1. Healthcare

National Cancer Prevention Day
A resolution introduced by Representative Steve Israel
Highlighting Less Cancer’s Efforts
to Bring Attention to Cancer Prevention
Wednesday, February 4 , 2015
The Cannon Building - Cannon Caucus Room
27 Independence Avenue SE • Washington, DC
National Cancer Prevention Day
The Cannon Building - Cannon Caucus Room
27 Independence Avenue SE • Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
AGENDA
9:00
a.m.
Doors Open
9:30 a.m.
Program
Welcome by Bill Couzens, Founder and President of Less Cancer
Less Cancer Leadership Award Presentation: Jon Whelan
9:45 a.m.
Veronique Pittman, Less Cancer Board Member
Less Cancer Bike Riders including Miles O’Brien and Suzi Tobias
Ronald B, Herberman Speaker - David L Katz, M.D.
Congressman Charlie Dent
Lawrence Deyton, M.D., Senior Associate Dean for Clinical
Public Health
11:00 a.m. Noon
Sandra Read, M.D., Co-Chair of the National Council
on Skin Cancer Prevention
Tom Sherman, M.D., Chairman of the Board, Less Cancer
Anand K. Parekh, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Panelists
Margaret I. Cuomo, M.D., Moderator
Graham A. Colditz, M.D., Dr. P.H.
John D. Groopman, Ph.D.
Janie Heath, R.N., Ph.D
Christopher A. Loffredo, Ph.D.
Deborah Raphael, Director, San Francisco Dept. of Environment
Marc D. Schwartz, Ph.D.
David Widawsky, Ph.D.
Legislators
Debbie Dingell, Representative from Michigan
Steve Israel, Representative from New York
Don Beyer, Representative from Virginia
Health (Science and Medicine) at the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
MODERATOR
Margaret I. Cuomo, M.D.
Margaret I. Cuomo, M.D., the author of A World Without Cancer,
is a board-certified radiologist who served as an attending
physician in diagnostic radiology at North Shore University
Hospital in Manhasset, New York. Specializing in body
imaging using CT, ultrasound, MRI, and interventional
procedures, much of her practice was dedicated to the
diagnosis of cancer and AIDS. She is the daughter of the late
Governor Mario Cuomo and Mrs. Matilda Cuomo, sister to New York Governor
Andrew Cuomo and CNN’s Chris Cuomo, and the wife of Howard Maier. She has
been interviewed on nationally recognized TV shows, such as Good Morning
America, Good Day New York, Morning Joe, Inside Edition, and national and regional
radio programs. She has also been featured in many magazines and newspapers,
including Better Homes and Gardens, Education Update, Family Circle, Glamour,
InStyle, Manhattan, Metro Newspapers, Networking, New York Daily News, O Magazine, Parade, People, Prevention, Redbook, Vogue and Women’s Day, and online sites
(DoctorOz.com, Glamour.com, DailyBeast.com, Prevention.com, BlackstoneAudio.
com, ASCOPost.com, EverydayHealth.com, RodaleNews.com).
Dr. Cuomo is a contributor and a member of the Medical Review
Board for the Huffington Post, and is also a regular contributor
to WebMD.com. Dr. Cuomo addresses organizations and groups
throughout the country, advocating for the prevention of cancer.
Margaret I. Cuomo, M.D. is the
author of A World Without Cancer.
SPEAKERS
Congressman Charlie Dent
Congressman Charlie Dent has served Pennsylvania’s 15th
District since 2005. The 15th District currently comprises all
of Lehigh County and parts of Berks, Dauphin, Lebanon and
Northampton counties.
Congressman Dent was chosen to be the Chairman of the
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction
and Veterans Affairs and named Chairman of the House
Ethics Committee.
Charlie was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee in 2011. The
Committee establishes the funding levels for numerous activities, including
national defense, education, federal law enforcement, homeland security, federal
biomedical and health-related research and other government operations.
