Headquarters Staff

Kim Thiboldeaux

Chief Executive Officer

Kim Thiboldeaux joined The Wellness Community in 2000 as President and CEO. In 2009, the headquarters offices of The Wellness Community and Gilda’s Club joined forces to become the Cancer Support Community, one of the largest providers of social and emotional support worldwide, where Kim has maintained her role as CEO. The combined organization is the largest nonprofit employer of psychosocial oncology mental health professionals in North America, advancing the idea that psychosocial care is as important as medical care in the face of a cancer diagnosis. The Cancer Support Community provides social and emotional support through a network of more than 50 local affiliates, more than 100 satellite locations and online at www.cancersupportcommunity.org. The organization also maintains a Research & Training Institute in Philadelphia and a Cancer Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

Formerly the Director of Patient Relations, Oncology, & Transplant at Hoffmann-La Roche, Kim brings to this position a wealth of experience in health care, patient education, and national patient advocacy. Kim serves in numerous leadership roles in the cancer and health care communities including: member of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, Co-Chair of the Alliance for Quality Psychosocial Care, and Cancer Today magazine National Advisory Board Member. Prior to joining Roche, she served as the Director of Corporate Relations at Whitman-Walker Clinic, a Washington, D.C.-based health clinic that provides comprehensive services to people with HIV and AIDS.

Kim is the co-author of Reclaiming Your Life After Diagnosis (2012), and The Total Cancer Wellness Guide (2007), both full-length books published by BenBella Books. She is the host of Frankly Speaking About Cancer with the Cancer Support Community, an award-winning Internet talk radio show that airs weekly on VoiceAmerica.com and is aimed at informing and inspiring listeners to live well with cancer. Kim is also a regular contributor to The Huffington Post.

Linda House

President

Linda House has a long-standing history with the Cancer Support Community. First she served as a local, affiliate volunteer and now, as President of the headquarters office. In her current role, Linda oversees several areas of CSC including the Research and Training Institute, the Cancer Policy Institute, strategic growth and development and marketing and communications while maintaining high engagement with CSC’s affiliates and service delivery functions. Linda joined CSC after many years working in the cancer care environment, including over a decade of direct patient care in the acute oncology and hospice care setting.

Immediately prior to joining CSC, Linda served as Executive Director of St. Vincent Cancer Care in Indianapolis where she led a team of individuals to provide care across the full cancer continuum. Prior to that, Linda was Senior Director of Advocacy and Professional Relations for Lilly Oncology working with patient and professional organizations on programs and broad issues related to cancer care.

Linda serves in a variety of advisory roles in the national cancer community and is also an active volunteer with a number of organizations in her local community.

Michael Abdeljabbar

Senior Accountant

Michael Abdeljabbar joined the Cancer Support Community in September 2014 as Senior Accountant. A graduate of Virginia Tech, Michael spent the previous eight years serving as the Accountant for another DC non-profit organization. He is also Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Northern Virginia Community College.

Nicole Baillis,

Director, Digital

Nicole has an extensive background in project and program management with experience in information technology, organizational operations, communications, professional development, and workforce coaching. She has worked in a variety of industries including healthcare advocacy, management consulting, and higher education. Nicole earned her Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin-Wallace College and has certifications in Change Management and Everything DiSC®. She has also completed formal training in Coaching and Mentoring for Improved Performance.

Nicole and her husband enjoy spending time in the outdoors with their rescue dog. She also loves to travel, explore the National Parks, hike, go to farmer’s markets, support local businesses, and learn about sustainable living.

Lauren Ballantoni

Coordinator, Development

Lauren joined the CSC staff in February 2017 as Development Coordinator. She is responsible for providing support to CSC’s fundraising and development efforts, including maintaining the donor database as well as donor relation efforts. Lauren graduated from Florida State University in 2016 with a Master’s in both Social Work and Public Administration, where she focused on nonprofit management. Her previous development experience comes from her time working for the Thomasville Community Resource Center, helping with their grant management and fundraising efforts.

