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Board of Directors
Aimee R. Belgard, Esquire
From Relay For Life event chairwoman to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer team leader, Southern New Jersey Regional Board of Advisors Past-President and, currently, President-Elect of the Eastern Division Board, Aimee Belgard has held various volunteer roles with the American Cancer Society. In 2006 Ms. Belgard was named "One of Ten People Who Made a Difference in Burlington County" by the Burlington County Times as a result of her volunteer service with the American Cancer Society and in 2012 she was awarded the American Cancer Society's prestigious St. George Award.
Ms. Belgard also has a long history of advocacy work on behalf of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network ("ACS CAN"). She served as New Jersey's State Lead Ambassador for ACS CAN from 2006-2009 and she was also a member of the ACS CAN Volunteer Structure Workgroup. She is currently a member of the ACS CAN Board of Directors. In 2011 Ms. Belgard was awarded the Eastern Division's Capitol Dome Award for her years of advocacy efforts.
Ms. Belgard works as a trial and appellate litigator with the firm of Sweeny & Sheehan, PC with offices in Westmont, New Jersey and Philadelphia. She practices in the areas of employment law, premises liability, products liability, automobile liability, insurance coverage and general civil litigation. She is a member of the South Jersey and Central Jersey Claims Associations and the New Jersey and Burlington County Bar Associations.
In 2012 Ms. Belgard was elected to a three year term to the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders, serving Burlington County, New Jersey. She previously served as an elected Committeewoman in the Township of Edgewater Park, where she was also a member of the Edgewater Park Planning Board and liaison to the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee.
Ms. Belgard holds a B.S. with Program Distinction from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and a J.D. from Widener University School of Law.
Dr. William Boykin, Jr., MD
Dr. William H. Boykin, Jr. is a successful urologist at the Urology Center of Northeast Kentucky and is the former chair and founder of the Kentucky Physicians' Workgroup. An influential member of the medical community in Ashland, Kentucky, William has obtained board certification from the American Board of Urology and the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review. Before settling in the Ashland area, William gained extensive experience as a urologist living and working in Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. He served as a staff urologist and surgery chair at Reynolds Army Community Hospital in Fort Sill, OK. William also served as chair of the Department of Surgery at MacGregor Medical Association and was clinical faculty for the Urology Services at both University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston and Baylor College of Medicine.
Through his medical experience William has developed a passion for reaching the underserved, and enthusiastically supports the mission and strategic direction of the American Cancer Society. William has held many positions within the Society at both the national and regional levels and is currently serving as the Vice Chair and Secretary of the Mid-South Division Board of Directors. Although dedicated to the field of medicine William is politically active through both his local community and the Society, and understands the role of advocacy in solving critical medical problems. As a result, William eventually became involved with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and joined its Board of Directors.
In addition to his work as an ACS CAN fundraising campaign spokesperson, William also volunteered as an Ambassador at its Celebration on the Hill advocacy event in 2006.
Lori G. Bremner
Lori Bremner has been an active volunteer with the American Cancer Society for the last 16 years in advocacy and Relay For Life and governance. She is a former California State Lead Ambassador, former chair of the California Division Legislative Advocacy Team, served as the survivorship co-chair during Celebration on the Hill 2006. Currently Lori is an ACT! Lead, Chair of the California Division Operations Team, chair of the National Advocacy Strategic Operations Advisory Group and serves as a member of the Coach Cadre and Nationwide Leadership Training Team. ACS CAN awarded Lori the State Lead Ambassador of the Year in 2008 and she was given the 2010 Improving Quality of Life award in the Greater Bay Redwood Empire Region. Lori has served on a variety of national committees and workgroups. Additionally, Lori is a trainer with the Nationwide Leadership Training Team, a California Division Hero of Hope, and an active team captain and committee member at her local Relay for Life. Lori is a member of the ACS CAN Board of Directors and is Chair Elect of the California Division Board of Directors.
Lori works as a Commercial Real Estate Manager for Orion Partners, Ltd. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and cum laude from the University of Illinois (B.A. 1980) and went to graduate school at the University of Colorado (M.A. 1983). She lives in Sonoma, California with her three teen and college age sons.