The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee is responsible for
providing funding to support military base construction, operations, maintenance
and troop training. The subcommittee also ensures funding for the Veterans
Administration.
The Ethics Committee is tasked with ensuring members of Congress and
Congressional staff comply with House rules.
Congressman Dent is Co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus and the Congressional
Skin Cancer Caucus. He also serves on the House Appropriations Labor, Health &
Human Services and State & Foreign Operations Subcommittees.
During his time as a Member of Congress, Charlie has served on the House
Homeland Security and Transportation committees.
Charlie serves as a co-chair of the Tuesday Group, a caucus of center-right
Republican members focused on fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense,
and an affirmative obligation to govern.
Prior to serving in Congress, Charlie served eight years in the Pennsylvania House
of Representatives representing the 132nd House District from 1991 through 1998.
He was then elected to the 16th State Senate District serving six years from 1999
through 2004.
Charlie earned a degree in Foreign Service and International Politics from
the Pennsylvania State University in 1982 and a Master’s Degree in Public
Administration from Lehigh University in 1993. Before entering public service,
he worked as a development officer for Lehigh University and as an industrial
electronics salesman.
Charlie lives in Allentown with his family: his wife Pamela; and children Kathryn,
William and Jack.
Lawrence “Bopper” Deyton, M.D.
Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Public Health
Lawrence R. Deyton, M.S.P.H., M.D., serves as the Senior
Associate Dean for Clinical Public Health and Professor of
Medicine and Health Policy, at the George Washington
University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Prior to joining the GW faculty, Dr. Deyton served in leadership,
research and clinical positions in several Federal public health
agencies: NIH, VA, and FDA. He was the inaugural Director of the FDA Center for
Tobacco Products immediately after President Obama signed the Tobacco Control
Act. Earlier, as Chief of the Antiretroviral Treatment Branch at NIH, Dr. Deyton
oversaw the development and approval of drug treatment strategies including
the first trials of combination therapies which are the cornerstone of current
HIV treatments.
Sandra Read, M.D.
Dr. Sandra Read is a board-certified dermatologist . She has
been in practice for over 30 years, with a special interest in
skin cancer. She is actively engaged in skin cancer detection,
treatment, education, and advocacy. Her most recent past
position as Co-Chair of the National Council for Skin Cancer
Prevention was a unique opportunity to engage in this
important work. She has launched national cancer prevention
detection and education activities for the LPGA, and around the country with
the Families Play Safe in the Sun initiative of the Women’s Dermatology Society.
She has participated in numerous American Academy of Dermatology’s skin
cancer screenings on Capitol Hill, federal agencies in Washington, DC, and at local
community events. Additionally she has advocated for tanning legislation and
restrictions for minors at her state capital and at the FDA.
LESS CANCER CYCLISTS
Suzi Tobias
Advocate, Founder Less Cancer Bike Ride­– Port Huron to Mackinac
Suzi Tobias is a Less Cancer advocate and volunteer. A lifelong
cyclist, Suzie is particularly interested in spreading awareness
of the importance of healthy lifestyle and physical fitness in
the prevention of cancer.
Miles O’Brien
Advocate, Cyclist for Less Cancer Bike Ride­– Port Huron to
Mackinac and Less Cancer Board Member
Miles O’Brien is veteran independent journalist who focuses
on science, technology, and aerospace. He is the science
correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, a producer and
director for the PBS science documentary series NOVA, and a
correspondent for the PBS documentary series FRONTLINE
and the National Science Foundation’s Science Nation series.
For nearly seventeen of his thirty years in the news business, he worked for CNN
as the science, environment, and aerospace space correspondent and the anchor
of various programs, including American Morning.
