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National Volunteer Award winners honored for impact

Achievements celebrated include 2023 Discovery Award winners and others. 

Congratulations to the following volunteer and partner award winners! Together with the Volunteer Leadership Award honorees and other national award winners, which were announced previously during the national Volunteer Leadership Summit in January, these individuals and partners have raised significant funds, served hundreds of patients, and had a tremendous impact on the lives of people with cancer and their families.

  • Early-Career Researcher of the Year: Diana Hargreaves, PhD, associate professor with the Salk Institute for Biological Studies
  • Trish Greene Quality of Life Award: Jennifer Temel, MD, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and clinical director of Thoracic Oncology at the Massachusetts General Hospital; ACS Clinical Research Professor
  • Fredda Bryan National DE&I Award: Angelo Moore, PhD, RN, NE-BC, FAA, director of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity at the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) Office of Health Equity
  • St. George Award winner, Puerto Rico: Jose C. Buenaga Ortiz, MBA, HSM, CEO of EIG Group Corp.
  • Philanthropy Partner of the Year: Lyda Hill Philanthropies

Pictured above, ACS team members and Philanthropy Partner of the Year, Lyda Hill, posed at a BrightEdge event late last year. Pictured left to right are, Jeff Felis, EVP, South Region; Farnaz Bakhshi, director, Innovation – BrightEdge; Lyda Hill; Alice Pomponio, vice president, Innovation & Impact Investing/managing director, BrightEdge; Amy Berg, principal, Philanthropy; Sarah Ballard, principal, Philanthropy, and Steve Curtis, senior director, New Ventures.

All award winners will be highlighted throughout the year, so continue to watch ACS news and enterprise social media as we spotlight our 2023 winners in the coming months!  



  • Volunteer Leadership Summit sessions available via playback

    Eight recordings include State of the Society and Volunteer Leadership Award presentations.

    Most general sessions from the Volunteer Leadership Summit in January have been packaged for playback and are accessible on My Society Source for both ACS team members and leadership volunteers to view. The Volunteer Leadership Summit is an opportunity to bring together and help empower our Area Board leaders and other key volunteers to amplify our mission and revenue priorities in their local communities and beyond. Check out any of the following for a glimpse into this impactful annual event:

    Welcome, Brian Marlow

    • Brian Marlow, chair of the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society, welcomes volunteer leaders, illustrating the purpose of the annual Volunteer Leadership Summit

    Welcome, Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard 

    • Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, chair of the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, welcomes volunteer leaders, emphasizing the importance of their commitment to the organization’s mission

    Volunteer Leadership Award, Dr. Paul Schroy

    • Dr. Paul Schroy, who has served as a part of the Colorectal Cancer Roundtable since its inception, accepts the national Volunteer Leadership Award

    Volunteer Leadership Award, Scott Rollin

    • Scott Rollin, who has been a vocal champion for engaging volunteers in meaningful and strategic work at ACS for more than 20 years, accepts the national Volunteer Leadership Award

    CEO State of the Society

    • CEO Dr. Karen Knudsen shares a detailed look at ACS priorities and activations with volunteer leadership, pictured above

    Remembering Jim Bond

    • Michael L. Neal, chief of organizational advancement, and Stacy McGrath, co-chair of the Pan Ohio Hope Ride, acknowledge the decades long commitment of the late Jim Bond and his wife Kathleen

    Cancer Facts & Figures

    • Kimberly Jackson, executive vice president – Southeast Region, and Dr. Bill Dahut, chief scientific officer, discuss the release of the 2024 Cancer Facts & Figures, emphasizing the importance of the annual publication 

    Dr. Adrian Tyndall on Health Equity

    • Dr. Joseph “Adrian” Tyndall, executive vice president of Health Affairs, professor and dean at Morehouse School of Medicine, expands on the importance of health equity, health justice, and what we are trying to achieve

  • Dr. Winn to be honored for positive impact in oncology

    The Association of Community Cancer Centers is set to recognize our ACS Board Member.​

    American Cancer Society Board member Robert Winn, MD, director and Lipman Chair in Oncology, VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, will be recognized on March 1 by the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) during the group’s annual summit. His honor, the 2024 Clinical Research Award, recognizes individuals whose research has significantly and positively impacted the oncology patient, family, and/or community.