Sandra Cassese, MSN, RN, CNS
Sandra "Sandi" Cassese has been volunteering with the American Cancer Society for more than 25 years. She has been a speaker at Making Strides Against Breast Cancer events and breakfasts, and has served as a trainer for the Triple Touch and Reach to Recovery programs. She is the immediate past New York State Lead Ambassador, previously participated in Celebration on The Hill events, and is an active supporter of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer events having achieved the designation of Making Strides Pacesetter four times. Ms. Cassese is a 2009 recipient of the National St. George Award and 2011 recipient of The Capitol Dome Award. She is currently serving as chair of the board development committee of the American Cancer Society, Eastern Division Board of Advisors and is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Eastern Division and Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network where she currently serves as the Chair of the Income Development Committee. Ms. Cassese also serves as a National Ambassador as well as an Online Ambassador for ACS CAN.
In addition to her service to ACS and ACS CAN, in 2008 Ms. Cassese was recognized by the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce when she was named an Athena Award Honoree in recognition of excellence in her profession, commitment to her community, and support of other women's leadership goals. In 2012, she was honored by The American Cancer Society's Hudson Valley Region in appreciation for her leadership and dedication to helping create a world with more birthdays through volunteerism. She was also honored by Hospice, Inc. for her dedication to Hospice and to the Mid-Hudson Valley Community.
Ms. Cassese earned her Nursing Diploma from The Charles E. Gregory School of Nursing, a Bachelor's degree in Nursing from The State University of New York at New Paltz, and a Master's degree in Community Health from Sage Graduate School. As a nurse at Benedictine Hospital in Kingston, NY, Ms. Cassese began the hospital's breast health program. Through this program, she became involved with the Healthy Women's Partnership, collaborating with ACS and the New York State Department of Health to develop a training program teaching nurses clinical breast examination skills. Ms. Cassese joined the Health Quest System in 2002 as the first ever Service Line Administrator for Oncology Services at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, NY. In 2009, Ms. Cassese was promoted to Oncology Administrator to lead the oncology service line across each of the Health Quest Hospital System's three hospitals and two out-patient oncology facilities - the first clinical service to fully clinically integrate. In 2013 her new title is Vice President for Oncology Services. Ms. Cassese led the hospital system's efforts to become fully tobacco free and also was the driving force behind Vassar Brothers Medical Center and Health Quest Corporate to each become accredited as CEO Cancer Gold Standard Organizations.
Kristi DeLaurentiis
Kristi DeLaurentiis, a sixteen-year cancer survivor, is a dedicated American Cancer Society volunteer. She has served as chair of the Illinois Division's Advocacy and Public Policy Committee for the past seven years and was the Illinois Division's first State Lead Ambassador, during which time she helped establish a team of active volunteers committed to advocacy across the state.
During her tenure as chair of the Illinois Division's Advocacy Committee, Kristi worked with legislators in Illinois to pass vital legislation including the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Act (IBCCP), Oral Chemo-Parity Law, colorectal cancer screening pilot and clinical trials insurance coverage programs, and a state-wide cigarette tax, as well as other important life-saving measures. Ms. DeLaurentiis participated in Celebration on the Hill events in 2002 and 2006; she joined the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in 2011 and recently was appointed to ACS CAN's Finance and Budget Committee.
Ms. DeLaurentiis has a twenty-plus year history of public service, having been a member of Governors State University's Board of Trustees, Illinois' University Civil Service Merit Board, Illinois Nature Preserve Commission and Illinois General Assembly's Citizen Council on Women. She currently is active on Illinois' Digital Divide Elimination Advisory Committee and with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
Professionally, Ms. DeLaurentiis is director of planning and development for the Village of Lansing, working to improve the quality of life in her home community. Prior to joining staff at the village, she served as government relations director for the Metropolitan Planning Council, an organization that for more than 77 years been dedicated to shaping a more sustainable and prosperous greater Chicago region. In an earlier career, Ms. DeLaurentiis co-authored 8 medical/scientific research abstracts and articles relating to the study of cancers and the effects of radiation and chemotherapies. She earned her M.S. in Environmental Biology from Governors State University. Ms. DeLaurentiis lives in Lansing, IL. with her husband.
Richard L. Deming, MD
Dr. Richard Deming is the Medical Director of Mercy Cancer Center in Des Moines, Iowa and Physician Vice President and Chief of Staff at Mercy Medical Center. He came to Mercy Cancer Center in 1989 after spending two years on staff at the National Cancer Institute and National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He is originally from South Dakota and graduated summa cum laude from South Dakota State University. He obtained his medical degree from Creighton University in 1980. Dr. Deming completed a residency in radiation oncology at the University of California, San Francisco.
