Dr. Jerry Kennett to Receive Lifetime Alumni Achievement Award

Dr. Jerry Kennett from Columbia, MO, Class of 1969, and a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, received a Westminster College Lifetime Alumni Achievement Award on Saturday, April 29, during the college’s Alumni Weekend.

One of the most highly respected heart specialists in the state of Missouri, Dr. Kennett is currently senior active partner of Missouri Cardiovascular Specialists at the Missouri Heart Center.

He is an emeritus trustee of the Westminster Board of Trustees and served as chairman of the Board for two years.

“My Westminster education provided me the background to gain admission to medical school and was a primary reason for any successes I have achieved in life,” says Dr. Kennett.

Dr. Kennett has often been known as the “face” of the Boone Hospital Center, where he has previously served as vice president and chief medical officer, as well as chief of staff, for the 400-bed acute tertiary care hospital. Currently, he is one of the five publicly elected trustees of the hospital.

He also serves as a clinical assistant professor in the School of Medicine of the University of Missouri.

Dr. Kennett has served as president of the Missouri State Medical Association, has served a five-year term as a member of the Board of Trustees for the American College of Cardiology and continues to fill several important roles for the American College of Cardiology, including chairman of the Cardiovascular Section Council of the American Medical Association.

He has been a member of numerous boards, committees and service organizations in the Columbia area, including the Chamber of Commerce, and is a past president of the Columbia Downtown Rotary Club.

His long list of honors include the Dr. Hugh Stephenson Award from the American Heart Association, the MU Alumni Achievement Award and the MU School of Medicine Distinguished Service Award. In 2012 he was designated a Master of the American College of Cardiology, one of fewer than 120 cardiologists nationwide who have achieved that designation.

The Lifetime Alumni Achievement Award is presented annually to alumni whose accomplishments reflect the Westminster mission and who have distinguished themselves through personal achievements, professional achievements and /or have made significant contributions to society.

Dr. Kennett received his award at a special Alumni Honors Convocation Ceremony on Saturday, April 29, in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, on the Westminster campus in Fulton, MO. The award is approved by the Alumni Council and required a motion and vote from the Board of Trustees for approval.  Up to six alumni can receive the award annually.