The John R. Pettit Endowed Leadership Award was established in 2018. It honors its namesake’s years of dedicated service to, and leadership at, UW Medicine and the University of Washington.
A 1968 graduate of Washington State University, John earned a law degree from the University of Washington in 1973. He served as an assistant attorney general from 1973 to 1977, advising and representing educational agencies and institutions, before joining the UW in 1977 as director of risk management. He went on to serve in numerous leadership roles at the University and UW Medicine, most recently serving as UW Medicine’s associate vice president for business and legal affairs until his retirement in 2004. On August 10, 2018, John passed away.
During his time at the University of Washington, John consistently demonstrated a spirit of service, integrity, innovation and commitment to others, positively influencing and affecting the lives of those in UW Medicine, the University and the community. It is with great appreciation and admiration that former colleagues have chosen to honor him by creating a permanent endowed award.