Dr. Deming is active in many professional oncology organizations. He is the immediate past president of the Iowa Society of Therapeutic Radiology and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Iowa Cancer Consortium, and is an officer of the Board of Directors of Iowa Oncology Research Association. He is Vice Chairman of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. He is Founder and Chairman of Above + Beyond Cancer. Dr. Deming is a member of the Iowa Leadership Council of the American Cancer Society and serves on the Boards of Directors for the American Cancer Society Midwest Division and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.
Dr. Deming has been the recipient of numerous award including the Making a Difference Award from the American Cancer Society, the Sword of Hope Award for Healthcare Promotion, the Light of Wellness Leadership Award from the Iowa Wellness Council, the Volunteer of the Year Award from the YMCA of Greater Des Moines, the Lane Adams Quality of Life Award from the American Cancer Society, the Iowa Cancer Champion Award, and the Outstanding Individual Philanthropist Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Vincent T. DeVita Jr., MD
Dr. Vincent T. DeVita Jr. is the Amy and Joseph Perella Professor of Medicine, Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven, Yale University School of Medicine, and Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale University School of Medicine. He is internationally recognized for his developments in an effective regimen of curative chemotherapy of Hodgkin's disease and diffuse large cell lymphomas. He previously served as the director of the Yale Cancer Center from 1993 to 2003.
In addition to his service on the American Cancer Society Board of Directors since 2004, Dr. DeVita was appointed to the Society's Elite Cancer Science Panel and served six years at the national level on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Society's journal, CANCER. He currently serves as a member of the Compensation Committee, and the Strategic Planning and Agenda Development Committee.
A recipient of the Society's Medal of Honor, Dr. DeVita also received the Stanley G. Kay Memorial Award and The Presidential Award from the New England Division. Dr. DeVita received the Albert and Mary Lasker Medical Research Award in 1972. In 1998, Dr. DeVita was made a Commendatore of the Italian Republic, which was bestowed by the President of Italy.
A member of several professional organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the World Health Organization Expert Advisory Panel on Cancer to name a few, Dr. DeVita also serves on the editorial boards of numerous scientific journals and is the author or co-author of more than 500 scientific articles. After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from The College of William and Mary, Dr. DeVita received his medical degree with distinction from The George Washington University School of Medicine. He completed his internship at the University of Michigan Medical Center and his residency at The George Washington University Medical Center.
Lewis E. Foxhall, MD
Dr. Lewis Foxhall is Professor of Clinical Cancer Prevention and Vice President for Health Policy at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center where he is responsible for coordinating the institution's charity care program, cancer control policy development and serving as liaison with community physicians and organizations. Additionally, he leads M.D. Anderson's education and outreach program on cancer survivor management for health professionals and coordinates outreach and policy initiatives.
Dr. Foxhall has extensive advocacy experience with issues related to cancer treatment and prevention for low income and disparately impacted populations, socioeconomic factors impacting cancer control including healthcare finance and government programs as well as primary care delivery and education. He has served in policy leadership positions within the state health department and the healthcare data reporting agency. Additionally, he has chaired the state comprehensive cancer control coalition and is recognized as an effective leader in facilitating stakeholder collaboration.
His background is in Family Medicine, working in private practice in Houston before joining the faculty in the M.D. Anderson Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences. He supports the multiple professional education programs targeting community clinicians, students and trainees. A Society volunteer since 1993, Dr. Foxhall serves as Secretary of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Board of Directors. He is currently Chair of the ACS national Primary Care Advisory Group. Additionally, he served on the Cancer Control 3.0 transformation workgroup. Dr. Foxhall has held numerous leadership roles at the local and Division levels including Board Medical Officer and is currently Secretary of the High Plains Division Board of Directors and is a member of the Board Ends Committee.
Joel T.S. Greer, Esq.