Shelby Berger

Manager, Policy & Advocacy

Shelby Berger joined the Cancer Support Community in May 2017 as the Policy and Advocacy Manager. She works with the policy team to develop and implement CSC’s regulatory and legislative agenda while focusing on grassroots and state-level advocacy. Shelby graduated with a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University in 2016, where she studied Communication with a focus in Public Policy and Advocacy. Before joining CSC, Shelby worked as a Legislative Aide in the Ohio House of Representatives, where she worked on a wide variety of issues from Medicaid to Workers Compensation.

Logan Berman

Director, Development

As Director, Development Logan is responsible for helping lead individual, corporate cause marketing, foundation, and planned giving efforts as well as oversight of CSC headquarter’ s development team.

Logan came to CSC with nearly 10 years of fundraising experience, most recently serving as Associate Director, Corporate Partnerships at Children’s National Medical Center. In this role, Logan was responsible for raising over a million dollars annually in restricted and unrestricted major giving, event sponsorships, and workplace giving. Additionally, she managed Children’s National’s Corporate Advisory Council, a board of C-Suite Executives from the National Capital Area. Prior to this position, Logan served in various fundraising, event management and press relations capacities at Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Americans for Prosperity and The Romney for President Campaign.

After losing her mother to Pancreatic Cancer in 2013, Logan is thrilled to have the opportunity to improve the lives of those touched by cancer. Logan is a graduate of Elon University and resides in Washington, DC.

Allie Day

Coordinator, Affiliate Relations

Allie Day joined the Cancer Support Community in June 2017 as the Coordinator of Affiliate Relations. In this role, she provides support to CSC’s network of affiliates, hospitals and health care partners. Before joining the team full-time, Allie was a Communications Intern for CSC and a Marketing & Communications Intern for the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. She graduated from American University with a BA in Foreign Language and Communication Media with a focus on public relations. Allie minored in psychology and also played on the varsity women’s soccer team at American.

Aicha Diallo-Bennett, MPH, CHES

Director, Cancer Support Helpline

Aicha Diallo-Bennett, MPH, CHES joined the Cancer Support Community in November 2017 as the Director, Cancer Support Helpline. In her current role, she oversees the day to day operations of the helpline.

Prior to joining CSC, she worked at the Arthritis Foundation-Northeast Region, first as a Program Manager of the New York Chapter and then as the Community Engagement Director for Greater New York. As part of her role at the Arthritis Foundation, she was responsible for the NY Chapter Arthritis Helpline along with all the health education programs, advocacy and policy efforts tailored to children and adults with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases.

In addition, she is an Adjunct Professor for the Master’s in Public Health Program at Long Island University and also manages their alumni activities.

She sits on several advisory boards and committees of various organizations and has given presentations at professional conferences such as APHA and was selected in 2016 and 2017 to be an abstract reviewer. Aicha has been published in medical and public health journals and one of her most recent works was selected as a finalist for the 2015 Aging in Public Health, Erickson Foundation Research Award in Positive at APHA. This combination of all has allowed her to tackle several angles in the public health arena.

Marcia Donziger

Vice President Digital Strategy & Business Development

Marcia is passionate about helping cancer patients through the treatment process. Diagnosed with stage IIIC ovarian cancer at the age of 27, Marcia discovered how difficult it was to keep friends and family updated on her health progress while in the hospital recovering from surgery and then for 6 months of chemotherapy. MyLifeLine.org was founded in memory of Lori Arquilla Anderson, who was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 33 and died two years later. During her treatments, Lori and her family benefited from a website that kept them connected to a support network that grew beyond their imaginations. Marcia saw an opportunity to make a difference for all cancer patients by creating MyLifeLine.org.

Marcia lives in Denver with her 12-year old twin boys, Jake and Ryan. Her favorite hobbies are traveling, music, yoga, biking, and enjoying the Colorado sunshine.

