June 30, 2026
After 11 years leading the National Kidney Foundation, I'm stepping aside when we're strongest.
I came to this work as a transplant recipient. My kidney disease was caught early. I was referred quickly to a specialist. I had options. I was the rare exception—and that conviction shaped every decision we made.
In 2015, when I became CEO of the NKF, I asked: What kind of organization do we want to become? That question set our direction for a decade.
Today, NKF is debt-free and has been investing in its future for more than six years. Together, we have:
- Built CKDintercept into a national movement to improve early detection and intervention for chronic kidney disease.
- Advanced Transplants for All to expand access to transplantation and increase both living and deceased donation.
- Accelerated innovation by serving as a catalyst for new therapies, diagnostics, medical devices, dialysis technologies, and even xenotransplantation.
- Expanded our programs portfolio and impact at both the national and local levels.
- Strengthened the NKF brand and elevated awareness of kidney disease across the country and across multiple stakeholders.
- Built one of the nation's strongest grassroots kidney advocacy organizations. Our leadership helped enact landmark legislation such as the Immuno Bill, OPTN Modernization and the Advancing American Kidney Health Act. That legacy continues to this day as NKF has a leading role in the advancement of both the Living Donor Protection Act and the Kidney Disease Education Act.
Every decision flowed from one core belief: that my rare experience shouldn't be rare. Leaders build the team that outlasts them. I recruited, retained, and empowered people who believed in the mission more than they believed in me. Our staff, Board, donors, and partners didn't need me to execute. They needed permission to dream bigger—and space to lead.
That's why I'm confident stepping aside. I built a leadership bench. The organization is stronger than it's ever been. And the team is ready. Dr. Marc Hurlbert is inheriting an organization with extraordinary momentum, crystal clarity, and people who believe in revolutionary change. He's inheriting a platform for unprecedented impact.
Several people have politely asked me how I'm feeling this week. And I am not one to talk about my feelings, but I will answer the question for all of you now.
The answer is simple: grateful.
- Grateful to the patients who trusted us.
- Grateful to the donors, sponsors, and grantors who believed in our vision enough to invest in it.
- Grateful to the volunteers who stood shoulder to shoulder with us.
- Grateful that I found a place where I could give back the gift of life I was given.
And most of all, grateful to each of you.
I could not be prouder of what we've accomplished together. But what excites me even more is what lies ahead. We came here to revolutionize the fight to save lives. That work continues—and it's never been in better hands.
¡Viva la Revolución!
- Kevin Longino