Gov. Markell Appoints Roy Roper to DSU Board of Trustees

Roy Roper, president and CEO of the Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD), has been appointed by Gov. Jack Markell as a new member of Delaware State University’s Board of Trustees.

Mr. Roper was officially sworn in by DSU Board of Trustees Chairman David Turner during the board’s March 24 public meeting. He has been appointed to a six-year term.

He has been a part of the BBD since 2009 when he was first hired as its vice president of Administrative Services. He was elevated to president and CEO in January 2011.

Mr. Roper is responsible for an annual budget of $24 million, 155 full and part-time employees, 100 volunteers who support collection, processing, and distribution over 100,000 blood and related products to hospitals serving the Delmarva region.

Prior to joining BBD, Mr. Roper was president of Roper Consulting Group (RCG), where he worked with a wide variety of organizations in the life sciences industry focusing on strategy and operational planning, customer growth and retention, operational efficiency, change and restructuring.  His consulting experience spans many functional areas including Commercial Operations, Research & Development, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs, and Human Resources.

Mr. Roper was also employed by AstraZeneca as the director of Organizational Effectiveness for its U.S. operations.  Prior to AstraZeneca, he served as vice president of Business Development for a Wilmington, Del.-based technology start-up, and as a member of the Senior Management team, helped raise $20 million in venture capital funding.

In addition to his experience in the life sciences area, Mr. Roper spent 16 years in the managed care industry holding a number of key management and leadership roles.  At United Healthcare’s Behavioral Health unit he oversaw an Account Management organization, with annual revenue of $250 million and 14 locations across the U.S.

He also established a new Mid-Atlantic large employer medical benefits sales and service operation where he was responsible for annual revenues of $66 million.  Prior to United Healthcare, Mr. Roper spent eight years with CIGNA, where he held a number of operational roles in its Employee Benefits Claims division.

Mr. Roper has been an active volunteer with the Delaware YMCA where he served as Chair of its Resource Center branch, and also as a member of the YMCA statewide Association Board.  He has served as a Board Trustee for the National Blood Foundation (NBF), an Executive Committee member for the Blood Centers of America (BCA), and is currently Board chairman for the Foundation for America’s Blood Centers (FABC).  Mr. Roper is also a member of the Rotary Club of Wilmington. 

Mr. Roper holds a Master’s degree in Organization Effectiveness from American University, has taught graduate level change management courses at Wilmington University and served as an Advisory Board member for the University of Delaware’s Masters in Organization Effectiveness and Change program. He has also been a personal mentor and supporter of student development at both the University of Delaware and Delaware State University.