Joel T.S. Greer, Esq. is a partner of the firm Cartwright, Druker & Ryden in Marshalltown, Iowa. He received his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Iowa and practices in insurance defense, , personal injury, product liability, corporate law, mediation, and adoption. He was recently inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Mr. Greer has been an active volunteer for the American Cancer Society for over twenty-six years, including serving as Chair of the Marshall County Board of Directors, and as president the Iowa Leadership Council, and chair of Team Rotary. Currently, Mr. Greer is past secretary and current member of the Midwest Division Board of Directors and was elected to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Board of Directors in January 2013. He has been an advocacy volunteer for many years, including currently serving as the ACT! Lead for the Iowa Fourth District and representing ACS CAN at the One Voice Against Cancer Coalition Lobby Day, and as an ambassador at Celebration on the Hill. In addition to his work with the Society and ACS CAN, Mr. Greer serves on The University of Iowa Law School Foundation's Board of Directors, the Martha Ellen Tye Foundation Board of Trustees, the Community Foundation of Marshall County Governing Committee, the Marshalltown City Council, the Board of Directors of the Marshall County Council on Aging, Quakerdale Group Homes Board of Directors, and the Marshalltown Central Business District's Board of Directors. He is a past president of the University of Iowa Alumni Association, of the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, of the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA, of Marshalltown Rotary, and of the Marshalltown United Way.
John Hamilton, DDS
Dr. John Hamilton has been a volunteer with the American Cancer Society at the local and national levels for many years. Dr. Hamilton served on the former North Dakota and Rocky Mountain Divisions' Boards of Directors and is the Immediate Past Chair of the Great West Division Board of Directors. In his community, Dr. Hamilton is actively involved with the annual Williston Relay for Life event and the Man to Man program. At the national level, Dr. Hamilton is a member of the National Board of Directors and the ACS CAN Board of Directors. In recognition of his service, Dr. Hamilton was awarded the American Cancer Society's St. George Medal.
In addition to his work with the Society, Dr. Hamilton has been involved with First Lutheran Church, the Boy Scouts of America, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, and the Elks Club.
Dr. Hamilton received his Bachelor of Science from North Dakota State University and his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Minnesota and is currently practicing in Williston, North Dakota.
Bernard A. Jackvony, J.D.
Bernard A. Jackvony is a nationally recognized fiduciary litigator with the firm of Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West LLC and concentrates his practice in the areas of trust and estate planning for individuals, families, fiduciaries and charitable organizations. He has represented clients in fiduciary litigation in Rhode Island, Florida, New Jersey, California, New York, Massachusetts and Oklahoma. Mr. Jackvony served the citizens of Rhode Island as Lieutenant Governor in the late 1990s.
Mr. Jackvony earned his J.D. from Suffolk University; his master's degree in taxation from Boston University and his undergraduate degree in accounting from Bryant University. He served as a member of the Board of Trustees at Bryant University for nine years and has assisted the university in its transition to a full accredited international business school. Mr. Jackvony served as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps from 1970 to 1973. He is admitted to practice law in Rhode Island and Florida. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Council. He is a member of the Oncology Nursing Society Foundation Board of Trustees and its Treasurer.
Mr. Jackvony has been a volunteer with the American Cancer Society for over 30 years, including previous service on the Florida Division Board of Directors and as a current member of the New England Division Board of Directors. In November 2011, Mr. Jackvony was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.
Allison Jones Thomson
Allison Jones Thomson runs her own consulting practice for marketing strategy and communications in the Silicon Valley area of California. Early in her career she worked in cancer research at Johnson & Johnson, following that she held numerous positions in sales and marketing management for medical device organizations including Eppendorf, Carl Zeiss, Radionics and Photoelectron. Ms. Thomson received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Simmons College and M.B.A. from Sacred Heart University.
After her father died from lung cancer, Ms. Thomson set out to make a difference in the cancer community. She has served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Brain Tumor Foundation (n/k/a the National Brain Tumor Society) for five years and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Cancer Carepoint, a community organization that provides patient services to cancer patients in the South Bay Area of California. Additionally, she sits on the ACS Leadership Council for Silicon Valley and is current Chair of the 2013, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Bay Area Research Breakfast. She became involved with ACS CAN during the Proposition 29 campaign to raise the state tobacco tax in California in order to fund cancer research, smoking reduction programs, and tobacco law enforcement. Ms. Thomson was elected to the ACS CAN Board of Directors in January 2013.
Neil S. Kishter
Neil S. Kishter is Senior Vice President, Investments at UBS Financial Services in Washington, DC. He is a Chairman's Club Member at UBS and has been a member of Barrons Top 1000 national financial advisors for the past three years. He received his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Maryland.
Mr. Kishter is dedicated to the American Cancer Society's mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. He is a member of the Society's South Atlantic Division Board of Directors and was elected to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Board of Directors in January 2013. In addition to his work with the Society and ACS CAN, Mr. Kishter serves on the Boards of the University of Maryland's Greenebaum Cancer Center, St. Joseph Medical Center's Cancer Institute, and Most Valuable Kids.
