ACS CAN honors team members and volunteers.
On Sunday evening, Sept. 17, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) began its annual Leadership Summit and Lobby Day by honoring team members and volunteers for the exceptional leadership advocacy work they displayed throughout the year to make cancer a top national priority. The honorees include the following.
Team Members
ACS Partner of the Year – This award is given to an American Cancer Society team member who collaborates with ACS CAN to advance its mission to reduce the cancer burden through public policy
change. –
Maria Cristy, Vice President of Cancer Control and Patient Services, Puerto Rico. In the past eight years, Maria has worked closely with ACS CAN staff on a national and local level to expand Medicaid within U.S. territories. As member of multiple coalitions and collaborative initiatives, Maria has directed the efforts to create the necessary awareness to develop public policy to improve the lives of cancer patients and their families. (Pictured are, left to right, Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, chair of ACS CAN Board; Maria Cristy, vice president, Cancer Control and Patient Services, Puerto Rico; Lisa Lacasse, president, ACS CAN; and Jeff Martin, vice president, Grassroots Advocacy.)
Field Government Relations Professional of the Year – This award recognizes a government
relations professional who has worked tirelessly to make a powerful, lasting impression in cancer-related public policy. –
Emily Myatt, Regional Government Relations Director. Emily shepherded the passage of health legislation in Minnesota that has impacted millions of lives on multiple key cancer policy issues, including- biomarker testing coverage, medication coverage, tobacco control and prevention funding, JUUL legal settlement funding, palliative care and cancer data registry sharing. in the process, she has established herself as a champion in advocating for cancer patients and survivors.
(Pictured are, left to right, Mark Anderson, vice president, regional advocacy; Lisa Lacasse, president, ACS CAN; Emily Myatt, regional government relations director; Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, chair of ACS CAN Board; and Jeff Martin, vice president, Grassroots Advocacy.)
Field Grassroots Professional of the Year – This award is presented to an ACS CAN team member
whose collaborative efforts further the achievement of advocacy-related mission goals. –
Spencer Lyons, California Senior Grassroots Manager. Spencer has made exceptional contributions to advancing California’s fight against cancer and is adept at empowering grassroots volunteers to amplify their voices on behalf of everyone facing a cancer diagnosis.
(Pictured are, left to right, Lisa Lacasse, president, ACS CAN; Spencer Lyons, California senior grassroots manager; Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, chair of ACS CAN Board; and Jeff Martin, vice president, Grassroots Advocacy.)
National Professional of the Year – This award is presented each year to an exemplary team member
who has made significant contributions to ACS CAN through their cancer advocacy work. –
Rachael Eerdmans, Associate Director of Advocacy Volunteer Engagement. Rachael’s exceptional talents and creative contributions have helped to significantly advance ACS CAN’s mission in communities across the nation and bolstered ACS CAN’s national Lights of Hope Walk and Lights of Hope Across America volunteer fundraising and engagement strategies.(Pictured are, left to right, Lisa Lacasse, president, ACS CAN; Rachael Eerdmans, associate director, Advocacy Volunteer Engagement; Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, chair of ACS CAN Board; and Jeff Martin, vice president, Grassroots Advocacy.)
Dave Woodmansee Award for Excellence – In honor of longtime ACS CAN State and Local
Campaigns Director David Woodmansee, who passed away in 2019, this award is presented to a team member who has consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership and excellence in the areas of advocacy and public policy. –
Dana Hopkins, Director of Advocacy Customer Relationship Management (CRM). For more than 25 years, Dana has driven ACS CAN’s work in the areas of advocacy constituent and donor relationship management, data collection and analysis. She was instrumental in leading the implementation of ACS CAN’s new digital advocacy platform EveryAction and was critical in the project's success.
(Pictured are, left to right, Lisa Lacasse, president, ACS CAN; Dana Hopkins, director, Advocacy Customer Relationship Management (CRM); Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, chair of ACS CAN Board; and Jeff Martin, vice president, Grassroots Advocacy.)
Volunteers
Volunteer Award for Excellence in Advocacy (VAEA) – This award is the highest national volunteer
advocacy honor bestowed by ACS CAN. –
Jacqueline Beale - Maryland. Jacqueline exemplifies what it means to be a fully integrated volunteer who spends countless hours forwarding ACS CAN’s mission. She has attended state and national lobby days, raised thousands of dollars, participated in numerous policy campaigns, and recruited both state and national legislative sponsors. Jacqueline was instrumental in the establishment of ACS CAN’s Black Volunteer Caucus (BVC) and currently serves as the Chair of the group. She is also a past State Lead Ambassador of the Year Award recipient.
(Pictured are, left to right, Lisa Lacasse, president, ACS CAN; Jacqueline Beale, ACS CAN volunteer, Maryland; Barbara Effman, 2022 Volunteer Award for Excellence in Advocacy winner; Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, chair of ACS CAN Board; and Jeff Martin, vice president, Grassroots Advocacy.)
