BETHESDA, Md. — Today, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation announced changes to its Board of Trustees, including the election of Kate O’Donnell, MBA, and Dodzie Sogah, PhD, as trustees, and Elise Eberwein, MBA, as a non-voting advisor.
“The CF Foundation Board of Trustees plays a critical role in shaping the Foundation’s vision as we continue to meet the rapidly evolving needs of the CF community,” said KC White, chair of the Board of Trustees. “We are grateful to welcome our new members who bring a wealth of professional experience and personal commitment to our mission, along with unique perspectives to our shared work to support all people with CF.”
Kate O’Donnell, MBA, Trustee
Kate O’Donnell has been a volunteer with the CF Foundation for more than 20 years, notably co-chairing the 2023 Volunteer Leadership Conference and chairing the Massachusetts/Rhode Island Chapter’s Tomorrow’s Leaders since 2018, where she helps engage young professionals. For the past decade, she has also served as president of the Joey Fund, an organization founded by her parents, Joe and Kathy, in honor of her brother Joey, who died of CF. The Joey Fund has raised hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of the CF Foundation. Kate holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an AB in English from Harvard University. She currently works with Belmont Capital, LLC, a venture capital and private equity firm in Cambridge, Mass.
Dodzie Sogah, PhD, Trustee
Dodzie Sogah has spent his career at the intersection of business, science, and medicine, and is dedicated to bringing innovative therapies to people in need. He currently serves as venture partner at Third Rock Ventures, a Boston-based venture capital investment firm, where he focuses on building new life sciences companies with breakthrough approaches made possible by genetic and biological technologies. He also has previous experience in corporate development and business development, including at Vertex Pharmaceuticals where he focused on evaluating genetic technology partnerships and led the formation of the company’s collaborations with Moderna and CRISPR Therapeutics. Dodzie holds a PhD in cellular and developmental biology from Harvard Medical School, and an AM in molecular and cellular biology and an AB in biochemical sciences, both from Harvard University.
Elise Eberwein, MBA, Advisor
Elise Eberwein is a veteran of the airline industry. She has served on the executive leadership team at American Airlines, where she oversaw multiple functions including human resources, communications, and community relations. She retired in 2022 after serving as the executive vice president of people and global engagement. During her tenure, she championed the CF Foundation’s mission by attending numerous events including the annual American Airlines Celebrity Ski, which has raised more than $45 million for the Foundation. In 2023 she received the Foundation’s Jena Award, which recognizes a volunteer who does not have a direct connection to CF, but who goes above and beyond to support the mission. Elise holds an MBA from Colorado State University and a BA in mass communications from Lindenwood University.
A complete list of the CF Foundation’s Board of Trustees and Advisors is available on cff.org.
About the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the world's leader in the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis. The Foundation funds more CF research than any other organization, and nearly every CF drug available today was made possible because of Foundation support. Based in Bethesda, Md., the Foundation also supports and accredits a national care center network that has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health as a model of care for a chronic disease. The CF Foundation is a donor-supported nonprofit organization. For more information, visit cff.org.
Media Contact
Dee Donavanik
Email: mediarelations@cff.org
Phone: 240-482-2857