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Stephen Sencer to move on from Emory general counsel role; Amy Adelman named interim leader
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Elaine Justice

Stephen Sencer

Stephen Sencer

Stephen Sencer, Emory’s senior vice president and general counsel, will move on from his longtime leadership role, effective Aug. 31. Sencer will maintain a strong connection with Emory and continue to work with Emory Innovations, Inc., and Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory (DRIVE).

Amy Adelman, a deputy general counsel who has served the university for nearly 20 years, will take on the role on an interim basis, President Gregory L. Fenves announced.

Sencer joined Emory in 2001 and became the chief legal officer for Emory University, including Emory Healthcare, in 2010. In that role, he worked closely with academic and health care leaders to position Emory to expand its reach and thrive across all aspects of its mission.

“Steve has made extraordinary contributions to our university,” Fenves says. “On a personal level, Steve has been invaluable as a colleague and collaborator during my first two years at Emory. His knowledge and skill were called upon time and again, especially during the hardest moments of the pandemic. He is candid, thoughtful, but above all else, he has the heart and compassion that are such essential elements of the Emory spirit.”

As part of the team that envisioned and founded DRIVE, Sencer helped set a new standard for what is possible in academic health care — blending startup-level agility and ambition with the expertise of researchers and scientists at a major research university. He also co-founded the Emory-South Africa Drug Discovery Training Program and GAP BioSciences, among many other accomplishments.

“After 20 years of practicing law with Emory as my only client, it is time for a change,” Sencer says. “Emory will always be home for my family and me, and I look forward to helping advance the mission in other ways.”

Amy Adelman

Amy Adelman

Amy Adelman will begin serving as interim senior vice president and general counsel on Sept. 1. As a deputy general counsel, she has served as a member of the Office of the General Counsel leadership team. Her primary practice areas include litigation, employment law, faculty issues and student matters. Prior to joining Emory in 2003, she was a partner with Kilpatrick Townsend in its labor and employment law section.

“As president, I’ve seen Amy’s institutional knowledge and strategic thinking on display,” Fenves says. “I know she will lead the Office of the General Counsel forward in this new role during a time of transition.”

Adelman says she is excited to build on Sencer’s work in the Office of the General Counsel.

“Steve created a collaborative environment built on respect and trust that enabled each member of the OGC team to thrive and grow as professionals,” she says. “In addition to being an outstanding general counsel, Steve has been an incredible leader, mentor and friend, and our team will miss him terribly. Thanks to Steve, OGC attorneys are well positioned to continue to provide the highest quality legal counsel to the Emory enterprise.”


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