Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer Richard K. Hoffine Honored as 2008 CFO of the Year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (June 23, 2008) - The Kansas City Business Journal honored Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer Richard K. Hoffine as 2008 CFO of the Year in the large nonprofit category.

The Kansas City Business Journal utilized a panel of former and current Kansas City business executives to select CFO of the Year winners from nominations solicited by the publication on the basis of outstanding performance as corporate financial stewards. Winners were selected in six categories.

Selection criteria for the honor include the nominees' contributions to their companies' growth and financial success, their role in corporate management and strategic planning and their community involvement.

KCUMB President and CEO Karen L. Pletz nominated Hoffine for his leadership in guiding the University through financial turmoil during the closure of University Hospital to its current state of financial stability and strength.

Prior to joining KCUMB in 1987, Hoffine served in the United States Navy from 1968 to 1971. He then returned to the United States and graduated from Emporia State University in Emporia, Kan.

He began his professional career in 1973 with Mercantile Bank in Kansas City, Mo. He served as bank president in Savannah, Mo., and then moved to Houston, Texas, for three years where he also served as a bank president.

Mr. Hoffine received the Distinguished Service Award from the Northeast Chamber and has been instrumental in KCUMB's receipt of the EDC Cornerstone Award in 1996 and 2001, as well as multiple beautification awards for the campus since 1996.

He serves on the boards of Don Bosco Center and the Salvation Army, and provides current and past volunteer leadership roles with his church, his alma mater, the Northeast Chamber Board and the Redevelopment Association.

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences is a fully accredited, private university, with Colleges of Biosciences and Osteopathic Medicine. Founded in 1916, its College of Osteopathic Medicine is the oldest medical school in Kansas City, Mo., and the largest in the state.