ALSAC Names Martin Hand Chief Development Officer; Welcomes Deb Garcia as Senior Vice President of Strategy

Appointments reinforce commitment to accelerating progress against childhood cancer through strategic growth and engagement

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^®, today announced that Martin Hand has been appointed chief development officer. In his new role, Hand leads ALSAC’s revenue-generation and development efforts, including fundraising and philanthropy, corporate partnerships, donor acquisition and retention strategies, planned giving, direct response campaigns and other revenue-driving programs.

ALSAC also announced that Deborah “Deb” Garcia has joined the executive leadership team as senior vice president of strategy. Garcia, who brings an exceptional track record of success at a global nonprofit, will oversee enterprise-wide strategy.

These leadership transitions reflect ALSAC President and CEO Ike Anand’s vision to reshape the organization for its next era of growth, aligning with key priorities in ALSAC's strategic plan.

“Martin is a collaborative, people-focused leader who understands every aspect of our business. He has worked in deep partnership with our Development team for years, and his expertise has been instrumental in driving growth and deepening donor connections,” Anand said. “And Deb brings bold, strategic vision and global fundraising expertise. Together, they offer a powerful combination of strategic vision, operational excellence and innovative thinking to help guide ALSAC into the future, enabling St. Jude to impact more of the 400,000 children around the world who develop cancer each year.”

Hand, a 12-year ALSAC veteran, previously served as chief donor and operations officer and was the first chief donor officer in the nonprofit sector. He has been instrumental in shaping donor engagement strategies and building high-touch cultivation programs that have helped ALSAC achieve record-breaking fundraising milestones and improving experiences for supporters to deepen their connection with the lifesaving mission of St. Jude.

Prior to joining ALSAC, Hand spent more than two decades in customer service leadership positions at United Airlines and Continental Airlines. As senior vice president of Customer Experience at United, he oversaw the integration of reservations and boarding systems following the 2010 merger with Continental and launched formal training workshops aimed at fostering empathy, better customer interactions and improved communication.

Hand holds an M.B.A. from Nova Southeastern University and a B.S. in Finance and Economics from Barry University.

Garcia has a track record of driving outsized growth and transformation in mission-driven organizations. A former management consultant, she most recently served as chief development officer at Doctors Without Borders US, leading a comprehensive development portfolio spanning mass marketing, major and planned giving, corporate partnerships, foundation funding and strategic philanthropy. Under her leadership, the organization realized nearly 20% revenue growth, scaling fundraising to approximately $800 million and setting a new benchmark for private philanthropy in humanitarian aid. She elevated the global brand and deployed an AI-driven modernization of fundraising and marketing efforts to drive effectiveness and efficiency.

Garcia holds an M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a B.A.S. from the University of Waterloo.

For more information about ALSAC’s leadership and mission, visit stjude.org.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^®

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.^® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was largely considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate in the U.S. from 20% to more than 80% and it won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.