2015 Ronald B. Herberman, M. D. Memorial Lecturer
David Katz, M.D., MPH, FACPM, FACP
Internist and Preventive Medicine specialist
Dr. Katz earned his BA degree from Dartmouth College
(1984; in 3 years); his MD from the Albert Einstein College
of Medicine (1988); and his MPH from the Yale University
School of Public Health (1993). He completed sequential
residency training in Internal Medicine (Norwalk Hospital,
CT; 1991), and Preventive Medicine/Public Health (Yale
University School of Medicine; 1993). He is a two-time
diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine,
and a board-certified specialist in Preventive Medicine/Public Health. He received
an Honorary Doctorate (Humane Letters; L.H.D.) from the University of Bridgeport
in 2013; and will receive a second honorary doctorate in 2015.
Dr. Katz is the founding director (1998) of Yale University’s Yale-Griffin Prevention
Research Center; President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine; Editorin-Chief of the journal, Childhood Obesity; Chief Science Officer for NuVal LLC;
and founding director (2000) of the Integrative Medicine Center at Griffin Hospital.
He is on numerous editorial and scientific advisory boards, chairing several.
A clinician, researcher, author, novelist, inventor, poet, journalist, and media
personality, Dr. Katz is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions. He has
appeared on most major television news programs and talk shows in the U.S., and
is a frequent guest on National Public Radio programs around the country. He is a
frequent source for print journalists around the world.
Dr. Katz holds 5 U.S. patents. He has authored over 200 scientific papers and
chapters, 15 books, and well over 1,000 columns and blogs- with a resulting
social media following of roughly 500,000.
Dr. Katz is recognized globally for expertise in nutrition, weight management
and the prevention of chronic disease. He has delivered addresses in numerous
countries on four continents, and has been acclaimed by colleagues as the
“poet laureate” of health promotion.
Dr. Katz and his wife, Catherine S. Katz, Ph.D. live in Connecticut. They have
five children.
The Ronald B. Herberman, M. D.
Memorial Lecture
Dr. Herberman, a Less Cancer Board Member, was the
founding director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer
Institute (UPCI) and the UPMC Cancer Center.
In 1968, Dr. Herberman was a senior investigator in the
immunology branch of the National Cancer Institute where
he organized a research program related to tumor and
cellular immunology. In 1971, he became head of a newly
established cellular and tumor immunology section in the Laboratory of Cell Biology
of the National Cancer Institute.
During this period he had responsibility over a research program made up of several
investigators who were researching cell-mediated immune response to tumors in
animal model systems and patients with cancer. As a result of this research, a new
category of lymphocytes was discovered and termed natural killer (NK) cells. After that
time, much of Dr. Herberman’s research was focused on the characterization of these
natural effector cells and their role in resistance to cancer growth.
As a board member, Dr. Herberman helped to guide Less Cancer (AKA Next Generation
Choices Foundation) in the work for prevention under the rule of evidenced-based
science. Dr. Herberman was particularly helpful in guiding the organization to bring
attention to the issue of increased incidences of melanoma.
National Cancer Prevention Day
The Resolution was introduced by Representative Steve Israel,
Co-Chair of the House Cancer Caucus. This will be the third year the
resolution that has been part of Less Cancer’s efforts to bring
attention to prevention. Currently, as part of Less Cancer’s effort, there
are individual states recognizing Cancer Prevention Day including
Virginia, Michigan, New Hampshire, and New York. These states have
done so either through resolutions or proclamations.
PANELISTS
Graham A. Colditz, M.D., Dr. P.H.
Less Cancer’s 2014 Ronald B. Herberman, M. D. Memorial Lecturer
• Niess-Gain Professor of Surgery, Professor of Medicine
• Associate Director, Prevention and Control, Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center
• Deputy Director, Institute for Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis
• Member, Institute of Medicine
Dr. Colditz is an internationally-known epidemiologist and public health expert
with a longstanding interest in the causes and prevention of chronic disease,
particularly among women. His work with large population cohorts is exemplary.
From 1996 to 2006, Dr. Colditz was the principal investigator of the Nurses’ Health
Study, one of the largest and longest-running investigations of factors that
influence women’s health. He continues to pursue approaches to the translation
of epidemiologic data to improve risk stratification and tailor prevention
messages and screening strategies.
