SENIOR LEADERSHIPIn March 2007 after 10 years of leading RPCI through significant and successful governance restructuring andprogrammatic expansion efforts, Dr. David Hohn retired as the President and CEO of Roswell Park CancerInstitute (RPCI). Dr. Hohn maintains a part-time position at RPCI as a senior advisor providing counsel tosenior leadership on issues relevant to network development, facilities expansion planning and specialprojects. In addition, after 30 years of service, Dr. Youcef Rustum will be retiring from his role as AssociateDirector for Core Resources in the first quarter of 2008.In 2005, as Dr, Hohn and the Board of Directors (BOD) of RPCI began planning for a leadership transition, thepossibility that Dr. Trump would succeed Dr. David Hohn as President and CEO and CCSG PI was raised.The BOD consulted both with Roswell Park leadership as well as an external panel of advisors. Based on thisanalysis, the BOD developed a succession plan for Dr. Trump's transition which began January 1, 2006 withhis appointment to Associate Director of the Institute. The final phase of the transition occurred, as planned,on April 1, 2007 when Dr. Trump was named President and CEO. It is important to note that Dr. Trump wasoriginally recruited to RPCI in 2002 as the Associate Director for Clinical Research and Co-leader of theTargeted Therapeutics Program at RPCI, positions he maintained until his the transition in 2006. Coupling Dr.Trump's leadership and experience with the detailed planning and execution of this succession plan hasallowed for a smooth and effective transition of RPCI leadership.The change in the RPCI Director (Hohn) and two Associate Directors (Trump and Rustum) brought new seniorleadership opportunities. With Dr. Trump's transition in 2006 to Associate Director of the Institute, Dr. AlexAdjei was recruited from the Mayo Clinic and appointed to the Associate Director for Clinical Researchposition. He is also the Chair for the Department of Medicine. Dr. Adjei brings a wealth of scientific andadministrative leadership experience in cancer clinical research and will also lead the Molecular Targets andExperimental Therapeutics Program. Similarly, with Dr. Rustum's planned retirement and the departure ofVirginia Opipare (Associate Director of Finance and Operations) in 2006, a unique opportunity becameavailable to consolidate the responsibilities of these leadership roles into a single position to provide a moreefficient and effective management of Institute operations. In early 2007, Dr. Trump recruited Jeff Walker,MBA from The Ohio State University (OSU) Comprehensive Cancer Center to a new role as the AssociateDirector for Administration. Mr. Walker brings more than 20 years of experience in leadership inacademic/biomedical institutions, spending the last 6 years as the Associate Director for Administration of theOSU Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Rustum will transition his responsibilities to Mr. Walker and remainas a Distinguished Professor and advisor to Dr. Trump and Mr. Walker. Early in 2007 Dr. Trump appointed Dr.Andrei Gudkov as the Associate Director for Basic Research replacing Dr. Michael Brattain who is leavingRPCI June, 2007. Dr. Gudkov, formerly Chairman of the Department of Molecular Genetics at the LernerResearch Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and a member of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, isinternationally recognized for his pioneering work in gene and drug discovery. He directs a broad, highlycollaborative NCI-funded program combining equally strong basic and translational components. Dr. Gudkovis also the Chair of the Cell Stress Biology Department.The 3 new senior leaders, Dr. Gudkov, Dr. Adjei, and Mr. Walker, bring fresh ideas and perspectives to theInstitute as well as a wealth of scientific program development, and administrative leadership experiencegarnered from their involvement at other major NCI-designated cancer programs (Case ComprehensiveCancer Center, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center,respectively).Each of the Senior Leaders also plays a pivotal role in a CCSG Programs or Shared Resources. Dr. Adjeiserves as Leader of the Molecular Targets and Experimental Therapeutics (MTET) and oversees ClinicalResearch Services, Dr. Gudkov is Leader of the Cell Stress and Biophysical Therapies (CSBT) Program, andDr. James Marshall leads the Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences (CPPS) program. Dr. CandaceJohnson is an active participant in the Prostate Program and MTET, while Dr. Trump participates in theMolecular Targets and Experimental Therapeutics Program. Mr. Walker serves as the CCSG Administratorand oversees the CCSG shared resources. All members of the Senior Leadership Team are active in thefaculty recruitment process, serving as chairs or members of search committees. Further they are alsoinvolved in coordinating the EAB meetings, annual retreats, symposia/seminar series and participating indevelopment activities. Each of these leaders is also active in national cancer research forums and wellintegrated into leadership and committee positions in these external arenas (ASCO, AACR, AACI, NCCN, NCI[caBIG, IRGs, parent committees]) assuring their awareness of and participation in deliberations regardingimportant national topics in cancer research, care and education and guaranteeing RPCI awareness of andleadership in the national trends.The Senior Leadership team interacts informally on a daily basis and meets formally on a weekly basis in theprimary administrative leadership forum known as the RPCI Executive Council. Chaired by Dr. Trump, theExecutive Council is the major decision-making body of the Institute, responsible for the on-going oversight ofthe RPCI and addressing all functional issues raised by its members. In addition, the Senior Leadershipparticipates on the CCSG Steering Committee, a committee that meets monthly and includes the researchprogram leaders as well as leaders of important CCSG and Institute initiatives [e.g., Imaging Development,Health Disparities]. The CCSG Steering Committee, chaired by Dr. Trump, provides a venue for strategicplanning, program evaluation, membership review and approval and review of existing and proposed sharedresources. Although there are several other venues where the Senior Leadership participates, it is throughthese two committees that primary decision-making is accomplished.There has been dramatic growth in RPCI during the last funding cycle. Over this funding cycle (2002 to 2006)the Senior Leadership team worked together to recruit more than 100 cancer investigators and clinicians,increase NCI funding by 74%, increase accruals to therapeutic investigator-initiated clinical trials and increasein out patient volume by 42% over this time period. As the number of cancer-focused basic, translational,clinical and population investigators at the RPCI have grown, four new Shared Resources have beenestablished to support the needs of the membership with three more now in development. It is anticipated thatthe current Senior Leadership team will continue this successful trajectory via developing and executing longtermvision and strategic planning for the Institute.
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