Introducing Shawn Kleitz, Executive Director of the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation and Chief Development Officer at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Since the creation of the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation in 1991, the 501(c)3 nonprofit has had the same leader at the helm, Cindy Eller. On March 31, 2026, Cindy Eller retired after 37 years and announced Shawn Kleitz as the new Executive Director of the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation and Chief Development Officer at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
A new Buffalo resident, Shawn moved here from Philadelphia where he previously held the Chief Development Officer position at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Shawn has more than three decades of experience in development leadership roles at Penn Medicine, Temple University and Temple University Health System.
For more than three decades, Cindy Eller has built the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation into one of the most respected cancer center foundations in the country. We are profoundly grateful for her vision, dedication and leadership,” Dr. Candace Johnson, president and CEO of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. “As we begin this next chapter, I am excited to welcome Shawn Kleitz to our team. Shawn’s experience, passion for philanthropy and commitment to advancing cancer research make him the ideal person to build upon Cindy’s remarkable legacy and lead the Alliance Foundation into the future.
Dr. Candace Johnson,
President and CEO of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
In this role, Shawn will lead the Alliance Foundation staff and boards to raise funds for cancer research, education and patient care programs at Roswell Park, ensuring that the Foundation’s mission and every donor’s intention is fulfilled with each gift, whether through events like Ride for Roswell and Empire State Ride or directly to the institute’s most pressing needs.
Shawn and his wife, Colette, raised twin boys in Philadelphia before moving to Buffalo. Having grown up in New England himself, Shawn is a lifelong Red Sox, UConn Huskies and Hartford Whalers fan and is now a proud Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills fan!
Welcome, Shawn!
"As we begin this next chapter, I am excited to welcome Shawn Kleitz to our team. Shawn's experience, passion for philanthropy and commitment to advancing cancer research make him the ideal person to build upon Cindy's remarkable legacy and lead the Alliance Foundation into the future."