After 23 years at Harvard University, Dr. Colditz joined the School of Medicine
faculty in 2006 to serve as the Niess-Gain Professor and associate director of
Prevention and Control at the Siteman Cancer Center.
In 2010, Dr. Colditz was named chief of the Division of Public Health Sciences in
the Department of Surgery. He also serves as program director for the School of
Medicine’s Master of Population Health Sciences degree program.
With a commitment to identifying preventable causes of chronic disease among
women and adolescents, Dr. Colditz continues to study benign breast disease
and other markers for risk of breast cancer. Other areas of his expertise include
tobacco and obesity in relation to cancer and other chronic diseases.
Dr. Colditz developed the award-winning Your Disease Risk website www.
yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu which communicates tailored prevention messages
to the public.
In October 2006, on the basis of professional achievement and commitment to
public health, Dr. Colditz was elected to membership of the Institute of Medicine,
an independent body that advises the U.S. government on issues affecting public
health. In 2011, he was awarded the American Cancer Society Medal of Honor for
Cancer Control Research.
Dr. Colditz received the AACR-ACS Award for research excellence in cancer
epidemiology and prevention in 2012. In 2014 he received the ASCO American
Cancer Society Award and Lecture - and the 2014 AACR award for outstanding
achievement in cancer prevention research.
John D. Groopman, Ph.D.
Dr. John Groopman is the Anna M. Baetjer Professor of
Environmental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health and the Associate Director for
Cancer Prevention and Control at the Sidney Kimmel
Comprehensive Cancer Center in the School of Medicine.
He received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology and was also a post-doctoral fellow at MIT.
He received further training as a staff fellow at the National Cancer Institute in
the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis.
Prior to coming to Johns Hopkins in 1989, Dr. Groopman was the Associate Dean
at the Boston University School of Public Health.
Dr. Groopman’s main research interests involve the development and application
of molecular biomarkers of exposure, dose, and effect from environmental
carcinogens. The environmental carcinogens studied include agents that are
naturally occurring in the diet.
A major emphasis of the research has been in elucidating the role of aflatoxins,
a common contaminant of the food supply, in the induction of liver cancer in
high-risk populations living in Asia and Africa. This work has led to identifying a
very strong chemical-viral interaction between aflatoxin and the human hepatitis
B virus in the induction of liver cancer.
Collectively, Dr. Groopman’s expertise involves the biological consequences of
exposures to mycotoxins and other environmental contaminants on human
health. Thus, the research in his laboratory, resulting in over 260 peer-reviewed
publications and chapters, focuses on the translation of mechanistic research to
public health based prevention strategies.
E. Janie Heath, PhD, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAAN
Dean and Warwick Professor of Nursing
Dr. Janie Heath was appointed Dean and Warwick Professor
of Nursing for the UK College of Nursing on August 1, 2014.
She has been an endowed professor of nursing and the chief
academic officer at the University of Virginia and Georgia
Health Sciences University (formerly the Medical College
of Georgia and now Georgia Regents University). She has
provided academic leadership for Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Critical-Care
Clinical Nurse Specialist Programs at Georgetown University in Washington DC
and at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Heath earned her Master of Science
Degree, with a clinical nurse specialist focus, from the University of Oklahoma
and her Post-Masters with an acute-adult nurse practitioner focus from the
University of South Carolina. She completed her Ph.D. in Nursing from George
Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia in 2004. She has over 38 years of acute and
critical care nursing experience in various positions from staff to administration
to advanced practice and academia. She has been awarded over $12 million
for academic and/or research initiatives, generated over 150 publications and
abstracts, served on numerous regional and national task forces for tobacco
control, and advanced practice nursing initiatives. Her primary research program
of study involves workforce development utilizing the Rx for Change: Clinician
Assisted Tobacco Cessation Curriculum to effectively intervene with tobaccodependent populations in acute and primary care settings.