Robert R. Kugler, Esq.
Rob's volunteer activity with the American Cancer Society began over 40 years ago as a "Crusade Captain" in Haddonfield, NJ in the door-to-door residential campaign. Over the years, Rob has held many positions at the local level, as well as at the State level when New Jersey was its own Division. He served as President of the Eastern Division (2002 - 2004) and currently sits on that Board. He has been an advocate, in particular, for tobacco control, pushing for clean indoor air in both NY and NJ, and chaired the Eastern Division's Tobacco Control Strike Force. Rob is the recipient of various Society awards, including the Saint George's Medal, the Silver Chalice Award and the Great American Smoke-out Award. Rob is the Secretary of the National Board of Directors, the Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Stakeholder Relations and Governance Committees. He is also Chair of the Board of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and a member of the ACS CAN Governance Committee.
In his professional life, Rob is a shareholder in the law offices of Archer & Greiner, P.C., which has six offices throughout the Delaware Valley and one in New York City. Rob is a member of the Firm's Real Estate Department, which he chaired for a number of years. His professional activities and interests lie not only in commercial transactional matters (including tax-exempt and health care financings), but also in community association law (condominiums and planned communities) and non-profit corporation law.
In his "spare" time, Rob serves as Chair for Symphony in C (previously Haddonfield Symphony Society). He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Community Foundation of South Jersey, and the Haddonfield United Methodist Church, and interviews for his alma mater, Dartmouth College. He spends leisure time at the shore and in Vermont.
Sherry Lansing
During almost 30 years in the motion picture business, Sherry Lansing was involved in the production, marketing, and distribution of more than 200 films, including Academy Award winners Forrest Gump (1994), Braveheart (1995), and Titanic (1997). Throughout her film career, Lansing earned a reputation as a trailblazer, a visionary leader, and a creative filmmaker. In 1980, she became the first woman to head a major film studio when she was appointed President of 20th Century Fox. Later, as an independent producer, Lansing was responsible for such successful films as, Fatal Attraction, The Accused, School Ties, Indecent Proposal, and Black Rain. Returning to the executive ranks in 1992, she was named Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures and began an unprecedented tenure that lasted more than 12 years (1992 - 2005), during which the studio enjoyed enormous creative and financial success.
The Sherry Lansing Foundation (SLF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to cancer research, health, public education, and encore career opportunities, was formed in 2005. Among the SLF's initiatives is the EnCorps Teachers Program, founded by Lansing to retrain retired and mid-career professionals from the technology sector to serve as math and science teachers in California public schools. Lansing - a former math and English teacher - is also the founder of PrimeTime LAUSD, a partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District. PrimeTime engages retirees in improving the state of public education through targeted volunteerism. In addition, Lansing serves as Chairman of the University of California Board of Regents. She is also a co-founder of the Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles Future Fund, which provides college scholarships to deserving "Little Sisters."
In December 2004, Lansing was appointed to the Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee (ICOC) of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. CIRM was established by California's groundbreaking ballot measure, Proposition 71, which provides $3 billion in funding for embryonic stem cell research. Lansing serves as the cancer patient advocate, as well as Chair of the Governance Committee and Co-Chair of the Scientific and Medical Accountability Standards Working Group.
Additionally, Lansing serves on the boards of the American Association for Cancer Research, the Carter Center, Civic Ventures, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation. She also serves on the Executive Committee of Friends of Cancer Research and lends her energy and talents to the American Red Cross Board of Governors and STOP CANCER, a nonprofit philanthropic group she founded in partnership with the late Dr. Armand Hammer. In addition, Lansing is a co-founder of the Stand Up To Cancer initiative, which funds collaborative, multi-institutional cancer research "Dream Teams." In January 2013, Lansing was elected to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Board of Directors.
Lansing graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Northwestern University in 1966.
Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE
Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE is currently the Executive Director of the Michael and Dianne Bienes Comprehensive Cancer Center at Holy Cross Hospital, where she is responsible for the strategic and daily operations of an $85 million service line.
Mrs. Mann has served in many oncology related roles in the state and local community. She has been an American Cancer Society volunteer for over twelve years, including membership on the Florida Division Board of Directors and the Broward County Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Maureen was recently elected to serve as Vice Chair of the Florida Division Board of Directors and to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Board of Directors.
