Wilma Sherrill

The North Carolina Center for Health & Wellness, scheduled to open at UNC Asheville in summer 2011, has been named in honor of Wilma Sherrill, a long-time advocate for heath and wellbeing for children and families.

The naming was announced by UNCA Board of Trustees Chairman Jim Buckner at a special evening gathering honoring Sherrill on Dec. 6.

“Wilma Sherrill has worked tirelessly for decades as a champion of health, disease prevention, families and children, economic development, and education at all levels,” Buckner said. “The Board of Trustees felt it was more than fitting to honor her many years of civic engagement by naming the center in her honor.” The board voted to name the center in recognition of Sherrill’s achievements at its October 20 meeting.

The N.C. Center for Health & Wellness serves as a statewide resource for health and wellness professionals by conducting applied interdisciplinary research, and assessing community-based programs that address critical wellness issues. The center’s work aligns with UNCA’s academic programs in health and wellness promotion, and encourages collaborations among health and wellness providers and stakeholders across the region and state. The center’s initial focus will be on three of North Carolina’s most pressing health concerns: childhood obesity, workplace wellness and healthy aging.

While serving as UNCA’s apecial sssistant to the chancellor on external affairs from 2008 to 2009, Sherrill helped define the work of the N.C. Center for Health & Wellness and played a key role in raising more than $5 million in contributions for health and wellness programs.

“Wilma is a role model for students of all ages,” said UNCA Chancellor Anne Ponder. “We want our students and all those who will benefit from the N.C. Center for Health & Wellness for generations to come to understand what a difference one person can make in the lives of others.

Honoring her in this way will ensure that her extraordinary service to North Carolina is celebrated.”