In addition, Dr. Heath served as a Board of Director for the American Association
of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), served as the inaugural Chair for the “Beacons
of Leadership Initiative in Pursuit of Healthy Work Environments” a 30 hospital
wide collaboration in the Washington DC – Baltimore MD area for the Greater
Washington Area Chapter of AACN and founded the Nurses for Tobacco Control
national coalition for nurse educators.
Christopher A. Loffredo, Ph.D.
Co-Director of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program of the
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University
Dr. Loffredo is Professor of Oncology and teaches epidemiology and leads international research in cancer and birth
defects. His research focuses on environmental and genetic
causes and prevention of liver, bladder, and lung cancer.
Dr. Loffredo studies these cancers in Egypt, Russia, Thailand,
and elsewhere, and his research is funded by the National Cancer Institute and
other organizations. He has lectured around the world, and teaches postgraduate
students at Georgetown University’s School of Medicine. Dr. Loffredo is a member
of the editorial board of the journal called Environmental Research, and is a
reviewer for the American Journal of Medical Genetics, Cancer Epidemiology,
Biomarkers and Prevention, Carcinogenesis, and others. Dr. Loffredo’s public
service includes his participation as a member of the Children’s Environmental
Health and Protection Advisory Committee for the State of Maryland, and he was
a writer for the Maryland Cancer Control Plan.
Anand K. Parekh, M.D., M.P.H.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (Science and Medicine)
at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Dr. Anand K. Parekh is Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health
(Science & Medicine) at the U.S. Department of Health &
Human Services, a position he has held since 2008. He has
developed and implemented national initiatives focused on
prevention and wellness and on care management for
individuals with multiple chronic conditions. Briefly in 2007,
he was delegated the authorities of the Assistant Secretary for Health overseeing
10 public health program offices, including the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He is an internist, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians,
and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Medicine at Johns Hopkins University.
.
Deborah Raphael
Director, San Francisco Department of the Environment
In May of 2014, Mayor Ed Lee appointed Debbie Raphael
as the Director of the San Francisco Department of the
Environment, a city agency that creates visionary policies and
programs to ensure a sustainable future for San Francisco.
Raphael returns to San Francisco after three years leading the
California Department of Toxic Substances Control, where
she worked to balance stakeholder interests in protecting the public and
environment from toxic harm.
In 20 years of public service at city, county, and state levels, Raphael has crafted
and implemented groundbreaking policies around toxics reduction, green building, business engagement, integrated pest management, and environmentally
preferable purchasing. She graduated with honors in biology from the University
of California, Berkeley, was a Smithsonian and National Science Foundation fellow,
and has a Master’s degree in Physiological Plant Ecology from UCLA.
Marc D. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Co-Director of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program of the
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University
Dr. Schwartz is Professor of Oncology and one of the nation’s
top research programs focused on reducing the incidence,
morbidity and mortality of cancer.
As a behavioral scientist, Dr. Schwartz is internationally
recognized for his research on clinical and population
translation of genomic advances, cancer prevention, and risk communication.
Both he and Dr. Loffredo have been continuously funded by the National Cancer
Institute for many years. This funding has included multiple grants focused on
genetic testing for cancer susceptibility, such as studies examining the impact of
testing in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, studies examining innovative
approaches to the delivery of genetic counseling and testing, and the evaluation
of decision support tools for women who have recently received genetic
test results.
David Widawsky, Ph.D.
