In February 2025, Nkiruka “Kiki” Nwokoye, JD, joined the STAR Program as Director of Development, following the retirement of Kathleen Russell, JD, in 2024. In this role, Kiki partners with STAR faculty, leadership, and staff to advance mission-aligned growth—leading grant strategy and development (including foundation and other diverse funding sources), coordinating proposals, strengthening communications and social media, supporting staff engagement initiatives, and cultivating community relationships and strategic partnerships within Downstate and beyond. 

Kiki brings deep institutional knowledge and a long-standing connection to STAR. She previously worked with the program in 2012-13, managing a planning grant that assessed the feasibility of establishing a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) program for STAR at Downstate. From 2016 to 2025, she served as Family Medicine Administrator, overseeing strategy, finances, HR and faculty practice operations, grant development and community partnerships, and supporting resident and student didactics on social determinants of health and value-based care. 

Across her Downstate roles, Kiki has contributed to key population health and ambulatory care efforts, including Patient-Centered Medical Home recognition, quality incentive programs, behavioral health integration, and maternal-child healthcare coordination. A longtime Flatbush resident and former lawyer, she brings expertise in public health policy, program development, and communications—along with a strong understanding of Downstate’s patients and communities, and the realities of delivering care in Central Brooklyn.