State Lead Ambassador (SLA) of the Year – This award is presented to a lead state volunteer who has
demonstrated exemplary leadership in advocating for ACS CAN’s area of cancer-related public policy. –
Kay Coleman, California. Kay created the California Leadership Council, where she brought together ACS CAN volunteers, including business and healthcare leaders, who are willing to commit resources to support ACS CAN California events and work as a consensus group on policy forum content to inform stakeholders on health equity, clinical trials, and patient navigation issues for cancer patients.
(Pictured are, left to right, Lisa Lacasse, president, ACS CAN; Kay Coleman, lead state volunteer, California; Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, chair of ACS CAN Board; and Jeff Martin, vice president, Grassroots Advocacy.)
Ambassador Constituent Team (ACT) Lead of the Year – This award is given to a lead congressional district volunteer who has demonstrated remarkable leadership advocating for ACS CAN’s areas of cancer-related public policy.
Adrenne Meyer, Michigan. Adrienne played a huge role in helping to bring awareness to Michigan’s oral
chemotherapy fairness legislation, as she testified in front of the Michigan House Health Policy Committee. Oral chemotherapy fairness legislation helps ensure that the out-of-pocket costs for oral and intravenous chemotherapy patients are similar. She continues to surpass her fundraising goals and secure sponsorships through creative fundraising tactics. Her passion and drive for change shows through her volunteerism and relationship building with lawmakers.
(Pictured are, left to right, Lisa Lacasse, president, ACS CAN; Adrenne Meyer, ambassador constituent team lead, Michigan; Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, chair of ACS CAN Board; and Jeff Martin, vice president, Grassroots Advocacy.)
Barbara Behal, Texas. Barbara’s outstanding efforts are reflected in her ability to swiftly organize and
mobilize a robust team of local volunteers to champion strong and effective public policy proven to end suffering and death from cancer. Since ACS CAN launched Lights of Hope, Barbara quickly became a leader among fundraising. She has been in the top 10 four times during the last 11 years and has raised over $23,180 for ACS CAN since Lights of Hope began.
(Pictured are, left to right, Lisa Lacasse, president, ACS CAN; Barbara Behal, ambassador constituent team lead, Texas; Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, chair of ACS CAN Board; and Jeff Martin, vice president, Grassroots Advocacy.)
Karen Malcolm, Oregon. As a cancer survivor, Karen has been a tireless volunteer rallying in support of
ACS CAN priority missions and fundraising opportunities. She continues to foster great relationships with her local representatives and Tribal Government community to advocate for health equity and access to care for cancer patients in Oregon and nationwide.
(Pictured are, left to right, Lisa Lacasse, president, ACS CAN; Karen Malcolm, ambassador constituent team lead, Oregon; Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, chair of ACS CAN Board; and Jeff Martin, vice president, Grassroots Advocacy.)
Kim Lindgren, Kentucky. Kim has led efforts to build lawmaker support for Nancy Gardner Sewell
Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act (MCED) within the state of Kentucky and continues to be an advocate in the fight to ensure cancer patients and their families receive access to quality care and are knowledgeable of prevention and early detection screenings.
(Pictured are, left to right, Lisa Lacasse, president, ACS CAN; Kim Lindgren, ambassador constituent team lead, Kentucky; Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, chair of ACS CAN Board; and Jeff Martin, vice president, Grassroots Advocacy.)
Young Leader Award – This award is presented to a state volunteer who has demonstrated an exciting
promise in their start with ACS CAN by taking advantage of new opportunities to advocate for cancer patients. –
Cody Wolf, Idaho. Since 2020, Cody has been a State Lead Ambassador in Idaho and has become a leader in cancer policies and advocacy by establishing strong relationships with Idaho lawmakers at the state and national levels. His dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through his active involvement with ACS CAN’s LGBTQIA+ & Allies Engagement Group demonstrates his commitment to creating a more inclusive and diverse advocacy community.
(Pictured are, left to right, Lisa Lacasse, president, ACS CAN; Cody Wolf, ACS CAN volunteer, Idaho; Maureen G. Mann, MS, MBA, FACHE, chair of ACS CAN Board; and Jeff Martin, vice president, Grassroots Advocacy.)
Team Member and Volunteer
State Advocacy Team of the Year – This award is presented to combined staff and volunteer teams that have worked together to make a significant impression in cancer-related public policy. –
North Carolina. The North Carolina team,
pictured above, used an all-hands-on-deck approach in their pursuit and victory of Medicaid expansion for 600,000 North Carolinians in the coverage gap - making North Carolina the 40th state to increase eligibility for Medicaid health coverage. Collectively, the North Carolina team worked tirelessly to implement strategic campaign tactics to align ACS CAN’s mission critical priority in a position to succeed.
