Jones Family Endowed Chair in Medical Education and its inaugural holder, Tai Lockspeiser, MD. It is the first fully endowed chair within the Colorado School of Medicine and one of only a few in the nation dedicated to the support of medical educators. The establishment of this chair was made possible by a generous gift from Melvin Douglas Jones, Jr., MD, and his wife Ann Jones, PhD, who have a longstanding philanthropic partnership with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. 

Guests were welcomed by the School of Medicine dean, John J. Reilly, Jr., MD, who reflected on their invaluable influence on the legacy of health and medicine.  

“Today is another example of the CU Anschutz community coming together to make a difference,” he said. “Competition for top talent is increasingly fierce among academic medical centers like ours. Private philanthropic support strengthens our ability to invest in the next generation of emerging leaders.” 

Dean Reilly invited Dr. Doug Jones to the podium, who shared what the chair’s establishment meant to his family and their hopes for the future of medicine at CU Anschutz and beyond. Dr. Lockspeiser then offered gratitude to the Jones family for the endowed chair and reflected on what the position would make possible for her work that might not otherwise have been possible. 

To close the evening, Dean Reilly presented honorary medallions to Drs. Jones and Lockspeiser as a symbol of their connection to the campus and its work.