Diabetes Research Institute Foundation Appoints Joshua Rednik President and CEO

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., Dec. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF) today announced the appointment of Joshua Rednik as its new President and CEO effective January 6, 2014. Rednik brings to the organization 17 years of experience in the non-profit sector managing organizations and developing and executing multi-million dollar fundraising campaigns. 

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Rednik recently served for nearly six years as Executive Director of The Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) of Greater MetroWest in Whippany, NJ. During his tenure, he and his team created and implemented the JCF's $100 million "MetroWest Tomorrow" endowment campaign, which exceeded its goal less than two years after its public launch. Rednik's leadership of the organization also resulted in increased funding over goal for its most recent fiscal year, enhanced lay leadership and donor engagement, and decreased expenses.

In his new role with the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, Rednik will focus on cultivating major corporations, foundations and affluent individuals with the goal of raising the significant funds needed to fulfill its mission to cure diabetes. The DRIF supports the world-renowned Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, a recognized leader in cure-focused diabetes research. Rednik comes to the DRIF almost a year after the public launch of the DRI BioHub mini organ and the fundraising campaign that seeks to raise more than $94 million for this initiative over five years.  

"What the DRI and the DRI Foundation have achieved thus far is both compelling and inspiring.  Having said that, I recognize that there is important work still to be done before we find a cure for diabetes.  I look forward to building upon that progress by helping to fund the research required to cure diabetes now, and I am honored to be joining such a special organization," said Rednik.

"Josh is an impressive individual with a strong background in fundraising, organizational management and administration. We believe with his dynamic leadership, our DRI BioHub fundraising campaign will be successfully completed and our organization taken to the next level. We are very excited to have Josh join us at such a promising time," said Harold G. Doran, Jr., chairman of the DRI Foundation's national board of directors.

Prior to becoming Executive Director of the JCF in 2008, Rednik, 40, held senior leadership roles of increasing responsibility within the planned giving and endowment divisions of UJA-Federation of New York and The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington (Rockville, MD), where he began his career as Campaign Associate.

Rednik graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelor's degree in psychology and pursued his master's degree in social service at Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA. He received an executive certificate in financial planning from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional. He resides in South Orange, NJ, with his wife and two children.

About the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation

The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation is the organization of choice for those who are serious, passionate and committed to curing diabetes. Its mission – to provide the Diabetes Research Institute with the funding necessary to cure diabetes now – is a testament to the belief that tomorrow is not soon enough to cure those living with diabetes.

The Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine leads the world in cure-focused research. As the largest and most comprehensive research center dedicated to curing diabetes, the DRI is aggressively working to develop a biological cure by restoring natural insulin production and normalizing blood sugar levels without imposing other risks. Researchers have already shown that diabetes can be reversed through islet transplantation, with some study patients living without the need for insulin injections for more than a decade. The Institute is now building upon these promising outcomes by developing the DRI BioHub, an integrated "mini organ" that mimics that native pancreas, containing thousands of insulin-producing cells that sense blood sugar levels and produce the precise insulin needed in real time.  The Diabetes Research Institute and Foundation were created for one reason – to cure diabetes – which is and will continue to be its singular focus until that goal is reached. For the millions of children and adults affected by diabetes, the Diabetes Research Institute is the best hope for a cure. For more information, visit www.DiabetesResearch.org.

SOURCE Diabetes Research Institute Foundation