Tampa General Hospital Appoints Frann Leppla as President of the TGH Foundation

Leppla has led the TGH Foundation for seven years through a time of tremendous growth and historic philanthropic support.

Tampa, Fla. (October 6, 2025) – Tampa General Hospital (TGH) announced today the appointment of Frann Leppla to the role of president of the TGH Foundation. Leppla will continue to serve as executive vice president of Tampa General, leading the team responsible for a steady increase in philanthropic contributions to support the academic health system's commitment to innovation and world-class care.

“Frann is an inspiring leader who, along with her team, has dramatically changed the culture of philanthropy at Tampa General,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “With the transformational growth underway in our academic health system, the TGH Foundation is playing an integral part in that growth, fueling programs and projects that drive our success.”  

Since Leppla’s arrival in 2018, the TGH Foundation has grown significantly and strategically, more than doubling its assets and expanding from a six-member events-focused team to a 26-member major gift-focused team. This has catapulted philanthropic investments from $1-4 million annually to more than $72 million in 2024. In 2022, the team launched its first-in-history, fully comprehensive fundraising campaign – Elevating Excellence: Innovating Tomorrow’s TGH. 

With more than two years left in this historic campaign, the team is nearing its six-year, $200 million goal. Initially launched as a $100 million campaign, that goal was reached in early 2024 when the team surpassed its original target. Incredible support from the community, coupled with the team’s focus, enables the Foundation to support the rapidly growing academic health system during a period of transformational growth.  

“The Foundation is what it is today because I have the pleasure of working with the best team in the business,” Leppla said. “Every person on this team strives for excellence every day, keeping the best interests of our donors, the system and our team members as their top priorities. Knowing our success has been rooted in connections with philanthropists who believe in the innovation and world-class care provided by the health system, our focus will remain on continuing to elevate the care of the patients in the communities we so proudly serve.”

Funds raised during the Elevating Excellence campaign support the academic health system as a whole, including Tampa General’s comprehensive master facility plan to enhance facilities and create a world-class Tampa Medical & Research District in the heart of Tampa, enabling TGH to meet the ever-growing needs of the community. The campaign also supports programs, equipment, teaching, research and other key priorities that advance academic medicine across Tampa Bay, the region and the state.

“This is an exciting time to be a part of the TGH Foundation’s mission,” said Joseph Williams, chair of the TGH Foundation's board of trustees and president of Kimmins Contracting. “The amazing success of the Elevating Excellence campaign is due to this fantastic team, led by Frann, that resonates with every donor, large and small.”

The Elevating Excellence campaign will conclude in 2027 with a celebration in conjunction with Tampa General’s 100th anniversary. The Foundation team’s fundraising efforts will continue to align closely with the TGH system’s strategic operating imperatives.