July 18, 2005

Dear Colleagues:

It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of our new Director of Development, Ellen Keats Stifler. Ellen was selected after an extensive national search. She has a distinguished 22 year history in development at academic institutions, including Goucher College, and, for the past 15 years, the Johns Hopkins University.

At John Hopkins, Ellen has served as the Director of Development for the Milton S. Eisenhower Library and the Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Most recently, Ellen has been the Director of Principal Gifts, Divisional Programs, for the Johns Hopkins University. In this key role, Ellen developed and implemented strategies to maximize principal gifts for the University Divisions (seven schools and six centers). One of her major endeavors was to motivate, mentor and advise Divisional chief development officers and major gift officers for the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of prospective major gift donors.

Ellen is known throughout Johns Hopkins as a highly successful, diligent, skillful and loyal professional. We are truly fortunate that she has made a decision to return to the Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Kimmel Cancer Center. Her work will focus on development of creative strategies in development for the Cancer Center, with a multidisciplinary and multidepartmental major gift emphasis, and on the Department of Oncology academic and clinical missions. Ellen will begin her work in Oncology August 1, 2005. Please join me in welcoming Ellen to the Cancer Center.

Additionally, I would like to recognize Bill Dean, who has served so admirably as the acting Director of Development during this lengthy search, for his outstanding leadership during this interim period. Bill has spearheaded a highly successful year in development for the Cancer Center, and has set a wonderful example for the entire development team. We are deeply appreciative of his efforts, as well as those of the entire Kimmel Cancer Center Development staff - a truly professional and accomplished group. We know that you will join us in working to continue and expand this record of accomplishment.

Martin D. Abeloff, M.D.
Director, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive
Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins