Staff & Board
CancerCare is proud to have a staff of nearly 40 professional oncology social workers whose expertise in cancer and emotional issues helps 90,000 cancer patients each year. CancerCare’s Board of Trustees and Medical Advisory Board contribute knowledge, resources, and talents to the organization. CancerCare is grateful to its committee members and President’s Council for their ongoing commitment and support.
Executive Director Diane Blum
Diane Blum, MSW, Executive DirectorDiane S. Blum is Executive Director of CancerCare, Inc., a national non-profit organization that provides free professional support services including counseling, education, financial assistance and practical help to people with cancer and their loved ones. Ms. Blum joined CancerCare in 1984 as Director of Social Service, and became Executive Director in 1990. Previously, Ms. Blum served as a social work supervisor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Co founder of the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations, Ms. Blum is also a founder of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of People Living with Cancer, the ASCO website for patients and the public. Additionally, she serves on committees of the National Academies' Institute of Medicine, ASCO, and the National Association of Social Work, and is a member of the editorial boards of five oncology-related publications.
Ms. Blum’s awards include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Board of Sponsors of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Special Recognition Award from the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, the Republic Bank Breast Cancer Research Foundation Award, and the Special Recognition Award of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Ms. Blum has written and lectured extensively about the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and their families. Her research has been published in a variety of medical journals including the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, and the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Ms. Blum received a bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester and a master's degree from the School of Social Welfare at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
CancerCare Social Service Staff
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Ellen Coleman, MSSA | Associate Executive Director |
| Floyd Allen, LMSW | Senior Clinical Supervisor |
| Susan Barrett, LSW | Children's Outreach Project Coordinator |
| Winfield Boerckel, LCSW-R, MBA | LiveStrong National Relations Program Coordinator, Lung Cancer Program Coordinator |
| Dominick Bonanno, LCSW | Graduate Student Program Coordinator |
| Erin Columbus, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Richard Dickens, LCSW-R | Telephone Groups Program Coordinator, Program Coordinator of Blood Cancers |
| Melissa H. Dressel, LCSW | Online Group Moderator |
| Elizabeth Ezra, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Diana Forand-Pike, LCSW | Online Group Moderator |
| Katherine B. Fromm, LMSW | Online Group Moderator |
| Carolyn F. Fulton, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Lois Glasser, LCSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Aimee Gross, LCSW | Clinical Coordinator for Caregiver Services |
| Richard Hara, PhD, LCSW | Director of Online Services |
| Robin Hershkowitz, LCSW | Women's Cancers Program Director |
| Wade Iwata, LMSW | Prostate Cancer Project Coordinator |
| Julie Larson, LMSW | Program Coordinator for Young Adult Services |
| Jane Levy, LCSW | Director of Patient Assistance Programs |
| Leora S. Lowenthal, LCSW, OSW-C | Online Group Moderator |
| Keith Lyons, LCSW-R | Gastrointestinal Cancers Program Coordinator |
| Shirley Marc, MPH | Manager of Quality Assurance and Program Evaluation |
| Glenn Meuche, LMSW | Pain Services Program Coordinator |
| Akiko Miyake, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Nora Molloy, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Kathleen Nugent, LCSW | Director of Social Service, New Jersey |
| Rachel Odo, LCSW | Online Group Moderator |
| Sonia Pacheco, LMSW | Bilingual Oncology Social Worker |
| Vilmarie Rodriguez, MSW | Hispanic Outreach & Education Program Coordinator |
| Essie Roman, MSW | Bilingual Oncology Social Worker |
| Rochelle Sax, LCSW | Director of Special Outreach |
| Patricia Spicer, LMSW | Breast Cancer Program Coordinator |
| Stephanie Stern, LMSW | Online Group Moderator |
| Sandra Tripodi, LCSW | Director of Social Service, Connecticut |
| Marilyn Wald, MSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Sandra Whiteley, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
| Camille Wirth | Technical Manager, Online Client Services |
| Rebecca Wong, LCSW | Online Group Moderator |
| Julia Zagoria, LMSW | Oncology Social Worker |
CancerCare Principal Education Staff
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Carolyn Messner, DSW, LCSW-R | Director of Education and Training |
Assistant Director of Education and Training |
CancerCare Principal External Affairs Staff
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Jeanie M. Barnett | Director of Outreach and Marketing |
| Lisa Cannella | Regional Director, CancerCare of Connecticut |
| Monica Cavazos | Manager of Professional Communications |
| Stephanie Karlo | Regional Director, CancerCare of New Jersey |
| Sue Lee | Director of Institutional Giving |
| Elizabeth Nystrom | Grants Manager |
| Marisa Rospos | Donor Services Manager |
| Leslie Tan | Senior Manager of Special Events |
| Christina M. Wyman | Senior Manager of Corporate Relations |
| Jacqueline Zahora, LCSW-R | Senior Manager, Online Content |
| Theodora Ziongas, MA | Regional Director, CancerCare of Long Island |
CancerCare Principal Finance and Administration Staff
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| John Rutigliano, CPA | Chief Operating Officer |
| Forrest Buckman | Director of Databases |
| Thomas Ciccotelli | Controller |
| Ann Navarria, PHR | Director of Human Resources |
| Hector Perez | Director of Information Technology |
| Francis Scretchings | Manager of Facilities |
| Aleks Yeselev | Senior Accountant |
CancerCare Board of Trustees
| Name | Affiliations |
|---|---|
| John A. Gentile, Jr President |
PRR, Inc |
| Susan Smirnoff Executive Vice-President |
Executive VP, Ruder Finn, Inc |
| Margaret R. Diaz-Cruz, ACSW Vice-President |
Director, Stipendiary Program, Isaac H. Tuttle Fund |
| Edward C. Lauber Vice-President |
Chairman, Lauber Imports |
| Maggy M. Siegel Vice-President |
CEO, Delman Footwear Inc. |
| Timothy M. Dwyer Treasurer |
BDT Holdings LLC |
| David S. Erickson Assistant Treasurer |
Managing Director, Lehman Brothers Inc. |
| Audrey Boughton Secretary |
Early Music Foundation |
| Thomas A. Andruskevich | Chairman, President, & CEO, Mayors Jewelers Inc. |
| Janet Dewart Bell | University of Pittsburgh |
| Jan Myers Cook | Law Office of Jan Myers Cook |
| H. Frank Doroff | Executive VP/GMM, Bloomingdale’s |
| Paul Friedman | Bear Stearns |
| Louis A. Guzzetti, Jr* | Chairman and CEO, Spinnaker Coating, LLC |
| Donald J. Hayden, Jr | Executive Chairman, Amicus Therapeutics and Transave, Inc. |
| C. Hugh Hildesley | Executive VP of Client Development, Sotheby’s |
| David J. Keisman | Senior Vice President of the Corporate Finance Group, Moody’s Investors Service |
| Albert G. Nickel | LyonHeart |
| Marsha J. Palanci | President, Cornerstone Communications, LTD. |
| William C. Pelster* | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP |
| Bert M. Petersen, Jr, MD | Hackensack University Medical Center |
| Andrew Pizzo | Collection XIIX, Ltd. |
| Matthew E. Ros | Director, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company |
| Bruce Ross | Biogen IDEC |
| Dorothy Schachne | |
| Michael W. Schechter | Mentor Partners |
| David L. Stone | President, Stone Capital Advisors LLC |
| Milton G. Strom | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP |
| James B. Swire* | Arnold & Porter LLP |
| Samuel D. Turner* | Turner & Goss, LLP |
| Linda T. Vahdat, MD | Weill Cornell University Medical Center |
| Michael S. Weiss | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. |
| Michael D. Widlitz, MD | |
| Pamela Suthern Wygod | WebMD Charitable Foundation |
| * Past President | |
Medical Advisory Board
| Name | Institution |
|---|---|
| Karen Antman, MD | Boston University School of Medicine |
| Joseph S. Bailes, MD | American Society of Clinical Oncology |
| Robert Comis, MD | Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups |
| Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD | National Institutes of Health |
| Kathleen M. Foley, MD | Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center |
| Jimmie Holland, MD | Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center |
| Mark G. Kris, MD | Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center |
| Robert J. Mayer, MD | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute |
| Larry Norton, MD | Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center |