Hildy Dillon, MPH

Vice President, Education & Support Programs

Hildy Dillon is Cancer Support Community’s (CSC) Vice President, Education and Support Programs. In this role she oversees CSC programs and services for people living with cancer, their caregivers and loved ones, including education and outreach, the Cancer Support Helpline, online virtual support services, programmatic professional training and program development and dissemination across CSC’s affiliate network and beyond.

Prior to joining CSC, Hildy was Vice President for MK&A (Mark Krueger & Associates, Inc.), a global healthcare stakeholder relations firm. Before MK&A, Hildy spent nearly 15 years at the national headquarters of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), most recently as the senior vice president of patient & professional programs. Prior to LLS, Hildy was manager of smoking or health programs at the national office of the American Lung Association (ALA) and began her career at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in the Clinical Chemistry Research Department and in the MSKCC Office of Cancer Communications.

Hildy serves as the patient advocate on the Lymphoma Committee of the National Clinical Trial Network’s Southwest Oncology Group and for the National Cancer Institute’s Lymphoma Steering Committee and has served as an advisor for industry and many non-profit organizations, including CSC’s CML and Myeloma Cancer Experience Registries.

Hildy holds a BS in Biology from the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry and an MPH from CUNY Hunter College Graduate School of Health Sciences.

You may contact Hildy at hdillon@cancersupportcommunity.org

Katie Dimond

Manager, Program Development & Delivery

Katie Dimond joined the Cancer Support Community in January 2017 as the Program and Services Coordinator and was promoted to Manager in January 2018. In her current role, Katie provides administrative and technology support to the Cancer Support Helpline and other online delivery services in addition to statistical tracking and monthly reporting. Katie graduated with a BA in Anthropology from Trinity College in 2016 where she completed a senior thesis about where and how women give birth and had the opportunity to study abroad in Prague.

Tristan Fitzpatrick

Coordinator, Communications

Tristan Fitzpatrick joined the Cancer Support Community in January 2018 as Coordinator of Digital Outreach. In this role, he tells the stories of people affected by cancer for CSC’s blog, email marketing materials, and social media profiles. Before joining CSC, he was a journalist for Science Node, an online magazine founded by the National Science Foundation that focuses on advanced research networks. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Indiana University.

Elizabeth Franklin, LGSW, ACSW, is Executive Director of the Cancer Policy Institute (CPI) at the Cancer Support Community (CSC). Elizabeth is responsible for all aspects of the CPI including legislative, regulatory, policy, and research priorities as well as operations, fundraising, and management. Elizabeth was previously Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at CSC.

Prior to joining CSC, Elizabeth was Director of Policy and Engagement at The George Washington University Cancer Institute where she worked at both the macro level, developing and implementing the Institute’s policy agenda, and at the micro level, working with the patient-centered care team to ensure that all patients had access to high-quality, timely cancer care. Elizabeth has also served as Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy with the Prevent Cancer Foundation as well as Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer at the headquarters of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

Currently a doctoral student at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, Elizabeth is focusing her dissertation on the ways in which patients define value in the cancer care system and how those definitions can be incorporated into public policy and clinical practice. Elizabeth obtained her Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her Bachelors Degree in Social Work from the University of Kentucky. She is a Licensed Graduate Social Worker in the District of Columbia and a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers. Elizabeth is President-Elect of the NASW-DC Chapter, a member of the Association of Oncology Social Workers Advocacy Committee, and a member of the Leadership Council of the Association of Oncology Nurse and Patient Navigators (AONN), as well as Chair of the AONN Policy and Advocacy Committee. Elizabeth is a published author of two nonprofit leadership texts, a co-editor of two social work texts, and has had articles published in several peer reviewed journals.

Brittany Gallagher

Manager, Strategic Events

Brittany Gallagher joined the Cancer Support Community in July 2016 as the Strategic Events Coordinator and has since been promoted to Manager. In her role, she develops strategies to plan and manage all of Cancer Support Community’s events. Previously, Brittany worked at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, helping plan the 2016 International Convention. In 2015, Brittany graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelor's degree in Global Affairs. During her time at Mason, Brittany was active in working with incoming international students and had the opportunity to spend a semester abroad in Budapest, Hungary.

Sara Goldberger, LCSW-R

Senior Director, Program Development & Delivery

Sara Goldberger is the Senior Director of Program Development & Delivery at Cancer Support Community. She is responsible for the development of new programs and special projects and ensuring quality standards of program delivery across the affiliate network. Sara has worked in the field of psychosocial oncology for over 25 years. Previously, she served as the Program Director of Gilda’s Club Westchester for 6 years. Sara began her social work career at Calvary Hospital, Bronx NY, an acute care hospital for terminally ill cancer patients. She received her MSW from Columbia University in New York were she was the Dean’s Award Scholar in recognition of excellence in both academics and clinical work in the field.

Tanisha Haltiwanger

Manager, Administrative Support

Tanisha Haltiwanger, Manager, Administrative Support, joined the Cancer Support Community in 2015. Tanisha is a skilled Administrative Professional and has 15 years of experience in both the corporate and nonprofit sector. Tanisha began her career at the Department of State and has extensive experience in the fields of finance, and HR.

Tanisha is a long time native of Washington, DC. She enjoys gardening, cooking and sightseeing.

Heather Hollen

Director, Education

Heather Hollen joined the Cancer Support Community team in January 2017. As the Education Director, she manages and develops content for education programs and eLearning courses. Heather most recently worked as an Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) Fellow at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). During her time there, she worked on binational children’s health issues, education projects on lead-based paint exposure, and grades K-8 sun-safety materials for skin cancer prevention. Heather received her Master of Science degree in Environmental Health Science and Industrial Hygiene from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She has exhibited and presented at a variety of national conferences and has been an abstract reviewer for the American Public Health Association.

Chelsea Johnson, CHES

Coordinator, Education

Chelsea Johnson began working at the Cancer Support Community in August 2016 as the Education and Outreach Coordinator. In her role, she develops educational materials and programs for people impacted by cancer. Chelsea graduated from the University of Maryland in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Community Health. In the summer of 2014, she participated in the 4k for Cancer, a 70-day bike ride from Baltimore to Portland, Oregon. Through this ride, she helped to raise awareness for cancer research and raise funds for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. Chelsea is a Certified Health Education Specialist.

Miranda Johnson

Coordinator, Affiliate Data

Originally from Irvine, California, Miranda Johnson joins the Affiliate Relations team after having interned for the Cancer Policy Institute (CPI) at the Cancer Support Community (CSC). In her role as the Policy and Advocacy Intern, Miranda wrote blogs, attended briefings and hearings on Capitol Hill, conducted policy-related research for the CPI, and helped grow the Twitter following for the policy team. Miranda received her Bachelor’s degree in English and Art History from Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 2015.

Kathy Lindner

Coordinator, Digital

Kathy’s background includes a variety of work experiences, ranging from health sciences, event coordination, and customer service. As the Operations Coordinator, Kathy is committed to continually improving the user experience for MyLifeLine members, communicating new features, supporting the technology team, and providing compassionate customer care. Previously, she worked at GiveForward in Chicago, an online fundraising site serving those with medical financial needs. At GiveForward, Kathy’s role as a “User Happiness Rep” allowed her to personally help cancer patients and their caregivers. Her passion for supporting cancer patients and their loved ones led her to MyLifeLine here in Denver.

Kathy completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Notre Dame. A Chicago native, Kathy has recently moved to Denver with her husband and two children. They love to entertain and have enjoyed making new friends. She takes advantage of all the outdoor adventures Colorado provides, including hiking, biking, snowboarding, fishing, and camping. When she’s not cheering on the sidelines of her children’s activities, you can find her enjoying some peace and mindfulness on her yoga mat.