    Dr. Winn has served on the American Cancer Society Board of Directors since 2021 and serves as chair of the Inclusive Workforce Sub-Committee.

    Founded in 1974 to promote quality cancer care, the Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) is a community of more than 34,000 multidisciplinary practitioners and 1,700 cancer programs and practices nationwide across all disciplines in oncology. Members rely on ACCC for education and advocacy support in adapting and responding to complex changes and challenges in the delivery of quality cancer care.

    The ACCC 50th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit offers opportunities to collaborate, grow, and transform. Executives from across the health care leadership community will come together Feb. 28 through March 1 in Washington, D.C., to explore cutting-edge solutions to persistent challenges and together, navigate our shifting cancer care landscape.



  • Celebrating Black leadership and ACS volunteers

    Help highlight contributions of influential leaders during Black History Month.​

    While it is impossible to list every member of the Black community who has contributed in some way to ACS, we are proud to highlight the contributions of these influential leaders during Black History Month. 

    Dr. Cynthia LeBlanc – In 2011, Dr. LeBlanc became the first African American woman to serve as chair of the ACS board. Dr. LeBlanc also served as a volunteer for many years in various capacities. As chair of ACS’ California Board of Directors, she was instrumental in encouraging the inclusion of youth in our work and addressing the impact of cancer in diverse communities. 

    Dr. Harold Freeman – Known as the “Father of Patient Navigation,” Dr. Freeman made his career out of asking why it was that his patients, who were poor and Black, sought treatment too late. As president of the American Cancer Society in 1988-89, he published a study, “Cancer in the socioeconomically disadvantaged,” and made an unprecedented conclusion – “that the principal reason that Black people were dying from cancer was because they were poor.” Read an interview with Dr. Freeman through the Cancer History Project

    Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard Chair of the ACS CAN Board of Directors, Dr. Jeffries Leonard has a life-long commitment to public service exemplified throughout her successful professional, academic and civic endeavors. She is currently the 17th National President of The Links, Incorporated and The Links Foundation, Incorporated; Vice President of Administration and member of the Board of Directors of the Black Women’s Agenda, Inc.; and was appointed Chair of the D.C. Commission on African American Affairs by Washington, D.C. Mayor, Muriel Bowser. Her background includes expertise in developing public health and behavioral health programs, policies, and related legislation. She has subject matter expertise in minority health, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, cardiovascular disease, health disparities, health care reform, tribal issues, reentry and criminal justice issues, international behavioral health, co-occurring mental health and trauma, and women’s and adolescent services. 

    Dr. LaSalle Leffall Jr. – A Black ACS volunteer and thought leader, Dr. Leffall was key in encouraging equality at ACS during the civil rights movement. He first got involved as a volunteer in the 1960s and became the first Black ACS president in 1978. As a researcher, Dr. Leffall called on ACS to “meet the challenge of cancer among Black Americans,” addressing disparities in cancer prevalence, treatment, and mortality. His work caused a radical shift in cancer control, shaping the way generations approached care for not only Black Americans, but also other underserved ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups. 

    Charlie Hill – A 2022 winner of the Fredda Bryan National Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, Mr. Hill has been an advocate dedicated to spreading cancer awareness messaging to the communities he serves with a DE&I and health equity strategic focus. He has served as an essential leader of the African American Stakeholder Advisory group, advising the Executive Team and the organization in matters of DEI and the African American community overall, but most especially as it relates to Black men and prostate cancer. He is a tireless advocate for health equity, advocating for improved screening guidelines and cancer information.



  • Volunteer Leadership Award winners honored for 2023

    Scott Rollin and Paul C. Schroy III, MD, MPH, recognized in Atlanta.​

    Congratulations to Scott Rollin and Paul C. Schroy III, MD, MPH, who were recently honored as the 2023 recipients of the American Cancer Society Volunteer Leadership Award at the national Volunteer Leadership Summit in Atlanta, GA. The Volunteer Leadership Award is the organization’s top volunteer award presented annually to up to two individuals who have served as a volunteer leader for enterprise-wide programs, initiatives, or board-level committees or task forces (other than as chair of the American Cancer Society Board of Directors), and to others who have provided long and distinguished service to ACS at the enterprise-wide level. Pictured above are Scott at right and Paul at left. 

