James E. Tally, Ph.D.,
President/Chief Executive Officer

James E. Tally, Ph.D., is President/Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, one of the country’s largest pediatric health systems.

As President/CEO of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Tally oversaw the merger of Egleston Children’s Health Care System and Scottish Rite Children’s Medical Center in February 1998. He has led a successful integration of key system support areas including financial and satellite operations, a call center, human resources, marketing, public relations and care support. Since the merger, Tally has provided oversight to the System as vigorous changes have been underway to further enhance the high quality care provided to sick and injured children.

Under Tally’s leadership, Children’s has become one of the nation’s top three children’s hospitals, according to Child magazine. Children’s is also among U.S.News & World Report’s top pediatric hospitals. Children’s is the first and only pediatric health care system in the nation to be listed among FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best” employers. The organization has also been honored by Working Mother magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers,” one of only two pediatric health care systems in the nation to achieve this honor and one of only two organizations in Georgia. In addition, Children’s has been ranked among Atlanta’s top three employers in 2005 for the third consecutive year by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Tally’s success has been profiled on the covers of HealthLeaders magazine (October 2005) and Business to Business magazine (November 2005). He has been listed among the “100 Most Influential Georgians” by Georgia Trend magazine.

Previously, Tally was president/CEO of Scottish Rite Children’s Medical Center in Atlanta from 1989 - 1997. Tally joined Scottish Rite in 1984 when it was a 92-bed children’s hospital with 200 employees. Under his leadership, Scottish Rite developed into an integrated health system including a 165-bed hospital with more than 2,000 employees and multiple satellite locations.

Before moving to Atlanta, Tally served as vice chancellor for administration and fiscal affairs at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. He was also assistant dean and director of the University’s Medical College Physicians Group of the College of Medicine.

Tally also held several positions at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Carbondale. In addition, he served in the United States Air Force from 1967 - 1970, in the United States and the Republic of the Philippines beginning as 2nd Lieutenant, rising through the ranks to Captain.

Tally earned his bachelor’s degree in history and business (1965), master’s degree in education (1971) and doctorate in higher education administration (1977) from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. In 2004, Tally was named “Executive of the Year” by Southern Illinois University College of Business and Administration.

Today, Tally serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Marist School in Atlanta. In addition, he is on the Advisory Board of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University and serves as a board member for the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Tally is also a member of Rotary Club of Atlanta and is a member of the Advisory Board of the College of Business at Southern Illinois University. In the past, he has been involved in numerous civic and professional activities including serving on the Hospital Advisory Committee of Medicaid; the Council on Government Relations for the Georgia Hospital Association; and as Health Unit Chair for the United Way.
Tally and his wife, Carol, reside in Atlanta. They have two children and six grandchildren.