Angela “Jersi” Baker
Founder and President, Angel in Disguise Inc.
Angela Baker is the founder and President of Angel in Disguise Inc. They serve all populations primarily under served and under insured breast cancer patients, that they call VIDAS. Her area of expertise consists of the disparities of care in the African American community and lack of quality of care and needs of the patients that are often not addressed. She is a 3x's breast cancer survivor who was told that she had a 99% chance of it never returning after the first time. She is now a stage 4 metastatic breast cancer patient and after becoming metastatic. She realizes that there are so many issues and concerns with patients that are far more than having surgery and thinking "now let me get back to my Life" life after breast cancer is a whole new NORMAL!
Rachel Becker, LMSW
Cancer and Careers, Senior Director of Programs
As Senior Director of Programs, Rachel’s responsibilities include oversight of Cancer and Careers’ 14 accredited webinars. She also provides direct support and referrals to CAC’s diverse audiences; co-manages the travel scholarship program for the National Conference on Work & Cancer; and works to ensure all programs meet the continuing education accreditation standards of various state and national accrediting bodies. Additionally, Rachel regularly presents on topics related to cancer and work at community-based events and cancer conferences around the country.
Before joining Cancer and Careers, Rachel was Head of Client Services at CarePlanners (cofounded by Dr. Nancy Snyderman), where she designed and implemented a technology-based infrastructure for delivering and monitoring support services. Prior to that, she completed a fellowship in psycho oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and worked in a clinical capacity at the Jewish Child Care Association and New York Methodist Hospital.
Otis Brawley, MD
Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, John Hopkins University
Otis W. Brawley, MD is a globally-recognized expert in cancer prevention and control. He has worked to reduce overscreening of medical conditions, which has revolutionized patient treatment by increasing quality of life and reducing health disparities. Brawley’s research focuses on developing cancer screening strategies and ensuring their effectiveness. He has championed efforts to decrease smoking and implement other lifestyle risk reduction programs, as well as to provide critical support to cancer patients and concentrate cancer control efforts in areas where they could be most effective. Brawley currently leads a broad interdisciplinary research effort on cancer health disparities at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, striving to close racial, economic, and social disparities in the prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer in the United States and worldwide. He also directs community outreach programs for underserved populations throughout Maryland.
Brawley joined Johns Hopkins University as a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in 2019 from the American Cancer Society and Emory University.
Randy Broad
Cancer Survivor and Advocate, Elevate Ambassador
Randall Broad is the President and Founder of Opal Enterprises, Inc. Opal is a high-end marketing services company headquartered in Kirkland, Washington. In 2008, Broad was diagnosed with stage III NSCLC and given a year to live following treatment. In the following months, he penned ‘It’s an Extraordinary Life – Don’t Miss it’. It has since become an Amazon best seller. As one who overcame the cancer prognosis, in his free time enjoys investing and exploring the world with his two children; chronicling his experiences and adventures for future generations to learn from and enjoy.
Woodrow Brokenburr
Cancer Survivor and Advocate, Elevate Ambassador
Woodrow Brokenburr was born in Winter Haven, Florida and is one of ten children. He currently resides in Agoura Hills, California. He is a cancer survivor (osteosarcoma) and was profiled in the book “Here and Now, Inspiring Stories of Cancer Survivors.” Woody has worked with cancer survivors with the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life in providing support services and information to cancer survivors. In addition to working with the Cancer Community of Ventura County and the Cancer outreach committee at Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks.
Doris Cardwell
Cancer Survivor and Advocate, Elevate Ambassador
Doris Cardwell received a life-changing diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer in 2007. While undergoing treatment, she co-founded a mentor program for the cancer center treating her. She also created community events to educate, encourage and empower people regarding cancer. Doris was the first Survivorship Community Outreach Liaison for her local cancer center. She is an advocate, educator and encourager on issues facing cancer survivors.
Caitlin Flanagan
Staff writer, The Atlantic
Caitlin Flanagan began her magazine-writing career, in 2001, with a series of extended book reviews about the conflicts at the very heart of modern life—specifically, modern domestic life as it is lived by professional-class women. Flanagan quickly established herself as a highly entertaining social critic unafraid to take on self-indulgence and political correctness, and her essays provide penetrating and witheringly funny observations about the sexes and their discontents. She is the author of Girl Land and To Hell With All That—an exploration, based on her Atlantic articles, of the lives of modern women.
Margot Friedman, J.D.