Maureen currently also serves on the national editorial board of the Association of Community Cancer Centers and she was recently appointed by the Florida Department of Health to serve on the Florida State Cancer Plan Council. She served on the Board of Directors of Gilda's Club of South Florida for ten years and is a member of Leadership Miami - Class of 1995, and the Junior League of Ft. Lauderdale. Maureen received a B.A. from Harvard University and M.S. and M.B.A. degrees from the Florida Institute of Technology. Since graduation she has served on the local Harvard Club Schools and Scholarships Committee annually conducting off campus alumni interviews for the college. In 2012 Maureen completed her first half marathon in a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. She also enjoys swimming and traveling the world with her husband.
William J. Mayer, MD, MPH
William J. Mayer, MD, MPH, is Vice President for Community Health and Chief Medical Informatics Officer at Bronson Healthcare, a non-profit, tertiary care health system serving West Michigan and Northern Indiana. He has over 20 years of leadership experience in health care and health-related organizations. His professional roles have included program director at the National Cancer Institute; co-leader of health care consulting at Watson Wyatt Worldwide in Washington, D.C.; corporate medical director, division president and executive vice president at Kellogg Company; and medical director at United Health Care. Mayer has served on the faculty of the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, as a lecturer in epidemiology at The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Hygiene and Public Health, as a Committee member at the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, and as a reviewer for the New England Journal of Medicine. He has published a number of peer-reviewed papers and book chapters on such subjects as Black/White differences in cancers of the breast and bladder, cancer prevention in primary care, and assessing and improving health care quality.
In addition to his professional responsibilities at Bronson, Dr. Mayer serves as a member of Board of Directors of C-Change, the national coalition to conquer cancer that was called together by former President George H.W. Bush. He also advises the director of the Michigan Medicaid program as a member of the Medical Care Advisory Council. Dr. Mayer is a member of the Board of Directors of the West Michigan Cancer Center and serves as medical editor of the Hope Health Letter, an award-winning national newsletter for employees and their families.
Dr. Mayer is a member of the American Cancer Society, Great Lakes Division's Board of Directors. He served on the Division's Governance Ends/Means workgroup, Nominating & Recruiting Committee members and currently serves on the Audit Committee. In November 2011, Dr. Mayer was elected to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network's Board of Directors.
In addition, Dr. Mayer has served as a member of the Michigan Cancer Consortium's Advocacy Task Force and was a founding member of the Calhoun County Cancer Control Coalition where he worked in partnership with the American Cancer Society to build a comprehensive community-based cancer plan. Dr. Mayer has also collaborated with ACS to build a nationwide strategy for enhancing physician relationships.
Dr. Mayer resides in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area with his wife Annie and their two sons.
Rick Q. Ngo, MD, FACS
Rick Q. Ngo, MD, FACS is a surgeon with Southwest Surgical Associates, LLC in Houston, Texas focusing on minimally invasive hernia, gallbladder and breast disease surgery. He received his B.A. from Rice University and medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine - San Antonio. Dr. Ngo completed his General Surgeon residency at St. Joseph Hospital in Houston.
Dr. Ngo is a member of the American Cancer Society's High Plains Division Board of Directors and was elected to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Board of Directors in January 2013. He has been an advocacy volunteer for many years, including currently serving as the ACT! Lead for the 7th Congressional District of Texas and representing ACS CAN at the One Voice Against Cancer Coalition Lobby Day. In addition to his work with the Society and ACS CAN, Dr. Ngo currently holds leadership positions with the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association and YMCA Greater Houston International Services.
Dr. Ngo resides in Houston with his wife Nicole and their three children.
Gary M. Reedy
Gary M. Reedy is worldwide vice president of government affairs and policy with Johnson & Johnson, and has more than 30 years of domestic and international experience in the health care industry.
An active American Cancer Society volunteer since 2000, Mr. Reedy has served as a member of the American Cancer Society Board of Directors since 2004, first as the ACS Foundation liaison and then as a director-at-large. He currently serves as Chair of the Compensation Committee and as a member of the Audit, and Strategic Planning and Agenda Development Committees.
Since 2005, Mr. Reedy has also served on the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkSM (ACS CAN), the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. He is immediate past chair of the Board, and currently serves as the chair of the ACS CAN Governance Committee.
