Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center: Jesse J. Rodriguez joins Medical Development Team
Rodriguez comes to Miami from NYU Langone Health in New York City and has held leadership positions at UC San Diego Health, Columbia University Medical Center, and Stanford Health.
Jesse J. Rodriguez joins Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, a part of UHealth – the University of Miami Health System — as Assistant Vice President, Development. In this role, Rodriguez will serve as a member of the Medical Development senior leadership team to provide leadership for fundraising programs and strategic planning for Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Rodriguez will work closely with Sarah C. Christensen, Vice President for Medical Development and Alumni Relations, Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., Director of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Sylvester team to develop, create and implement key fundraising campaigns, cultivate important partnerships, and propel the Sylvester fundraising program to new heights.
Rodriguez has broad experience leading successful fundraising programs at top-tier academic medical centers. He comes to Miami from NYU Langone Health in New York City, where he led all philanthropic efforts for the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center as the senior director of development. The Perlmutter Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center serving approximately 75,000+ patients each year at locations in New York City and Long Island. In the Fall of 2018, Rodriguez was instrumental in securing a transformational $75 million anonymous gift to establish a dedicated center for blood cancers within the Perlmutter Cancer Center.
Prior to NYU Langone Health, Rodriguez held key leadership positions at UC San Diego Health, Columbia University Medical Center, and Stanford Health. His areas of fundraising expertise include gift strategy, prospect engagement and cultivation, board management, faculty coaching, and professional development. Rodriguez holds a Batchelor of Arts in Anthropology and Master of Healthcare Administration both from Cornell University, and a Master of Science from Barry University.
In addition, Rodriguez also holds a deep passion for competitive sports, playing football mostly throughout his academic years and now diving into multi-sport events. Some highlights include being a 4-year letterman at Cornell University and team captain at De La Salle High School, during their national football record 151-game winning streak (1992 to 2004). Some of his recent events and challenges include the 2019 IRONMAN Lake Placid, NY (70.3), #Calendarclub (465 miles) in April 2020, and the upcoming “29029everesting” a.k.a. “Everest Challenge” this August, where you hike Snowbasin Resort in Utah continuously until you reach the elevation of Mt. Everest (29,029 vertical feet) over a 36-hour period. His desire to challenge himself and lift those around him makes him a dynamic leader and skilled fundraiser, and he is very much looking forward to riding the 100-mile ride at the Dolphins Challenge Cancer event on February 26, 2022!
Rodriguez will begin his new position at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center on July 19, 2021.