Principal, Dupont Circle Communications
Margot Friedman is the principal of Dupont Circle Communications, a 15 year-old, full-service communications firm specializing in writing opinion editorials for nonprofit organizations. Margot has assisted authors with opinion editorials that were published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Newsweek’s “My Turn,” Politico, The Hill, National Law Journal, The Huffington Post, and many other outlets. Margot leads workshops on opinion editorial writing.
Shelley Fuld Nasso, MPP
Chief Executive Officer, NCCS
Shelley is honored and humbled to serve NCCS and the millions of cancer survivors and their family members NCCS represents. She is a policy wonk and advocate and loves to empower cancer survivors to make their voices heard in Washington, DC and around the country. She joined NCCS in December 2012 and was named CEO in October 2013.
Prior to joining NCCS, Shelley served in leadership roles at Susan G. Komen, where she leveraged Komen’s grassroots network in Washington, DC and in state capitals. There she built relationships with policymakers and partner organizations and led a team of staff and volunteer leaders to influence state budgets and legislation. Shelley has also served as Director of Community Philanthropy at The Dallas Foundation and held management positions at communications and technology enterprises. She is a graduate of Rice University and holds a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Shelley’s commitment to the work of NCCS is strongly tied to the experiences in the cancer care system of her dear friend, Dr. Brent Whitworth, a beloved physician who was diagnosed with stage IV cancer days before his 42nd birthday and who passed away 19 months later. Through Brent’s experiences, Shelley witnessed the strengths and flaws of the cancer care system and embraces the notion that policy change can make cancer care better for patients and caregivers.
Richard Gelb
Cancer Survivor and Advocate, Caregiver
Richard is a cancer survivor, advocate and was a caregiver. He was invited to attend and had his abstract on “The Job and Work of Being a Cancer Patient, How to Advocate for Self and a Loved One” accepted for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Scientist: Survivor Program at the Science of Health Disparities, September 25-28, 2017, in Atlanta, GA. He has served as a volunteer grant reviewer for the LIVESTRONG Survivorship Grant Program, and also a cancer support group leader at the local American Cancer Society affiliate in Rockland County, New York.
Bradley Glassel
Cancer Survivor and Advocate, Elevate Ambassador
Bradley Glassel is a prostate cancer survivor with a passion for supporting the community. He currently lives in Lake Mills WI with his wife of 27 years, Alicia, and his daughter Hope. He has worked with American Family Insurance for the past 18 years and plans on retiring in mid-2019. Bradley has a degree in culinary arts and has had varied career experiences including being a business owner. Along with his volunteer work, he enjoys travel and outdoor experiences like hiking and biking.
Elizabeth Goss, JD
Partner, Turner & Goss LLP
Elizabeth Goss is a partner in the law and public policy firm Turner & Goss LLP. Prior to entering private practice, Elizabeth served as a Congressional aide, first to Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and subsequently for ten years to Senator Dale Bumpers (D-AR). Her Senate work concentrated on public health policy and biomedical research funding and regulation. Elizabeth’s clients include a number of non-profit entities interested in access to quality health care and the development of new therapies for cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Her clients include the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, Lymphoma Research Foundation, and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, as well as the Cancer Leadership Council, a coalition of cancer organizations. She graduated from Harvard College and Georgetown University Law Center.
Susan Hedlund, MSW, LCSW
Director, Patient/Family Support Services, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, School of Medicine
Susan has been an oncology social worker for thirty years and specializes in the development and provision of psychosocial support services for people with cancer and their loved ones. Currently she supervises adult oncology social workers at OHSU and coordinate wellness offerings of yoga, mindfulness-based stress reduction, exercise, massage, and retreats for people with cancer. Previously, she directed the cancer counseling program at Cancer Care Resources ( a program of the NW Cancer Specialists), and also directed the Palliative Care Program at Hospice and Palliative Care of Washington County.
She has spoken and written extensively about the impact of cancer on individuals and families, and on palliative and end of life care. Is a Senior Scholar for the Center for Ethics at OHSU. Is a past-president of the Association of Oncology Social Work.
Lindsay Houff, MPP
Senior Policy Manager, NCCS
Lindsay Houff is a Virginia native who received both her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and her Master’s degree in Public Policy from Virginia Tech. As Senior Policy Manager at NCCS, Lindsay is responsible for advocating on behalf of the organization’s policy priorities and executing NCCS’ legislative strategy through development of relationships with Congressional staff. Prior to joining NCCS, Lindsay was a policy fellow at Meals on Wheels America headquarters here in DC, and previously served as Public Policy Associate at Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America where she lobbied for increased funding for youth drug prevention programs. Lindsay’s dedication to NCCS’ mission goes beyond public policy. She lost her father to melanoma when she was 12 and his legacy is the driving force behind her commitment to representing cancer patients and survivors to improve their quality of care and quality of life after diagnosis.
