Tampa – October 31, 2026 -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH) has promoted Lijah Lokenauth, CPA, CFE, to executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Jan. 4, 2027, replacing Mark Runyon in the system's top finance role.
Lokenauth currently serves as senior vice president of finance. He will oversee the financial strategy and operations supporting the academic health system's long-term sustainability and strategic priorities.
Runyon moves to executive special projects after raising more than $1.2 billion in bonds
Runyon, who joined TGH in early 2020, will become executive vice president of executive special projects, reporting directly to President and CEO John Couris. During his tenure, Runyon guided the system through the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and raised more than $1.2 billion in capital through bond financing. He also secured a credit rating upgrade and modernized systemwide financial reporting.
Lokenauth advanced through three finance roles since 2018
Lokenauth joined TGH in 2018 as corporate controller and later became vice president of accounting and finance. In his current role he oversees budgeting and financial performance, revenue management and operational optimization across the system and its affiliated partners. His work has included improvements to financial reporting, decision support and productivity management.
Before TGH, he held financial leadership responsibilities at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. There he led internal controls and finance teams on stewardship initiatives that strengthened reporting and produced multimillion-dollar savings.
CFO-designate worked on the Mass General Brigham partnership and the TGH DeSoto addition
Over the past several months, Lokenauth worked with Couris and Runyon on key strategic initiatives. These include TGH's ambulatory care partnership with Mass General Brigham and the addition of TGH DeSoto to the system earlier this year. Both support TGH's strategy to expand access to academic medicine across Florida.
Lokenauth said his priorities will be maintaining a strong financial foundation and making "disciplined decisions" on resource allocation. Couris cited his sound judgment under pressure and said the appointment reflects thoughtful succession planning.
Credentials include CPA, CFE and 2023 Tampa Bay business honors
Lokenauth holds a Bachelor of Arts in accounting and information systems from Queens College at the City University of New York. He is a certified public accountant and certified fraud examiner. In 2018 he was selected for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants' Leadership Academy. He was named to the Tampa Bay Business Journal's 2023 40 Under 40 class and recognized as a 2023 Up & Comer by Tampa Bay Business & Wealth.