    Scott Rollinhas been a vocal champion for engaging volunteers in meaningful and strategic work at ACS for more than 20 years. He began his volunteer service in 1995 as a member of his local golf tournament committee after his father died from lung cancer. Since then, Scott has been actively involved with ACS at the local, regional, and national levels, serving as chair of our national golf event in the early 2000s, chairing the Twin Cities Hope Lodge capital campaign in 2005, and serving on the Governance Committee of the national board. In 2020, he was selected to serve as the co-chair of the newly formed Volunteer Impact Panel, or VIP. In this role, Scott was instrumental in developing the Area Board Gold Standard, which has now become a crucial tool in the management and mobilization of our Area Boards.

    Scott also led the charge to reimagine our Change Champions into “Volunteer Impact Ambassadors,” who support the volunteer-staff partnership at all levels of the organization, and he oversaw the development of the Leadership Volunteer online platform, ACS Connect. Scott served as host and emcee of the virtual Volunteer Impact Series in 2021 and the Volunteer Leadership Summit in 2022. His vision and guidance have helped transform the summit into an annual strategic planning event for our leadership volunteers. Outside of his work on national workgroups, Scott serves as chair of the Minnesota Area Board and is active in his local market and the North Region. 

    Paul C. Schroy III, MD, MPH, pictured at left, is a founding member of the American Cancer Society National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (ACS NCCRT) and continues to serve as an active and influential volunteer. Since 1997, he has held numerous leadership positions for the ACS NCCRT, including current co-chair of the Family History and Early-Age Onset Colorectal Cancer Strategic Priority Team, former member of the Steering Committee, former co-chair of the Public Education Task Group, former co-chair of the Screening 65+ Task Group, as well as former chair and current member of the ACS NCCRT Nomination Committee. Dr. Schroy has been instrumental in guiding the work of the ACS NCCRT and continues to be a vocal champion of increasing colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates, reducing CRC-related disparities, and identifying key issues and areas of need around familial CRC and early-onset CRC.

    After landmark research was published on early-age onset (EAO) CRC trends, Dr. Schroy championed the work of risk assessment and early-age onset CRC for ACS NCCRT. He served as co-lead and presenter for the 2017 ACS NCCRT EAO CRC Summit. He is the key driver and lead volunteer on the Risk Assessment & Screening Toolkit and hosted ACS NCCRT’s first Blue Star Conversation. In 2022, Dr. Schroy led ACS NCCRT to conduct market research on how to encourage on-time screening with lead-time messaging. He continues to conduct CRC-related research, publish academic papers, present on the work of ACS NCCRT at national conferences, chair advisory committees for ACS NCCRT projects, and help set ACS NCCRT’s national priorities each year.

    Like and share on X posts about this news from CEO Dr. Karen Knudsen and ACS CAN President Lisa Lacasse.



  • ACS welcomes 2024 Board of Directors

    Four new members join Board.​​​

    With the start of the new year, the American Cancer Society is pleased to also welcome the new and re-elected members of its Board of Directors. 

    Joining the Board as of Jan. 1, 2024, are new members, pictured above, left to right, Sean T. Farnham, an ESPN college basketball analyst, Desirée G. Rogers, CEO of Black Opal Beauty, LLC, Norman E. (Ned) Sharpless, MD, professor of cancer policy and innovation at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and former director of the National Cancer Institute, and Jaime Wesolowski, president and chief executive officer of Methodist Healthcare Ministries. Read more about these new Board members, and the complete Board, in the ACS Board Directory.  