Pam Loeb
Principal, Edge Research
Pam provides trusted counsel and custom marketing research for clients big and small. As a Principal at Edge, she works regularly with marquee brands to design studies and provide insights that drive their business – K¹² Inc., Kaiser Permanente, National 4-H Council, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, U.S. Travel Association, the USO, and The Washington Post, to name a few. Pam also manages the firm’s Education and Health & Wellness practices.
While Pam enjoys working with corporations on their branding, messaging, advertising, and new product development, she is also passionate about helping non-profits with their unique challenges, including donor development and retention, public education, and advocacy. Over the last 20 years, she has managed hundreds of studies for NGOs and professional associations to improve their communications and public awareness efforts. Pam has co-authored and presented several public sector-wide studies examining the attitudes, values, and behaviors of charitable donors, which have been featured in The Wall Street Journal and USA Today.
Ana María López, MD , MPH, MACP
Vice Chair, Medical Oncology and Chief of Cancer Services, Jefferson Health New Jersey
Dr. López is Vice Chair of Medical Oncology at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC), and Chief of Cancer Services at Jefferson Health in New Jersey. Dr. López joined Jefferson in 2018 from the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, UT, where she was Director of Cancer Health Equality. A board-certified Medical Oncologist, she has extensive experience in in breast and gynecological cancers, integrative medicine, telehealth and cancer disparities. Currently, Dr. L López is President of the American College of Physicians, the largest medical specialty organization in the U.S. Additionally, her strong commitment to cancer disparities is reflected in her leadership of the American Society of Clinical Oncology committee on cancer disparities. Her main areas of professional interest and expertise include cancer prevention, integrative oncology, and innovations in healthcare.
Zack Marshall
Director, Prime Policy Group
Zack Marshall joins Prime from the office of Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY). He has spent more than 10 years on Capitol Hill, gaining extensive experience working both in a bipartisan manner and across the various factions of the Democratic Caucus. Accustomed to working with members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Blue Dog Coalition, the New Democrat Coalition, and the Problem Solvers Caucus, he is well suited to build coalitions and craft winning strategies for Prime’s clients.
Kristen McNiff, MPH
President, KM Healthcare Consulting
Kristen McNiff brings over 20 years’ experience in cancer quality programs, value and quality analytics, and related policy. In March 2018, Ms. McNiff launched an independent consulting company, KM Healthcare Consulting. Immediately prior, Ms. McNiff served four years as the Vice President, Quality and Patient Safety at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In this role, Ms. McNiff led staff teams focused on clinical quality and value innovation; patient safety; process improvement engineering; quality research and analytics; cancer registry reporting; and compliance/regulatory programs.
Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, FACP, FRACP
President, Levine Cancer Institute
As the leader of Levine Cancer Institute, Dr. Raghavan has pioneered an innovative approach to cancer care that eliminates the natural barriers to top-quality care, such as culture, access and distance from clinical and research sites. Before coming to Levine Cancer Institute, he served concurrent appointments as chairman and director of the Taussig Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic and as the chair in Transitional Cancer Research for the M. Frank and Margaret Domiter Rudy Institute. As an internationally renowned cancer researcher and medical oncologist, Dr. Raghavan has edited nine textbooks, published more than 300 papers in peer-reviewed journals, served on editorial boards of numerous medical journals and been a principal investigator for more than a dozen major research grants.
Lisa D. T. Rice, SM
NCCS Board Member, Board member of Unite American, Board member of Newcomb Alumnae Association
Lisa D. T. Rice, SM is a political strategist with extensive experience in corporate, trade association and nonprofit settings, including 15 years’ experience in political and external affairs. In her leadership roles, Ms. Rice is an influential advocate for causes she supports, including quality cancer care, women’s health and empowerment, racial justice, and social media activism.
