Roswell Park Alliance Foundation Announces Two New Leaders

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Roswell Park Alliance Foundation is proud to announce new leadership at the helm of the Foundation, replacing recently retired Executive Director and Chief Development Officer, Cindy Eller. Tammy Lightcap will serve as Executive Director of Finance and Operations and Vice President for Development Finance, and Jennifer Hickok will as serve Executive Director of Development and Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer. Both hold titles at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation.

Both Lightcap and Hickok have dedicated decades of their professional lives to the Alliance Foundation. They deeply understand this organization -- from our mission, our donors and partners and, most importantly, the tremendous impact philanthropy has on Roswell Park and the patients we serve. Their institutional knowledge is matched by their passion, their leadership and their commitment to the mission. That combination makes them exceptionally well prepared to lead the Alliance Foundation into its next chapter.

“The Alliance Foundation has built an extraordinary legacy of generosity and impact, and I am confident that Tammy and Jenn will build upon that legacy while bringing new energy, ideas and vision to the organization,” said Dr. Candace Johnson, President and CEO of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. “We have an incredibly talented team behind these two leaders, a committed community of supporters and a mission that has never been more important. I am confident that we are approaching this next chapter with tremendous optimism and confidence.”

Lightcap will oversee fundraising priorities, financial strategy, operational systems, human resources, risk management and organizational infrastructure. Hickok will lead the fundraising efforts for the Alliance Foundation while overseeing the programs, partnerships, campaigns and events that enhance charitable giving and raise funds for Roswell Park’s key strategic priorities, including research initiatives, quality of life programs and institutional development.

Together, they will provide strong, thoughtful leadership as the Alliance Foundation continues to grow philanthropy, strengthen partnerships and find new ways to inspire the community to invest in the future of cancer care and research.

The Roswell Park Alliance Foundation was founded in 1991 by Anne and Donna Gioia in honor and memory of Anne’s daughter Katherine. The Alliance Foundation is a standalone nonprofit organization that manages all donations for Roswell Park. Since 1991, the Alliance Foundation was led by Executive Director and Chief Development Officer, Cindy Eller, and has raised nearly $700 million for research, education and patient-care programs. Eller retired from her role after 37 years in Spring 2026.

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About the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation 

The Roswell Park Alliance Foundation is a is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that manages all donations made to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Its mission is to maximize dollars available for Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s most promising lifesaving research, treatment and prevention programs, while supporting the psychosocial needs of patients and families touched by cancer. To learn more about the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation and the research and patient care programs it supports at Roswell Park, visit roswellparkalliancefoundation.org.