    Re-elected members of the 2024 Board include Asif Dhar, MD, MBA; Katie Eccles, Esq.; and Wayne A. I. Frederick, MD, MBA, FACS. Continuing in service to the Board in 2024 are José C. Buenaga, MBA; Karen S. Etzkorn; Michelle M. Le Beau, PhD; Edison T. Liu, MD; Michael Pellini, MD; Kenneth R. Stoll; and Robert Winn, MD

    Brian Marlow continues to serve as Board chair, alongside Terri McClements, vice chair; Mark A. Goldberg, MD, board scientific officer; Kathy Gallagher, MSN, treasurer; and Connie Lindsey, secretary. The 2022 Board chair, Michael Marquardt, remains on the Board as immediate past chair. 

    “It is an honor to welcome these four new distinguished members to the board of directors, each of whom brings a wealth of knowledge, talent and skilled leadership that will help us fulfill the mission of the American Cancer Society,” Marlow said of the new Board members in a media release on Jan. 8. “We are grateful for their commitment and look forward to working together to improve the lives of cancer patients and their families.” 

    The American Cancer Society Board of Directors consists of directors who serve as officers and no less than three directors at-large. Directors at-large are elected for a two-year term unless a lesser term is required to fill a vacancy.  

    Board members Jennifer R. Crozier; Carmen E. Guerra, MD, MSCE, FACP; Margaret McCaffery; and Oyebode Taiwo, MD, MPH, ended their terms on Dec. 31, 2023.  



  • ACS CAN welcomes two new Board of Directors members

    Distinguished volunteers join national board to share mission of advocating for evidence-based public policies.​​

    The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) has announced two new members –– alongside newly-elected leadership officers to the Board of Directors, with terms that began on Jan. 1, 2024. The Board provides leadership and guidance for ACS CAN, the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, which supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.

    "We are proud to welcome two distinguished advocates, both with long histories of advocating for cancer patients with the American Cancer Society and ACS CAN to our Board of Directors," said Lisa Lacasse, president of ACS CAN. "Our mission to advocate for evidence-based public policies to reduce the cancer burden for everyone will be bolstered by the steadfast dedication, passion and expertise these leaders bring with them.”

    Margaret McCaffery, JD, Iowa City, IA – Margaret, pictured above at right, and her husband Fran, University of Iowa’s head men’s basketball coach, have been actively involved with the American Cancer Society’s Coaches vs. Cancer program since 2000 and have raised more than $2 million to support ACS efforts. In 2022, she received the St. George Award, one of the highest ACS honors presented to outstanding volunteers nationwide who have made significant contributions to ACS’ strategic goals. Margaret served on the ACS Board of Directors from 2018 to 2023. She also has actively supported and volunteered at ACS CAN’s Leadership Summit and Lobby Day since 2014.

    For the McCafferys, cancer has been a personal journey. Their second child, Patrick, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2014 at the age of 14 and is now celebrating several years of remission. The McCafferys helped launch the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program, which brings focus to the unique treatment, psycho-social and emotional needs of cancer patients diagnosed between the ages of 13- 30. Margaret is involved in several other community organization efforts and serves on the board of the Legal Aid Foundation in Iowa.She has a law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School and is the mother of four children, Connor (25), Patrick (23), Marit (21) and Jack (17). 

    Dana Bernson, MPH, Newton, MA – Dana, pictured above at left, is an epidemiologist and the director of Special Analytic Projects within the Office of Population Health at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. She leads development of and strategic direction for the Public Health Data Warehouse, a nationally recognized cross-sector data linkage project initially created to respond to the opioid-related overdose epidemic and now being used to study priority population health trends related to maternal and child health, COVID-19, and the impact of climate change on health. Additionally, Dana is chair of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Institutional Review Board. An accomplished researcher, she is also a reviewer for several peer reviewed journals including, Annals of Internal Medicine, Annals of Epidemiology, Journal of Women’s Health, Public Health Reports, and Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. Dana has a master's degree in public health from the Boston University School of Public Health.

    Dana's life has been directly touched by cancer; in 2015, her first husband, Jon, died from a rare form of cancer leaving her widowed at only 29 years old. She has dedicated many years as an ACS CAN volunteer, serving as an Ambassador Constituent Team (ACT) Lead. At ACS she’s also served on the Global Young Professionals Council Leadership board, as a volunteer driver for the road Road to Recovery Program, as a ResearcHERS campaign ambassador, and as a speaker.

