Former Jefferson Health exec joins Cooper Foundation

Dawn Furnas//February 16, 2023//

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Continuing the planned expansion of its executive team, The Cooper Foundation announced Feb. 15 it appointed Lisa Morina as vice president of advancement for corporate relations.

The Camden-based philanthropic arm of Cooper University Health Care said earlier this month that it would name several new executive team members “over the coming weeks to support Cooper’s current growth and 10-year strategic plan.” Lois Gabin-Legato, vice president of advancement for major gifts and planned giving, was the first hire to kick off those expansion plans.

Bringing more than 20 years of experience in health care, government and community outreach, Morina joins Cooper from Jefferson Health, where she most recently was vice president of government and external relations.

Lisa Morina, vice president of advancement for corporate relations, The Cooper Foundation — Morina

Before joining Jefferson in 2013, Morina was director of economic and business development for the Gloucester County government and was responsible for business growth, cultivating job creation and retention, tourism, block grants and workforce development activities. Additionally, she previously was director of business services for Cumberland County College and director of the Business & Industry Training Center at Rowan College at Gloucester County, according to her LinkedIn profile.

“We are fortunate to have a leader such as Lisa join our high-powered team of fundraising professionals as Cooper continues to grow and expand as a leading academic health system in the region,” Philip Norcross, chairman of foundation’s board of trustees, said in a statement. “Lisa will play an important role in advancing the Foundation’s goal of creating strong relationships with companies who share our vision of a stronger and healthier region.”

Cooper Health is, indeed, headed for extensive growth, including its planned $2 billion expansion to its campus in Camden, announced in September 2022. In December 2022, the health care system also revealed plans to merge with Cape Regional Health System to expand access to specialty health services to Cape May County.

Robert Ortiz Jr., senior vice president and chief philanthropy officer of The Cooper Foundation, welcomed Morina to the team, adding, “Her extensive leadership, experience, and knowledge in the health care, business, and government sectors right here in the South Jersey community will be an asset to The Cooper Foundation as we support the health system’s growth.”

Morina is a graduate of Rowan University and earned her master’s degree in organization leadership from Cabrini College in Radnor Township, Pa.

She is a board member of Acenda Integrated Health, the First Harvest Credit Union, Bancroft, the Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce and the Southern NJ Development Council. She previously served on the government relations and policy development committees at the New Jersey Hospital Association and the NJHA HealthPAC board, according to Cooper.