NFF National Scholar-Athletes
A four-year letterman at William & Mary, wide receiver Chris Gessner helped the Tribe to a 28-17-1 record, an appearance in the 1986 Division I-AA Playoffs and a victory in the Epson Ivy Bowl. A First-Team Academic All-American, he compiled a 3.93 GPA in economics.
Gessner earned master’s degrees in business and health care administration from the University of Pittsburgh and was the president of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. During his tenure, he has been instrumental to the success of many initiatives such as the design, construction and relocation to a new 10-acre, $625 million hospital and research campus, the transition to a fully automated, paperless hospital and the growth and development of numerous clinical service lines. Gessner serves on the boards of the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation, the University of Pittsburgh Physicians, the Center for Emergency Medicine and Make-A-Wish.
He now serves as the President and CEO of Akron Children's Hospital.
