News release
Marlee Lauffer, president of the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation and vice president of marketing and communications for Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, has announced her retirement effective June 19, the hospital said in a news release.
In 2015 Lauffer joined Henry Mayo in a dual role as foundation president and head of marketing and communications for the hospital. Previously, she served as vice president at Newhall Land/FivePoint, the developer of Valencia and Newhall Ranch, where she oversaw public and media relations, corporate communications and marketing.
As president of the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation, Lauffer directs the foundation’s fundraising and advocacy programs. As vice president of marketing and communications for the hospital, she oversees the hospital’s external branding and marketing functions, internal communications, community outreach and education, and volunteer and chaplain services.
During her 11 years at Henry Mayo, Lauffer led fundraising efforts for the hospital’s new patient tower, securing significant employee and physician contributions as well as generous community philanthropy totaling nearly $15 million.
More recently, Lauffer has focused fundraising efforts on upgraded surgery suites for the hospital, including the Richard and Marian Sandnes Post-Acute-Care Unit, and on adding a second cardiovascular lab to the hospital’s Roberta G. Veloz Cardiovascular Services, the release said. The addition of the second cardiovascular lab is a current foundation priority, initiated during the hospital’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2025.
Lauffer also takes pride in the significant growth of the foundation’s Corporate Partners program, the expansion of breast cancer fundraising efforts, and the refocusing of the Home Tour fundraiser, which has produced year-over-year growth in proceeds, the release said.
Other notable achievements include directing the hospital’s community outreach and education initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic and implementing strategic marketing programs to support expanded service lines, including Henry Mayo’s collaboration with Keck Medicine of USC, the release said.
Lauffer also led the rebranding of the Sheila R. Veloz Breast Center, which recently added a mammography unit equipped with artificial intelligence technology, funded through philanthropic support.
“Serving Henry Mayo and this community has been one of the greatest honors of my career. I am incredibly proud of the work of our team, hospital leadership, physicians, clinical staff and community partners have accomplished together to expand health care services and strengthen philanthropy in the Santa Clarita Valley,” Lauffer said in the release.
“Lauffer has a longstanding reputation as an innovative leader, effective communicator and strong community partner, receiving recognition and honors from numerous local organizations and publications,” the release said. In 2025, she was named the Silver Spur honoree by the College of the Canyons Foundation and helped raise funds for a significant endowment to support future nursing students.
Throughout her career, Lauffer has been deeply involved in the local business and nonprofit community. She has supported numerous organizations, including the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce, where she served as chair; the Child & Family Center; the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley; WiSH Education Foundation; the Santa Clarita Valley Education Foundation; the Building Industry Association of Southern California; and the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation.
Lauffer was also a founding director of the Bank of Santa Clarita and currently serves on the supervisory committee of Logix Federal Credit Union.
Following her retirement, Lauffer plans to remain in Valencia and continue supporting the hospital and the broader community.