Shauna McManus

Manager, Research

Shauna McManus joined the Cancer Support Community in April 2017 as the Research Coordinator and was promoted to Research Manager in January 2018. In her role she provides project support for various research initiatives at the CSC Research & Training Institute, including data management and analysis. Shauna graduated from American University in May 2017, where she received dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Applied Statistics and Public Health. Before joining the research team, Shauna worked at CSC headquarters for two years, interning and providing data assistance for the Education department.

Ted Miller

Vice President, Development and External Affairs

Ted Miller is the Vice President, Development and External Affairs.

He oversees the Cancer Support Community’s individual fundraising efforts, special events, and communications. He is also charged with elevating CSC's patient-focused mission through partnerships and cause marketing efforts.

Before joining CSC, Ted served in the Obama administration as the Chief of External Affairs at the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that administers AmeriCorps and provides $600 million in funding to more than 3,000 nonprofits.

In 2014, Ted directed the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps, which culminated in a White House event with Presidents Obama and Clinton, simultaneous ceremonies in all 50 states, and digital engagement that reached 52 million social media users in 24 hours. Ted also served as a strategic advisor for partnerships with corporations and foundations whose financial contributions enabled thousands of additional individuals to participate in AmeriCorps.

The University of Kansas graduate’s previous experience includes senior-level roles with Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle and then-Rep. Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Ted also worked with multiple campaigns and at NARAL Pro-Choice America, where he secured funding for groundbreaking programs focused on Latino and millennial voters.

Max Mulcahy

Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives

Max Mulcahy joined the Cancer Support Community in February 2018 as the Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives. In his current role, Max oversees the development of hospital partnerships and stakeholder relationships to develop programs that address the psycho-social needs of cancer patients.

Prior to this role, Max served as Senior Director for Patient and Professional Education at the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF). In this role Max led LRF’s live national patient education program series annually servicing thousands of lymphoma patients and caregivers. Max was also responsible for the development and creation of the Foundation's national professional education portfolio. He worked closely with internationally recognized experts to advance lymphoma education among health care professionals, as well as develop continuing education programs for nurses.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Max served as Director of Programs at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and as policy fellow through the Legacy Heritage Fellowship Program. He holds a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration from Baruch College.

Julie Olson, PhD

Director, Research

Julie Olson joined the Cancer Support Community in January of 2018 as a Director of Research. A sociologist by training, Julie came to CSC from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Carolina Population Center. Her postdoctoral work on the development of population health disparities from adolescence into adulthood was funded by a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Julie received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, where she specialized in demography and population health.

Fritz Padilla

Lead Technical Architect, Digital

Fritz has been working in web development since the 90’s when music was delivered on compact disks and his favorite team, the Denver Broncos, were still without a Super Bowl trophy. His first website project was a work study job for the Summer Bridge Program at Metro State University where he later graduated with a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems. Fritz has managed developer teams and built web applications for many organizations including the State of Colorado, Google, Ritz Carlton, Vail Resorts, and The University of Colorado and has extensive experience in the Full Stack development process.
He has also coached little league basketball, football, and volleyball for his son and daughter, Fritz IV and Savannah. Fritz enjoys searching for unique dining experiences with Christina, his wife of 17 years, and hopes to one day take her on a motorcycle trip across the country.

Nick Power

Manager, Strategic Initiatives

Nick Power joined the Cancer Support Community in March 2017 as the Project Coordinator for Strategic Initiatives and was promoted to Manager in January 2018. In his current role, Nick works with hospitals, patients, and other stakeholders to help develop individual CSC initiatives. Previous to this position, Nick worked at CSC as both a Communications Intern and a Program & Development Intern. Prior to joining CSC, he served as a Policy Intern at Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Nick graduated from American University in 2016 with a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies: Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government and a minor in Psychology.

Christina Raia

Director, Corporate Relations

Christina Raia joined Cancer Support Community in July 2009 and currently serves as the Director, Corporate Relations. In this position Christina is responsible for CSC's corporate fundraising, and also serves as the liaison for CSC's Young Leadership Council in New York City. Prior to joining Cancer Support Community, Christina served as Development Manager for Gilda’s Club Worldwide.