Director Chemistry, Economics, And Sustainable Strategies
Division Office Of Chemical Safety And Pollution Prevention
US Environmental Protection Agency
Since 2011, David Widawsky has served in the EPA’s Office
of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, currently as
director of the Chemistry, Economics, and Sustainable
Strategies Division. In this capacity, he provides leadership for
a wide range of work under EPA’s mission focus on chemical
safety and sustainability, and in the implementation of the Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA) and the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA). He leads a division
that manages an inventory containing chemical and chemistry information
for more than 80,000 chemicals in the streams of commerce. Additionally, the
multi-disciplinary staff under his leadership provides expertise, analysis, method
development, and innovation in a number of key disciplines, including: industrial
chemistry, economic/policy analysis, safer chemistry, sustainable manufacturing,
and environmentally preferable purchasing. He manages several programs that
promote sustainability through safer and sustainable chemistry and chemical
products, and environmental labeling standards for public procurement.
Dr. Widawsky has held several other positions at EPA since joining the Agency
in 1998. From 2010-2011, he served as a senior advisor in EPA’s Office of the
Chief Financial Officer. From 2006 to 2010, Dr. Widawsky served as the Associate
Director in EPA’s Office of Strategic Environment Management (Office of Policy).
Dr. Widawsky earned his undergraduate degrees from the University of California
at Berkeley (political economy of natural resources; plant and soil biology), a
master’s in agricultural economics (Colorado State University), and his Ph.D. in
applied and development economics from Stanford University.
Congressman Steve Israel
Congressman Steve Israel represents New York’s 3rd
Congressional District, including the communities of
Huntington, North Hempstead, Queens, Oyster Bay, and
Smithtown. He was first sworn into Congress in 2001. While
speaking to the House Democratic Caucus, former President
Bill Clinton called Congressman Israel “one of the most
thoughtful people in the House of Representatives.”
Israel is a member of the House Leadership, serving as Chair of Policy and
Communications for House Democrats. In March of 2012, he was appointed
to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, serving with seven other members
of Congress. In March 2013, Israel was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy
(USMA) Board of Visitors, which provides the President independent advice and
recommendations on matters relating to the USMA.
Israel also co-chairs the House Cancer Caucus and has been a leader in the House
advocating for cancer prevention and greater federal resources in the fight
against cancer. In this leadership role, he has introduced several bills, including a
resolution in support of designating February 4th as National Cancer Prevention
Day and the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act, which would require disclosure
of ingredients in everyday cleaning products, some of which could lead to cancer.
He is also known as a relentless advocate for veterans and middle class families.
The New York Times has called him “a Democrat who has long tried to focus
attention on the plight of the middle class.”
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
Debbie Dingell was elected to represent Michigan’s 12th
District in the U.S. House of Representatives in November
2014. Before being elected to Congress, Dingell was the
Chair of the Wayne State University Board of Governors, and
for 30 years, served one of Michigan’s largest employers, the
General Motors (GM) Corporation, where she was President
of the GM Foundation and a senior executive responsible for public affairs.
An active civic and community leader, Dingell is also a recognized national
advocate for women and children. She successfully fought to have women
included in federally-funded health research, and advocated for greater awareness
of issues directly related to women’s health, including breast cancer and women’s
heart health. She is a founder and past chair of the National Women’s Health
Resource Center and the Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
She has served on numerous boards related to women’s issues including the
advisory boards for the NIH Panel for Women’s Research, the Michigan Women’s
Economic Club, the Susan B. Komen Foundation, and the board of the Michigan
Women’s Foundation. She was a co-founder of both the first Race for the Cures
in Michigan and in Washington, DC
Congressman Don Beyer
Congressman Don Beyer is serving his first term as the
U.S. Representative from Virginia’s 8th District, representing
Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, and parts of Fairfax County.
He serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources
and is a member of the New Democrat Coalition. He was
the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1998,
and was Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein
under President Obama.
Rep. Beyer’s signature work as lieutenant governor included advocacy for
Virginians with disabilities and ensuring protections for Virginia’s most vulnerable
populations as the Commonwealth reformed its welfare system in the mid-1990s.
Rep. Beyer was Virginia’s Democratic nominee for governor in 1997.
Rep. Beyer has four children and two grandchildren. He and his wife Megan live in
Alexandria, Virginia.
