Richard Jeffrey Conner

Richard Jeffrey (“Jeff”) Conner (84), M.D., F.A.C.S., has two priorities that drive his life: faith and family.

“No matter what people do in life, the ultimate goal is to honor God,” Conner said. “It’s easy to get distracted, but that should really be our focus.”

Conner and his wife, Shelly (Jones) (84), met their freshman year at PLNU. “We met in Biology 100, and I tell people it has been chemistry ever since,” he laughed.

The Conners both graduated in 1984, he with a major in biology/ chemistry and she with her BSN. He went on to earn his M.D. from Saint Louis University School of Medicine in 1988 before completing his internship and residency at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego. In 1998, he entered private practice at Tri Valley Urology Medical Group, where he is currently a partner.

Throughout his medical career, Conner has earned many honors and awards. He is currently serving as an associate professor of urology at UCSD Medical Center. In the past, Conner served as chief of staff and on the governing board at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Murrieta, Calif. He was instrumental in bringing a da Vinci Robot to Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta, increasing the quality of care for patients and allowing many procedures to be done laparoscopically.

Meanwhile, the Conners have raised four children: Shannon (08), Cory, Samantha, and David. The couple adopted Samantha and David when the children were five and seven years old, a process Jeff called “the difficult but most rewarding thing we have done.” The Conners currently have one grandchild and twins on the way.

In addition to honoring God with excellence in his profession and love for his family, Conner has used his abilities to meet the needs of people with limited access to medical care in Northeast India for the past 17 years. During approximately 20 trips to India, he has worked with local doctors, performed surgery, and shared the Gospel. Because of his medical work, he has been able to share his faith in places where it would otherwise not be possible to do so. All the care Conner and his teams provide is done as a free gift to the people.

“It’s showing them the love of Christ by meeting their physical needs,” Conner explained.

To support the mission work, Conner co-founded and is president of Collaborative Development International, a nonprofit organization.

The Conners are active members of Temecula Hills Christian Fellowship, and their executive pastor, Rob Poster, sums up how so many feel about Jeff: “[He is] an individual who strives to use what God has given him to be a blessing to others in his family, local community, and the world.”