For Leonard Miller, cancer has hit close to home multiple times. Not only has he lost three siblings and his mother-in-law to the disease, but Miller was also diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. After a friend referred him to City of Hope’s Los Angeles campus, Miller was pleasantly surprised to get an appointment within a week of his diagnosis.
“That doesn’t usually happen with healthcare in America,” says Miller, whose father-in-law also is a prostate cancer survivor. “My experience with City of Hope has been beyond exceptional. Every staff member treats you like family. I’ve been amazed by the love and care, willingness to listen and patience of everyone on my medical team.”
Miller, CEO of BrightSky Residential in Irvine, CA, is active in City of Hope’s Construction Industries Alliance (CIA). He is on the CIA Board and was the group’s Spirit of Life Honoree, City of Hope’s highest honor awarded to volunteer leaders, in 2021.The CIA group is one of 16 national industry groups that bring together business leaders from a wide range of industries – such as food service and hospitality, fashion and retail, home building, life insurance and music, film and entertainment – to partner with City of Hope in raising awareness and support of pioneering research and care. Miller’s desire to see the level of care he received be available to the people of Orange County, closer to where they live and work, prompted him and his CIA colleagues to pledge $5 million to endow the City of Hope Orange County Physician-in-Chief Administrative Chair.
The CIA’s generous investment in the Physician-in-Chief Chair allows critical research to progress under the direction of the chair and will also act as a magnet to attract world-class scientists and physicians who will transform the standard of care for cancer, such as Ed Kim, MD, MBA, physician-in-chief of City of Hope Orange County and vice physician-in chief, City of Hope. Kim will be the inaugural chair holder. Establishing an endowment ensures a stable source of funding, in perpetuity.
“My CIA colleagues and I wanted to signal our support for City of Hope Orange County by supporting the leadership and the physician-in-chief chair specifically,” says Miller. “The endowed chair position is an important recognition of our confidence in the medical and research leadership there.”
“Our CIA industry leaders are excited to help City of Hope,” says Ken Birkett, City of Hope’s senior director of corporate philanthropy. “These men and women are committed to investing in healthcare for Orange County and expanding care closer to home for their employees, business partners, neighbors and families.”
City of Hope Orange County opened its doors in August 2022, the fulfillment of a promise to residents and an ongoing commitment by City of Hope to bring its world-renowned cancer care and treatment innovation to patients and families in the communities where they live. Philanthropic support such as the CIA endowment gift is helping to make this commitment possible, adding to a growing Southern California regional network for City of Hope and strengthening its presence on the national landscape.
Established in 1974, the CIA group has grown to include representatives from all areas of the home building, construction and service industries. Since its inception, the group has raised over $80 million for City of Hope through annual events such as golf tournaments, the Hops for Hope craft beer festival and the Spirit of Life Gala.
CIA relationships were critical in inspiring Lennar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of homebuilder Lennar Corporation, to make a transformative gift of $50 million to help make the vision for City of Hope Orange County a reality. Jon Jaffe, co-chief executive officer and co-president of Lennar Corporation is a member of the CIA Leadership Advisory Council and was a Spirit of Life honoree in 2014.
Passionate about his experience at City of Hope, Miller recalls meeting patients from all walks of life during his appointments. Looking into their eyes, he could see “a balance of fear, hope and desperation” that united them in a shared experience.
“We were all there seeking answers, someone to listen and someone who cared,” Miller says. “And that’s what I found in every interaction with a City of Hope staff member over the past three years. CIA’s partnership with City of Hope will ensure that high level of care for community members for generations to come.”