Christina holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from St. Joseph’s College, where she also obtained certificates in Advertising & Public Relations, Human Resources and Management. Christina is currently an MBA candidate at the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College.

Amelia Robert

Manager, Education

Amelia Robert joined the Cancer Support Community team in April 2018. In her role as Education and Outreach Manager, she assists with the development of educational materials for cancer survivors and caregivers. Amelia comes to CSC from the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance, where she was the first Ann Kolker Policy Fellow. She holds a Master’s in Public Health from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health. While in graduate school, she participated in the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, and worked in the communications department of the Louisiana Cancer Prevention and Control Programs. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Health from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas.

Kristen Cox Santiago

Senior Director, Policy & Advocacy

Kristen Santiago has substantial experience working in the healthcare industry in roles in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. In her current role as Senior Director, Policy & Advocacy for The Cancer Support Community (CSC), Kristen is responsible for the development and implementation of CSC’s regulatory and legislative agenda, securing and growing relationships with policymakers and stakeholders across multiple sectors, and engaging national partners to identify areas of common work and consensus to collectively advocate for positive change for people affected by cancer.

In Kristen’s previous position as Director, Strategic Initiatives & Outreach at C-Change, Kristen oversaw two of the organization’s strategic initiatives: Assuring Value in Cancer Care, focusing on improving the quality of care for individuals with cancer and their loved ones; and Sustaining a Strong National Cancer Workforce, focusing on increasing the quantity of individuals who provide care and improving the quality of the care they provide.

Prior to C-Change, Kristen worked for TAP and Takeda Pharmaceuticals and The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and interned with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity. Kristen earned a Masters of Science in Health Promotion Management at American University and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Language Pathology from The George Washington University.

Kristen is driven by a strong personal desire to impact the health status and quality of life of individuals.

Claire Saxton

Senior Director, Education

Claire is responsible for CSC’s national patient education and outreach programs. She has 25 years of experience in nonprofit management, and a wealth of experience in patient education and advocacy. Claire came to CSC from the Urology Care Foundation, where she managed national patient education programs and public awareness campaigns with partners that included coalitions of patient advocacy organizations for National Bladder Health Month as well as the National Football League for prostate cancer awareness.

As Executive Director of the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, Claire expanded their educational programming and developed the first National Bladder Cancer Awareness Day. While the Executive Director of the Breast Cancer Resource Center in Austin, Texas, she doubled their patient advocacy and outreach programs. Claire began her work in health advocacy while part of the team that opened the National Domestic Violence Hotline in 1996.

Claire holds an MBA from the University of Oregon and an undergraduate degree from Rice University. She is inspired by the everyday courage of patients, survivors and their loved ones she has met throughout her career. Outside of work, Claire loves spending time with her husband Andrew, son Luke and their dog Blossom.

Nancy Shannon

Coordinator, Communications

Jenny Song

Director, Digital & Web

Jenny Song is the Director of Digital and Web at the Cancer Support Community. She is responsible for expanding the organization’s online presence and strategically extending its reach to people impacted by cancer. She oversees the growth, management and ongoing sustainability of CSC’s digital and web assets and content across multiple platforms, including developing and implementing the organization’s digital and mobile strategy.

Jenny has been in health care communications for more than 14 years, specifically in the field of oncology and patient advocacy, developing patient education materials and communicating to the public about pre-clinical cancer research and pediatric cancer research. In her various roles, she created content strategies and managed multi-media projects, including producing podcasts, webinars, videos and overseeing the relaunch of several websites. Jenny began her career as a health care journalist, and her writing has been featured in Cancer Today, a consumer magazine produced by the American Association for Cancer Research.

Sarah Suettinger

Director, Administration

Sarah Suettinger joined the Cancer Support Community in April 2015 as the Development Manager and moved into the Administration Manager role in January 2017. She was promoted to Director, Administration in January 2018. In this role, Sarah works with staff across all departments to help ensure the smooth operation of CSC's offices in Washington, DC, Philadelphia and New York City. She is involved with staff recruitment, managing human resources functions and helps support the organization's technology infrastructure. In 2013, Sarah graduated with a Masters in Nutrition and Integrative Health from Maryland University of Integrative Health.

