Lindalyn Adams and David Burgher live Baylor Health Care System’s
mission every day
These days, it’s rare to find anyone
Scott & White a tremendous currency
working on my own and being
decades with the same employer.
president and CEO of Baylor Scott &
joined the Foundation — 26 years ago.
who can claim he or she has spent
Fortunately for Baylor Health Care
Syste m Foundation and our
of good will,” said Joel T. Allison,
White Health.
Foundation as a development officer,
cultivating the Celebrating Women
the years. He keeps track of Baylor
Lindalyn’s primary role has been
including the well-known and well-
luncheon, now in its 17th year. “I went
loved Lindalyn Adams and David
Burgher.
A Look at Lindalyn’s Service
David began working for the
Since joining the Foundation,
community, there are several
employees who can make this claim,
independent.’” David relented and
to that very first luncheon, and it was
just going to be part of my life, I could
tell,” she said.
“Lindalyn is a force of nature. She’s
though his role has changed a bit over
friends and supporters that are in the
hospital, lets Baylor leadership know
of their status, and visits and prays
with the families.
“David calls himself the ‘Special
Lindalyn said that when she received
a sweet, smart lady. And strong, too,”
Assistant to the President, but he
the Foundation in 2001, she thought
K. Robinson. “She calls up people for
to the President,’” Rowland joked.
for support — and it’s hard to say no
water and parking passes.” David
her first paycheck as an employee of
about asking her new employer, “Are
you sure?” She chuckled as this
memory came to mind; she’d already
been serving the Foundation as a board
member for decades.
In fact, Lindalyn’s Baylor roots date
back to 1970, when her husband, the
late Reuben Adams, M.D., was
said Foundation president Rowland
Celebrating Women and asks them
to Lindalyn.” Celebrating Women has
raised more than $26 million in
Baylor’s fight against breast cancer.
David and His Ministry
Like Lindalyn, David also found
recruited to be the first full-time chief
humor in recalling how he joined the
gynecology. Lindalyn began serving on
Jr., former CEO of Baylor Health
of the division of obstetrics and
the Baylor Health Care System
Foundation’s first board of directors in
1978, the year it was founded.
Known as the “historical caretaker of
Dallas,” Lindalyn has had a hand in
many initiatives to preserve the city’s
history, including playing a major role in
the creation of the Sixth Floor Museum.
“Because of Lindalyn’s involvement
in the community, it brings Baylor
20
Foundation full-time. Boone Powell
Care System, had served with David
really is the “Extra” Special Assistant
“He does what I call 'PWP': prayer,
prays with patients, offers them a
“Baylor six-pack” (of bottled water)
and leaves behind parking passes.
Every patient visit is sacred to David.
His one-man ministry to patients has
prompted many thank-you letters to
the Foundation. “They’re some of the
most poignant, touching notes you
can imagine,” Rowland said.
There’s a 60-year age gap between
on the boards of several organiza-
Lindalyn, David and the youngest
ognized the success David had in
that
tions, including Young Life, and recraising money for them. So, Boone
asked David to do the same for
Baylor as a development officer.
“Boone said, ‘I think it’ll be a good
fit,’” David recalled. “I told him, ‘I don’t
think so. It’s too big, and I’m used to
employees at the Foundation, but
d o e s n’ t
s to p
the
t wo
octogenarians from setting the tone
for the organization. “They are both
the epitome of a servant’s heart,”
Joel said. “We’re blessed to have
them at the Foundation.”