Kathryn Cascella Appointed Joint Cancer Program Development Director

Cincinnati—Kathryn Cascella has been named director of development for the joint cancer program, a collaborative initiative involving the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and University Hospital.

The joint cancer program, which was established in August 2007, is aimed at enhancing and coordinating oncology care from childhood to adulthood in southern Ohio and beyond. The partnership will provide the scientific and intellectual resources to enable the three institutions to increase the amount of internationally significant research performed.

In this newly created position, Cascella will be responsible for designing and managing a comprehensive strategy for identifying and cultivating major gift prospects for cancer-related initiatives within the joint cancer program.

Serving as an independent connecting point for development and fundraising initiatives, she will work collaboratively with the three participating institutions’ foundations to coordinate major gift donor prospects that apply to the joint cancer program.

“Kathryn is devoted to the success of the joint cancer program and has a strong drive to do something good for the Greater Cincinnati community,” says David Stern, MD, vice president for health affairs at UC and dean of the College of Medicine. “We believe she has the right mix of strategic foresight and infectious energy to engage our community in a group fight against cancer.”

“Cancer affects our entire community and impacts virtually every family. To improve cancer outcomes and coordinate care for our children who survive pediatric cancer and leukemia, we need a comprehensive program of innovative discovery, drug and therapy development, and long-term evaluation and care,” adds Arnold Strauss, MD, chair of UC’s pediatrics department and director of the Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation. “By providing a focus for giving toward the common goal of curing cancer, we will efficiently fund more impactful research and better patient care programs.”

"The joint cancer program is an exciting opportunity for University Hospital, UC, and Children's Hospital to work closer together,” adds Lee Ann Liska, executive director of University Hospital. “Kathryn will be pivotal in helping us achieve this goal."

Cascella most recently served as director of finance for the Hamilton County Republican Party. In this role, she was responsible for generating the party’s entire revenue stream and leading all fundraising activities. She was able to increase donations to the party by more than 200 percent during her tenure from December 2004 to June 2008.

Cascella also handled development and fundraising for Ohio’s Future Political Action Committee, a program that focuses on pro-growth solutions for the state's economic problems.

Prior to her work at the Hamilton County Republican Party, Cascella served from 2002-2005 as vice president of sales for Living Longer ProActive Health where she was responsible for business development, and consequently increased revenue by 300 percent. Living Longer ProActive Health provides early detection of cancer and heart disease with the use of magnetic resonance imaging and computer tomography scanning.

A resident of Cincinnati for more than 13 years, Cascella lives in Terrace Park with her husband and three children.