Kimberly Richardson, PhD
Cancer Survivor and Advocate, Elevate Ambassador
Kimberly Richardson has 25 years of urban planning and community economic development experience. She created Westside Business Improvement Association (WBIA) and served as executive director in January 1999. Prior to WBIA, Ms. Richardson worked for three years as a Research Associate for the University of Illinois at Chicago, Center for Urban Economic Development providing technical assistance to community-based organizations serving low-income communities. She also worked as a consultant to the ShoreBank Corporation on a year long research project for the Austin community on asset based community development and in establishing the Austin Neighborhood Trust - an investment strategy for community businesses and residents. Ms. Richardson has a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning and Public Policy and post graduate work in the same field from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Allison Rosen
Cancer Survivor and Advocate, Lead Project Coordinator, Baylor College of Medicine
Allison Rosen has worked in the world of Oncology researching at Baylor College of Medicine for over 12 years. Two years go, she decided to move into cancer education and prevention for the underserved population. She is still at Baylor but works in the Dan L. Duncan Center in the Office of Outreach and Health Disparities. On June 7th, 2012, at the age of 32 after years of struggling with Crohn’s disease her life was turned upside down after a scope with her GI doctor, when she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Throughout her journey she became a determined advocate for cancer prevention and works in that field now daily. She gets to help educate the underprivileged, undeserved, minority population about getting screened for the cancer that are screenable. Allison uses her story to make sure that people know that colorectal cancer does not discriminate against, age, sex, religion or ethnicity. She has just recently started working more closely on can policy work both locally and in DC.
Deborah Schrag, MD, MPH
Chief, Division of Population Sciences, Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dr. Schrag received her medical degree from Columbia University in New York in 1991. She subsequently completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and her fellowship in Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She obtained a Masters in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health in 1998, and joined the staff of DFCI and Brigham and Women's Hospital. From 1999 through 2007, Dr. Schrag practiced medical oncology in the Division of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where she was an Associate Member and Associate Professor of Public Health and Medicine. In 2007, she returned to DFCI and Brigham and Womens Hospital, where she is a medical oncologist and clinical investigator in the Center for Gastrointestinal Oncology. Her research focuses on utilization of new cancer treatment technologies at the population level.
David Scott
Director, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
As Director of the Roswell Park Office of Diversity and Inclusion, David Scott is dedicated to building an increasingly diverse workforce. Under Mr. Scott's leadership, Roswell Park has exceeded both internal and external goals for workplace diversity and inclusion. In 2018, 28% of all new hires at Roswell Park were African American or Hispanic. 35% percent of new minority hires in 2018 came to Roswell Park through outreach programs, including job fairs and job-training events in underserved communities. Additionally, 2018 marked the eighth year in a row that Roswell Park increased its percentage of minority hires. Mr. Scott has also helped more than 200 minority high school and college students secure paid internships at Roswell Park.
Thomas J Smith, M.D.
The Harry J. Duffey Family Professor of Palliative Medicine, Professor of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Thomas Smith, M.D., is a professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, director of Palliative Medicine for Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Harry J. Duffey Family Professor of Palliative Care. He is a medical oncologist and a palliative care specialist with a lifelong interest in better symptom management, communication, and improving access to high quality affordable care. Dr. Smith began Johns Hopkins' hospital-wide palliative care consult service as well as an inpatient unit, and he is dedicated to accelerating palliative care research and education.
Desirée A.H. Walker
Survivor Extraordinaire! Two-Time Breast Cancer Victor, Health Educator, Cancer Patient Advocate and Support Group Facilitator
At the age of 38, Desirée was diagnosed with breast cancer, which recurred at age 47. For many who have had to fight breast cancer, Desirée serves as an advocate for patients by openly speaking about her diagnoses to audiences nationally and internationally. The core of her message is to encourage patients to truly know their body and feel empowered to steward self, mind, body and soul. Through SHARE’s Side by Side Program, Desirée trains medical students and doctors on how to deliver disappointing news and vehemently supports the importance of patient/doctor communication.
Robin Yabroff, PhD
Senior Scientific Director, Health Services Research, American Cancer Society
Robin Yabroff, PhD, is an epidemiologist and Senior Scientific Director, Health Services Research, where she leads a team of six scientists. She conducts research on financial hardship and economic burden of cancer; patterns of cancer care, including high cost prescription drugs; health insurance benefit design; and patient, provider, and health system factors associated with quality and value of cancer care.
Lynne Zaklin
Cancer Survivor and Advocate
Lynne is a retired school administrator from the New York City Department of Education, cancer caregiver and advocate. The year before her retirement, her husband was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. His cancer journey and Lynne’s role as his caregiver was the catalyst for her advocacy for cancer patients and their loved ones. She recognizes the great need for education regarding the disease, the treatment plan, shared decision making, the patient perspective and community support.