Dr. Jeffrey DiLisi, an established leader who has attracted national attention for advancements in healthcare quality, patient safety and innovation, serves as president and chief executive officer of Roper St. Francis Healthcare in Charleston, SC. He spearheads the private, not-for-profit healthcare system’s efforts to provide superior access to quality healthcare while carrying out its mission of “healing all people with compassion, faith and excellence.”

One of Dr. DiLisi’s hallmark achievements at Roper St. Francis Healthcare has been launching a bold roadmap for the next decade for the Lowcountry’s largest healthcare system for adults. This strategic plan centers on caring for more patients, expanding services and modernizing technology to better serve future generations. One of the five key initiatives of that Roper St. Francis Healthcare 2030 plan is optimizing the healthcare system’s footprint, which includes relocating Roper Hospital from the Charleston peninsula to a new expansive, state of the art campus in North Charleston, along with expanding Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital and providing additional healthcare services in highly populated and growing communities.

Under his leadership, Roper St. Francis Healthcare has been honored for three consecutive years as one of the top 150 “Best Places to Work” in healthcare by Modern Healthcare and also as No. 2 on the America’s Best Employers list for South Carolina by Forbes magazine. In addition, all four Roper St. Francis Healthcare hospitals received “A” Hospital Safety Grades in the Leapfrog Group’s most recent ratings for protecting patients from preventable harm and errors.

Before coming to Charleston, Dr. DiLisi served as senior vice president and chief medical officer of Virginia Hospital Center, a 394-bed not-for-profit, teaching hospital in Arlington, Va. Under his leadership, Virginia Hospital Center was awarded 17 straight “A” grades from the Leapfrog Group, five stars from CMS, and multiple Top Hospital Awards for patient safety and quality. He was responsible for major procedural and ancillary areas accounting for 60 percent of the hospital’s revenue, and he led the hospital’s successful application to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network, which included thousands of physicians collaborating to improve outcomes and advance care.

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Duke University, Dr. DiLisi received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and went on to earn a Master of Business Administration from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Lissa Frenkel is the President & CEO of the Charleston Gaillard Center, a leading performing arts center in the Southeast and anchoring cultural institution in the heart of Charleston, SC. Since she was appointed in 2021, she has transformed the organization into a destination for dynamic performances, robust education programs, and thoughtful community initiatives that create connection and promote essential cultural and civic dialogue. Under her leadership, the Gaillard commissions and presents ambitious, multidisciplinary artists and performances that reflect the city’s diversity and push artistic boundaries, particularly around telling underrecognized stories of Southern artists and activists of color. Frenkel has strengthened the Gaillard’s commitment to world-class and risk-taking dance performances, commissioned several regional premieres, deepened engagement with local artists and the community, and enhanced access to the arts locally and across the state.

Previously, Frenkel served as managing director of the Park Avenue Armory, a premier cultural institution producing and commissioning unconventional works in the performing and visual arts in Manhattan. During her tenure with the Armory, she was instrumental in building its operating budget from $6 million to $27 million and in leading the $165 million in capital redevelopment projects that invested in the adaptive reuse and restoration of the building.

Prior to the Armory, Frenkel worked at the Lincoln Center Development Project, a $500 million cultural redevelopment of the Lincoln Center complex in Manhattan that included the expansion of The Julliard School, Alice Tully Hall and multiple public spaces.
Originally from Boston, Frenkel earned her undergraduate degree in art history from Emory University and her master’s degree in urban planning from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.

Katie Smith currently serves as the Development Director at One80 Place. One80 Place is one of the largest homeless service providers in the state of South Carolina and its mission is ending and preventing homelessness for thousands of individuals and families in Charleston and Columbia, SC. Under her leadership, Katie is responsible for establishing and implementing the infrastructure needed to grow the organization through diverse funding streams to build visibility, impact and financial resources. She is a passionate development professional who thrives on communicating the story of One80 Place and its mission to foster engagement and investment from the community.

From 2011 to 2016, prior to joining One80 Place, Katie established her career working in several fundraising and marketing positions including being the Director of Advancement for Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School and the Annual Giving Director for Brenner Children’s Hospital for Wake Forest Baptist Health.

Katie’s love for the Lowcountry goes all the back to her collegiate years, earning her Master of Business Administration from The Citadel and her bachelors degree from the College of Charleston. In addition, she is a graduate of Leadership Charleston (class of 2019).

Katie and her husband, along with their two girls and golden retriever, reside on Johns Island.

Matt Bell lives in Greenville and is the Director the SC Launch Program of SCRA. He originates from the mid-west where he was the Managing Director of the Discovery Partners Institute with the University of Illinois, Managing Director with the Cultivian Sandbox Food and Agriculture Venture Fund, and several positions within the University of Michigan Office of Technology Transfer.

Matt also spent several years managing the Coulter Translational Research program in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Michigan.

Dan Rogers is the Project Manager at the SC Film Commission. He manages locations, scouts, permitting, location database, websites, economic development-marketing.