LEADERSHIP, PLANNING, & EVALUATION: SUMMARY The Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) director relies on external and internal advisory bodies to provide expert and diverse input that promotes comprehensive planning and evaluation to assist the center in achieving its goals. First and foremost is the Executive Council (EC), comprising the center’s seven associate directors and the oncology service line medical director. The EC assists the director in establishing policies and practices to manage the HCC and evaluate the center’s progress in meeting the vision, mission, and goals articulated in its strategic plan. In 2017, the EC, with input from its members and advisory entities, redeveloped a six-year stra- tegic plan to guide the center going forward. Ten goals and dozens of strategies have been delineated as part of this new plan. They are all organized around three overarching themes aimed at reducing the cancer burden in South Carolina: transdisciplinary team science; multi-directional translation of science among the labor- atory, clinic, and community domains; and transformative population sciences to reduce the cancer burden in South Carolina. The EC meets monthly with HCC program leaders and shared resource directors who make up the Research Committee (RC). The RC is tasked with oversight and review of research development within and among the program membership, and devising approaches to foster transdisciplinary collaborations. Shared resource directors communicate updates to the committee on usage, new equipment, and service needs, as well as member survey results. The External Scientific Advisory Board (ESAB), made up of national leaders in oncology research, provides an extensive annual scientific review and evaluation of HCC’s progress in promoting scientific discoveries, translating science into novel trials, and demonstrating its impact on the cancer burden within SC. The ESAB’s feedback has a determinative influence on decisions by the director and EC related to recruiting, developing new initiatives, identifying areas of emerging science, and prioritizing use of resources to achieve strategic goals. HCC also benefits from other non-scientific, community advisory boards. The Citizens Advisory Council and Community Advisory Board offer support to the director by assisting with his efforts to identify and develop new resources for the cancer center through philanthropy and advocat- ing for new and ongoing state support. The Cancer Disparities Advisory Board is another prominent group of stakeholders that works with HCC leadership to plan and review new research proposals relevant to the catch- ment area; to assist with grassroots support of HCC-led policy development and advocacy efforts; and to iden- tify community priorities for future HCC research and outreach initiatives. Other center-organized entities that provide input and engage in thoughtful discussions with the HCC leadership include the HCC Internal Advisory Committee, Clinical ...