In addition to his work with the Society, Mr. Reedy has served on the boards of C-Change and BioNJ, and is a charter member of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer. He is past chair of the CEO Cancer Gold Standard Task Force and received The Cure for Lymphoma Foundation's “Trailblazer Award” for cancer research excellence in 2000.
Mr. Reedy received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and Physics from Emory and Henry College and presently serves as Vice Chair of their Board of Trustees.
Christy Russell, MD
Christy A. Russell, MD, is a medical oncologist who is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and Co-Director of the USC/Norris Breast Cancer Center. Christy is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Breast Disease, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. As part of her research efforts, Christy is a member of the Breast Committee of the Southwest Oncology Group and the Breast Cancer International Research Group. She is an editor of the Society's Cancer Information Database on Breast Cancer. In addition, she has published in the area of systemic treatment of breast cancer and is currently interested in cancer prevention and novel therapies for breast cancer.
Christy has served in many leadership positions within ACS at the local, regional, and national levels. She is known locally and nationally as a highly sought speaker on the subject of breast cancer, delivering 50-75 educational speeches per year. She continues to be highly regarded for her communication skills not only within the medical community, but to the lay public as well with regards to the topic of cancer and the mission of the American Cancer Society and its sister advocacy organization, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). She continues to display scientific, intellectual, and ethical integrity through her profession and volunteer activities. Christy previously served on the National Board of Directors and the National Assembly, and is the past President of the California Division Board of Directors. Christy is currently serving as Vice Chair of the ACS CAN Board of Directors.
Christy received her medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the Good Samaritan Medical Center and Phoenix Veteran's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, and a fellowship in hematology/medical oncology at the Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Peter Sheldon, Esq.
Peter Sheldon is a graduate of Dartmouth College, the University of Michigan Law School, and the University of Michigan Graduate School of Business. He started his law career in 1966 at the Lansing law firm of Foster, Campbell, Lindemer & McGurrin. Currently he is a partner at Dickinson Wright PLLC, resident in its Lansing office, where he specializes in employee benefits, estate planning, trusts, and taxation.
Peter has been an active volunteer for the American Cancer Society since 1988; beginning his tenure by serving his local Capital Area Service Center which included two terms as Unit President. He became a Director At-Large for the former Michigan Division Board (1994) and served as a member of its Finance & Income Development and Nominating & Recruiting Task Forces. In 1997, Peter continued to expand his volunteer leadership roles by serving as an inaugural member of the Great Lakes Division's Board of Directors. He has served without interruption on the Division's Board of Directors' since then; and, in connection therewith, has held numerous other volunteer leadership positions including a term as Chairman of the Board, a member of the Bylaws Task Force (past Chair), Nominating & Recruiting Task Force (past Chair), Stewardship & Fiscal Accountability Ad-Hoc Workgroup and Bond Workgroup. Additionally, Peter served as Trustee for the American Cancer Society, Great Lakes Division, Inc. Foundation, and as a member of its College Scholarship Review Committee.
At the National level, he is a former member of the National Bylaws Committee and Advocacy and Public Policy Committee. Peter also participated in the committee that first explored the formation of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and currently serves as Treasurer of the ACS CAN Board of Directors and a member of the ACS CAN Audit and Finance Committee.
The Society honored Peter's long-standing service by presenting him with the St. George National Award in 2001 and the National Volunteer Leadership Award in 2010.
Barbara J. Wilinski
Barbara Wilinski is a retired librarian from Steubenville, OH. Barb has been an active volunteer with the American Cancer Society for over twenty years, including having served as the Jefferson County Unit Board President and Treasurer and as a member of the former Ohio Division Board of Directors. Currently, Barb is a member of the East Central Division Board of Directors and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Board of Directors. Barb is the recipient of the American Cancer Society's Outstanding Advocacy Volunteer award in 2005, the St. George Medal in 2006, and the East Central Division Volunteer of the Year Award in 2011. In 2012, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jefferson County, OH Chamber of Commerce in recognition of her outstanding volunteer work.
Barb has been a passionate advocacy volunteer for many years, including serving as a State Ambassador for Celebration on the Hill events in 2002 and 2006 and currently serving as an ACT Lead. Barbara chaired the Jefferson County Smoke-Free Ohio effort and played a major role in the passage of Ohio's Clean Indoor Air legislation in 2007. In addition to her work with the Society, Barb is very engaged with other organizations in her community, including the Upper Ohio Valley Opera Guild and the Steubenville Hilltop Community Development Corp.