Tsenu Tamrat

Coordinator, Development

Tsenu Tamrat

Coordinator, Development

Tsenu joined CSC as a Development Coordinator in April 2018 to support the fundraising and development efforts at CSC. Before joining the team full time, she was a development intern at CSC and the World Resources Institute. She graduated from Randolph College with a BA in Economics and a minor in Political Science.

Jeff Travers

Chief Operating Officer

Jeff Travers joined the Cancer Support Community in 2015, leading a team that manages the organization's finances, HR, technology, and operations, while supporting CSC's Finance Committee and Board of Directors. Jeff joined CSC after many years working with local and national nonprofit organizations.

Most recently, Jeff was a director and a member of the senior leadership team at Fight For Children, which supports education reform efforts in local schools. During his eight years at Fight For Children, Jeff worked on various projects and initiatives, including managing the organization’s multi-million dollar annual fundraiser, twice redesigning its website, leading its strategic planning process, and supporting the launch of several major programmatic initiatives. Earlier in his career, Jeff was the associate executive director at Whitman-Walker Clinic (now Whitman-Walker Health) in Washington, DC. Over nine years at the Clinic, Jeff played a variety of roles, including managing the organization’s fundraising team, running the organization’s operations, and developing its real estate portfolio, including two of its medical facilities. Jeff also founded and ran a small business providing management support to more than a dozen local and national nonprofit organizations.

Jeff is an active volunteer in community-based and civic organizations. He is currently serving as the Chair of the DC Healthy Youth and Schools Commission, a position to which he was appointed by the Mayor of DC. He has also served as a board member and chair of two local nonprofit organizations, Adoptions Together and the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative. He served for several years as the Treasurer of the Logan Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission, an elected position which advises DC government agencies on matters of concern to citizens.

Jeff has a BA in History, with a minor in Fine Arts, from Georgetown University and an MBA, with a concentration on leadership, from the George Washington University. He lives in Washington, DC with his two school-aged children, Neil and Emma.

Sally Werner, RN, BSN, MSHA

Senior Vice President, Affiliate Relations

Sally is formerly the CEO of Gilda’s Club Quad Cities, where she directed a Cancer Support Community program that serves a 15-county area in Iowa and Illinois.

A recognized leader and patient advocate, Sally brings 20 years of experience to this critical position. Her diverse portfolio includes clinical and management responsibilities with nonprofit and for-profit hospitals as well as community-based organizations. Sally has overseen many cancer service lines, including cancer research, cancer registry, supportive and outreach services, radiation oncology, infusion centers, inpatient oncology units and centers for breast health.

Sally’s innovative spirit and leadership style has resulted in many professional accolades, including placement on the Quad Cities 40 Under 40 list and selection as an Iowa Top 100 nurse. She is also an Academy Fellowship Graduate of the Advisory Board Company and earned a Lean Healthcare Certification from the University of Michigan.

A native of Minnesota, Sally earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Winona State University and a master’s of science in health administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Alexandra Zaleta, PhD

Senior Director, Research

Alexandra Zaleta, PhD, is the Senior Director of Research at the Cancer Support Community. In this role, she manages and supports numerous Research and Training Institute initiatives focusing on individuals with cancer and caregivers. Dr. Zaleta is trained as a behavioral health researcher and a clinical psychologist. She received her undergraduate degree from Vassar College and a master’s degree in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University. She completed her doctorate in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and clinical internship training at the VA Boston Healthcare System. She subsequently completed three years of postdoctoral training in Psychosocial Oncology and Women’s Behavioral Health at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital. Dr. Zaleta’s professional interests involve the intersection of health psychology and geriatric psychology. Her research focuses on the psychological consequences of illness, fear of illness recurrence, patient values and priorities, health communication, and cancer survivorship.