    "It is an honor to welcome two passionate advocates to serve on the ACS CAN Board of Directors,” said ACS CAN Board Chair Kimberly L. Jeffries Leonard, PhD. “I am confident Margaret McCaffery’s outstanding philanthropic spirit to reduce the cancer burden and Dana Bernson’s breadth of understanding in epidemiology and public health will accelerate our work to influence public policy to better the lives of millions of patients with cancer, survivors and their families. We are eager to welcome them to the ACS CAN family and get to work on our ever-important mission.”

    The ACS CAN Board of Directors consists of 18 members who lead ACS CAN in partnership with ACS CAN and American Cancer Society CEO Dr. Karen E. Knudsen and ACS CAN President Lisa Lacasse.

    The complete 2024 ACS CAN Board of Directors is: 

    Officers

    • Kimberly L. Jeffries Leonard, PhD, chair
    • John J. Manna, Jr., Esq., vice chair
    • Scarlott K. Mueller, MPH, RN, FAAN, secretary
    • P. Kay Coleman, MS, MBA, treasurer
    • Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, immediate past chair 

    Directors-at-Large

    • Dana Bernson, MPH
    • David Ford
    • David O. Garcia, PhD, FACSM
    • Roy Jensen, MD
    • Brian A. Marlow, CFA, ACS Board Chair
    • Margaret McCaffery
    • Philip R. O’Brien
    • Susan Penfield
    • Marcus Plescia, MD, MPH
    • Omar M. Rashid, MD, JD, FACS
    • Jose R. Ramos, Jr.
    • Bruce D. Waldholtz, MD
    • Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD

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  • ACS announces 2024 Medal of Honor recipient

    Pasi A. Jänne, MD, PhD, receives ACS’ highest honor.​

    What better way to kick off the new year than by celebrating 2024 Medal of Honor recipient, Dr. Pasi A. Jänne, who is based at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. The Medal of Honor, ACS’ most prestigious honor, is awarded to individuals or foundations who have made outstanding contributions in the categories of basic research, cancer control, clinical research, and philanthropy. 

    In his role as professor at Harvard Medical School and director of the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dr. Jänne’s outstanding achievements in translational and clinical research have fundamentally altered the treatment of lung cancer. He was one of the co-discoverers of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and has led the development of therapeutic strategies for patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancer. 

    In addition to his steadfast commitment to developing more precise and durable therapies for cancer patients, his visionary thinking and collaborative mindset, Dr. Jänne is also being recognized for his dedication to mentoring and his strong leadership in oncology. 

    Dr. Jänne received his medical degree and doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996. He completed postgraduate training in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and in medical oncology at Dana-Farber in 2001. He is the scientific director of the Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science. 

    The Medal of Honor, which was originally called the American Cancer Society Award, was first presented in 1949. The ACS Board of Directors and the scientific community nominate the candidates. This year’s ceremony was held Jan. 6 in Washington, DC. 

    The last ACS Medal of Honor, awarded in 2020, was given to Lewis C. Cantley, PhD, for Basic Research; Leslie Bernstein, PhD. MS, for Cancer Control, and Ching-Hon Pui, MD for Clinical Research. Previous well-known recipients include George N. Papanicolau, MD, inventor of the Pap Test; Robert C. Gallo, MD, recognized for his achievements in pioneering the field of human retrovirology; and Judah Folkman, MD, a leading researcher in the field of antiangiogenesis. 

    Like and share this news on X. 


  • Volunteer Engagement Survey is here!

    Volunteer Engagement Survey is here!

    Volunteers serving on Boards, national leadership teams, and patient support programs should be on the lookout for an email from feedback@opinion-inmoment.com with a link to the 2023 Volunteer Engagement Survey. Volunteers who receive the survey are asked to provide their honest, candid feedback about their experience volunteering for ACS. The results of the survey will help ACS understand how to improve the experience for all volunteers.

    This year’s survey design was overseen by the ACS Customer Insights team. InMoment, an independent market research firm, will collect and manage the responses, which will be kept confidential and used to provide overall insights. 

    Thank you in advance for completing the survey and providing us with valuable input. If you have any questions about the survey, please reach out to VolunteerEngagement@cancer.org.


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