LESS CANCER LEADERSHIP AWARD
Jon Whelan
Film Director
Jon Whelan is the director of Stink!, an off-beat documentary
about Whelan’s tenacious quest to uncover the source of a
chemical scent in a pair of his daughter’s pajamas. Like most
Americans, Whelan believed that if a product was on the store
shelf then it must be safe. Through his investigation, Whelan
discovers a culture of secrecy surrounding carcinogens in
everyday consumer products that begins in corporate board rooms and extends
all the way to the halls of Congress.
Formerly co-CEO of Afternic.com, internet/media start-up advisor, and a founding
member of the New York Angels, Whelan currently advocates for truthful product
labeling and is a full-time parent of two young daughters. LESS CANCER BOARD MEMBERS
Thomas M. Sherman, M.D.
Chairman of the Less Cancer Board of Directors
Tom Sherman is a founding director of Next Generation
Choices Foundation and the Less Cancer Campaign.
Dr. Sherman resides in Rye, New Hampshire and is Chairman
of the Less Cancer Board of Directors. Dr. Sherman practices
gastroenterology and internal medicine. He is the State
Representative for Rye and New Castle, New Hampshire.
Bill Couzens
Founder of Less Cancer
Bill Couzens, like so many, has also been touched by cancer,
having lost family members and close friends who suffered
from the disease. Prior to founding of Less Cancer, Couzens
was a co-founder of a fund that actually provided free
mammograms; five years later he realized this effort was not
enough. Couzens set the goal to go beyond the medical
model of “break-and fix.”
Couzens, a graduate of Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, is also the
founder of National Cancer Prevention Day, February 4th. The resolution,
entered in the House of Representatives, states that when we work to prevent
cancer risks, it impacts human health, the environment, and the economy.
Veronique Pittman
Larry Fisher
Member, Less Cancer Board of Directors
Veronique is an advocate for Sustainable schools, an activist
in the areas of indigenous rights, biodiversity conservation,
green technologies, discovery learning, and women’s
reproductive health. She serves as a trustee of The Rainforest
Foundation, Global Goods Partners, LessCancer.org and
Round Hill Hotels and Villas. She is also a sponsor of the
American Museum of Natural History and an Advisory Board member of the
Sustainable Acai Project. Graphic designer, former cook and mountaineer, a
weaver of webs, connecting individuals to each other, to their communities,
to the earth. Community organizer striving to bring sustainable, creative,
resourceful abundance to the whole.
Member, Less Cancer Board of Directors
Larry Fisher is President, Family Wealth Services for the Chevy
Chase Trust and is responsible for providing comprehensive
wealth planning advice and overseeing services to families,
individuals, foundations, and endowments. Larry is a member
of Beta Gamma Sigma. He is currently a member of the
Suburban Hospital Foundation Board. Larry is also a member
of the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Council of the United
States, Teach for America – D.C. Region, and Junior Achievement of the National
Capital Area. He is also a former Treasurer and Executive Committee member of
the Board of The National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center.
He is the former Chair of the Board of Directors of the Graduate Management
Admissions Council (GMAC). From 1995 to 2009, he was a member of the Board
of Visitors at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business..
Less Cancer Board of Directors
Thomas M. Sherman M.D., Chairman of the Board of Directors
William U. “Bill” Couzens, Founder and President of Next
Generation Choices Foundation and the Less Cancer Campaign
Greg Lam, Vice President
Kristiane Crane Graham, Treasurer
John M. Couzens
Margaret I. Cuomo, M.D.
Maryann Donovan, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Stormy Stokes Hood
Miles O’Brien
Veronique Pittman
Larry Fisher
Natalia (Ali) Pejacsevich
David MacDonald
Ronald B. Herberman M.D. (In Memoriam)
Less Cancer Bike Ride to Mackinaw
In July, as sailboats leave Port Huron, cyclists for Lesscancer.org
ride 300 miles north to Mackinac Island.
Program design: Frankl Creative, inc.