LONG BEACH, Calif., — Rob Gunsalus has been named the President of the MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach Foundation – the exclusive fundraising arm for the hospital. The Foundation has supported Miller Children's & Women's for more than 55 years raising between $7-15 million annually. The 501(c)(3) is led by a 26-member Board of Directors.
In the role of overseeing the philanthropic foundations, Gunsalus will serve as the development strategist overseeing fundraising activities for the hospital, serve as the liaison between hospital administration and the Foundation board of directors, and provide oversight for the development and implementation of strategy to strengthen and grow fundraising support. Fundraising support can come from estate planning, grants, major gifts, and charitable contributions from employers and community members all to support programmatic growth as well as physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers.
“We are thrilled to have Rob join our senior leadership team,” says John Bishop, chief executive officer, Miller Children’s & Women’s. “Many of our programs are not reimbursed at a level that enables long-term growth. Fundraising is one way that we can support these underfunded programs to ensure that these programs are available to our community.”
Gunsalus comes to the Foundations with more than 30 years of experience in development. Prior to his new role, Gunsalus served as vice president for university relations and advancement, and President of the California State University Northridge Foundation, where he served one of the nation's largest and most diverse universities by leading all external relations activities and select strategic programs. He led the university’s highest-level volunteer board and oversaw management of the endowment and all philanthropic assets, which totaled more than $250 million. Prior to that, Gunsalus served as Vice President for University Relations at Santa Clara University.
“I’m delighted to become a part of the Long Beach community,” says Gunsalus. “I’ve committed my career to serving others by helping great institutions expand and accelerate their mission, so it is an absolute privilege to have the opportunity to support this amazing hospital and the extraordinary work they do for the greater Long Beach community. Our goal is to make a significant and long-term positive impact for our patients and the health of the broader community we serve.”