Bob Brigham ’78

2017 Bob Basten Excellence in Leadership Award

Bob Brigham '78 was presented with the 2017 Bob Basten Excellence in Leadership Award at Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 7. The award is given to a former SJU football player who has displayed leadership skills in his community and alma mater.

A left tackle on SJU's 1976 NCAA championship team, Brigham graduated magna cum laude with a nursing degree in 1978. He went on to receive his Master of Business Administration from the Davis College of Business at Jacksonville University and is currently a Doctoral candidate at the Davis College of Business.

He is the Chief Operating Officer for Essentia Health’s operations in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. Brigham formerly served as Senior Vice President for Hospital and Clinics at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Before that, he spent 37 years at the Mayo Clinic, rising to the position of Chief Administrative Officer at the Jacksonville, Fla. campus.

“Bob is a model of integrity, teamwork and outstanding leadership,” said Jeff Korsmo ’80, a former teammate of Brigham’s and a 2013 recipient of the Bob Basten Excellence in Leadership Award. “He combines tireless tenacity with incredible grace and humility.”