Tampa General Hospital Appoints Jennifer Crabtree as President of the Tampa Medical & Research District

Crabtree will lead the strategic direction and ongoing development of the TMRD, a growing hub of world-class clinical care, academics, research and biotechnology.

Tampa, FL (April 22, 2025) – Tampa General Hospital (TGH) today announced the appointment of Jennifer Crabtree to the role of senior vice president of Tampa General and president of the Tampa Medical & Research District (TMRD) effective October 1, 2025. In this role, Crabtree will lead the strategic direction and development of the TMRD, a growing hub of world-class clinical care, academics, research and biotechnology anchored by one of the country’s leading academic health systems — Tampa General, in collaboration with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

“Jennifer has been an exceptional leader and an invaluable strategic partner in the growth and development of the Tampa Medical & Research District since its inception,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “I could not think of a better person more equipped to lead the strategic direction and development of the District moving forward. I am confident that her skill set and passion for this work will meaningfully drive our vision for the District and unlock the true potential of our partnerships.”

 

The TMRD is part of a historic capital commitment from Tampa General to create an ecosystem in Tampa that attracts highly respected clinicians, scientists, educators and investors. As a result, the TMRD increases access to esteemed experts, unparalleled research, unique educational opportunities and revolutionary health care services throughout the region. Bringing together the world’s foremost health care and life sciences companies, biotech firms and academic institutions, the TMRD also fosters the creation of new health care technologies, pharmaceuticals, treatment protocols and clinical trials, expanding care delivery and improving patient outcomes.

 

According to an independent third-party study conducted by The Washington Economics Group, the District, upon completion, is projected to create and support nearly 58,000 jobs annually and generate a total economic impact of $8.3 billion, including:

 

• $4 billion in gross domestic product (GDP);
• $798 million in federal, state and local fiscal revenue; and
• $2.4 billion in household income.

 

In her capacity as president of the TMRD, Crabtree will oversee the ongoing work of the TMRD Advisory Committee, which was established last year to guide the strategy, continued development and expansion of the District. The TMRD Advisory Committee is a strategic body comprising a diverse cross-section of chief executive officers, community and governmental partners, practitioners and key opinion leaders in the health care, life sciences, education, technology, energy and real estate sectors, with these stakeholders serving as the “connective tissue” of the District.

 

Members of the committee include:

• John Couris, President and CEO, Tampa General Hospital | Florida Health Sciences Center
• Dr. Charles Lockwood, EVP, USF Health | Dean, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine
• Dr. Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg, President, University of Tampa
• Archie Collins, President and CEO, TECO Energy
• Robin DeLaVergne, SVP, External Affairs, TGH
• Eric Eisenberg, SVP of University-Community Partnerships, USF
• Abbye Feeley, Administrator for Development and Economic Opportunity, City of Tampa
• Roger Germann, President and CEO, The Florida Aquarium
• Dr. Paul Greenwood, Ph.D., University of Tampa
• Kenyetta Hairston-Bridges, President, Tampa Downtown Partnership
• David Harris, Executive Managing Director for Corporate and Financial Services, Cushman and Wakefield
• Tim Holcomb, CEO, Embarc Collective
• Phillip Lee, Market President for West Florida, Florida Blue
• Matt Mitchell, President & CEO, Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA
• Marcos Murillo, Chief of Innovation and Strategic Planning, Hillsborough County Public Schools
• Craig Richard, President & CEO, Tampa Bay EDC
• Gary Sasso, President & CEO, Carlton Fields
• Lee Schaffler, Development Consultant
• Darryl Shaw, CEO, Casa Ybor
• Joanne Sullivan, AVP of Community Engagement, USF Health
• Josh Taube, CEO, Strategic Property Partners
• Michael Tomor, PhD, Executive Director, Tampa Museum of Art

Crabtree and the TMRD will continue partnering closely with the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council (EDC) on talent attraction and life science business recruitment. With numerous health care and life sciences businesses already successfully recruited into the District, including Palantir, Medtronic, Versea Health, Inovus Medical, Life Pulse, Medability, Qualifacts and Aquafence, amongst others, the collaboration with the EDC has set the foundation for the District’s growth.

 

Covering more than 1,500 acres in and around the greater Tampa metro area, the TMRD has grown to include hundreds of other assets, including the main campus of Tampa General Hospital on Davis Islands, the USF Morsani College of Medicine, the University of Tampa, the TGH Kennedy Emergency Center, the recently opened TGH Behavioral Health Hospital in partnership with LifePoint Health and USF Health, the TGH Rehabilitation Hospital, the TGH-USF Health Precision Medicine Biorepository and more.

 

“When TGH first established the Tampa Medical & Research District, we had an ambitious vision to create a robust and inclusive health care and life sciences ecosystem, right here in the urban core of the city,” added Crabtree. “Given the rapid growth Tampa is seeing, this feels like a pivotal moment to step into this role and continue building on the incredible things we’ve achieved already with our partners over the last few years. And at the same time, when we think about the potential this District still holds, we understand that this important work is just getting started.”

 

Prior to this role, Jennifer served as the vice president of corporate communications and chief of staff for the Office of the President and CEO at Tampa General Hospital. Jennifer’s primary focus is driving strategic communications and partnership initiatives across the enterprise to position Tampa General as an industry-leading research and academic-based health system and elevate the unique expertise of the organization’s leaders. Jennifer has facilitated the CEO’s vision for the organization through her leadership of strategic projects, such as the development of the Tampa Medical & Research District.

 

More information about the Tampa Medical & Research District, including partnership opportunities, is available here.