Development Director at Saban Center Leaving for Return to DCH

The first Director of Development of Tuscaloosa’s under-construction Saban Center will leave that role to return to the DCH Foundation, where she has been named a vice president.

Brandt LaPish spent four years as the Director of Development for the DCH Foundation before being hired by the city to serve in the same role at the Saban Center in 2022.

Now, after building and leading the capital campaign to fund construction and operation of the Saban Center, LaPish will return to the DCH Foundation as its Vice President of Development for the DCH Health System.

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At the Saban Center, LaPish helped secure more than $36 million in philanthropic support and an additional $25 million in state investment.

Vertical construction at the $120 million STEM learning center wrapped up in March, and it is expected to open and come online next year.

DCH said that in this vice-presidential role, LaPish will oversee philanthropic strategy, engage with donors and manage community partnerships to support DCH’s mission and growth.

"Brandt’s leadership experience, passion for this community, and strong background in healthcare philanthropy make her an outstanding fit for this role," said DCH President & CEO Katrina Keefer. “We are excited to welcome her back to DCH and look forward to the impact she will make for our patients, caregivers, and the communities we serve.”

LaPish is a double graduate from the University of Alabama, where she earned both a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and her Master of Arts in Advertising and Public Relations.

"LaPish brings more than 20 years of experience leading transformational fundraising strategies, strategic communications initiatives, and complex public-private partnerships across healthcare, nonprofit, education, and economic development sectors," DCH said in their announcement. "She has demonstrated success securing transformational gifts, cultivating high-capacity donor relationships, building strategic corporate and foundation partnerships, and aligning philanthropic investment with long-term organizational priorities."

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