Ellen Sims joined the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2019 and has enjoyed finding creative ways to connect people to the College ever since. She began her tenure as Director of Alumni Relations, where she expanded alumni engagement efforts, strengthened volunteer involvement, and created opportunities for alumni, students, faculty, and friends to build meaningful connections. In 2023, she transitioned into development and now serves as Regional Director of Development, working with alumni and supporters across the Southeast to secure philanthropic support for scholarships, faculty initiatives, hospital programs, and research.
Prior to joining UGA, Sims served as Executive Director of the Madison-Morgan Convention & Visitors Bureau in Madison, Georgia for nearly 10 years. Tasked with building a destination marketing organization from the ground up, she led branding, tourism development, strategic partnerships, and community engagement efforts that helped position Madison as one of Georgia’s most beloved small towns. Under her leadership, the Madison-Morgan Convention & Visitors Bureau earned Gold Level Status Certification from the Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus, a distinction held by only a handful of organizations across the state.
A natural relationship-builder, Sims has spent more than 25 years bringing people together around shared goals, whether that’s growing a community, promoting a destination, or helping donors create a lasting legacy through philanthropy. She is especially passionate about connecting people with opportunities that make a meaningful difference for students, patients, faculty, and the future of veterinary medicine.
Sims earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Marketing from Flagler College in Saint Augustine, FL and has completed numerous leadership and professional development programs throughout her career. A proud mom of two grown “kids,” ages 23 and 26, she and her husband, Patrick, live in her hometown of Madison, Georgia, where family, friends, and community remain at the center of everything they do. When she’s not on the road visiting alumni and donors, you’ll likely find her cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs, volunteering in the community, planning a friend gathering, spoiling her dogs, or convincing herself that one more rescue animal is a perfectly reasonable idea.
