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 Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Northern Virginia Community College.

Before joining CSC in July 2018, Jeanne worked at the Morris Animal Foundation, where she led the digital strategy and marketing for the Foundation’s online presence and email program. She previously worked for Share Our Strength, managing the digital communications team, specializing in online fundraising and event marketing. She also has a background in content management and partner relations. At CSC, she leads the digital team in developing and maintaining an innovative and sustainable online program.

Previous to her work in the nonprofit sector, Jeanne's 25 year marketing career extended to both big tech and publishing. She has managed strategy, product management, partner engagement and digital growth programs.  

Jeanne earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri/Columbia in English, French and Art History, and spent a year at the University of Paris/Sorbonne.

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.

Erica E. Fortune, PhD, joined Cancer Support Community (CSC) in 2020 as the Director of Research at our Research and Training Institute (RTI). Holding a Ph.D. in Cognitive and Experimental Psychology from the University of Georgia (2013), Erica brings a wealth of academic and professional experience to her role. Prior to joining CSC, she served as a tenured Associate Professor of Psychology at Arcadia University in Glenside, PA.

Erica's research is deeply rooted in cognition, decision-making, and risk-taking, with a recent focus on patient experiences, outcomes, and communication within healthcare settings. Erica has experience with various clinical populations including cancer, HIV, and addictive disorders, and her expertise extends to psychometrics as well as advanced analytical techniques.

At CSC, Erica has been instrumental in several key initiatives. She spearheaded CSC's longitudinal cohort study during the COVID-19 pandemic and played a pivotal role in the development and validation of the CancerSupportSource suite of tools and the VOICE measure. Moreover, she leads efforts in program evaluation, assessing the impact of CSC programming and support on individuals and communities. Additionally, Erica is deeply committed to addressing health disparities, particularly within Spanish-speaking Hispanic and Latino communities.

Erica enjoys baking, exercising, reading, traveling, and meeting new people when she’s not spending time with her husband and cats.

Dawn Jallouk joined Cancer Support Community in July 2019 and serves as the organization’s Director, Events. She is responsible for providing event planning expertise and support to Cancer Support Community’s internal departments that host events and meetings. With a focus on logistics and operations, Dawn oversees numerous in-person, virtual, and hybrid events of all types to ensure their successful implementation. In collaboration with colleagues from across the organization, she seeks to promote Cancer Support Community’s work and advance its mission through developing high-quality, impactful experiences that engage a variety of attendees and supporters.

Dawn first came to Cancer Support Community as a Manager, Partner Relations. In this role, she produced conferences, summits, and other major events for Cancer Support Community’s worldwide network of local and community partners as well as managed communications and administration duties for her team. After three years, she was promoted to Director, Training & Conference Operations. This position focused on creating professional development and continuing education programs for licensed mental health and medical oncology professionals. Dawn’s work led to the creation of Cancer Support Community’s inaugural Learning & Training Program, which sought to establish the organization as a leader in psychosocial oncology training and engage funders in supporting these initiatives. Her successful track record of developing meetings, conferences, and webinars led to her transition to the Director, Events, role she holds today.

Before joining Cancer Support Community, Dawn worked at The Humane Society of the United States, first as a Major Gifts Associate and then as a Conferences & Events Coordinator. Her work ranged from coordinating staff retreats to co-leading registration and vendor communications for major conferences. Dawn’s background in fundraising, customer service, volunteer coordination, and meetings management enables her to create people-focused events that connect with and delight audiences of all sizes.

Dawn holds a bachelor’s degree in Writing and a minor in Integrated Marketing Communications from Ithaca College. She also possesses a Professional Certificate in Event Management from The George Washington University. Dawn lives in Maryland with her hermit crab, Rhodey.

Elizabeth Franklin, PhD, MSW, is an advocate for people impacted by cancer and is passionate about ensuring that patient voices are the North Star in healthcare decision and policy making. Growing up in Kentucky, where cancer, cancer mortality, and poverty rates routinely rank among the highest in the country, Elizabeth was drawn to this work by witnessing people being left behind and systems that resulted in inequitable care. These values have driven her for almost two decades in oncology patient advocacy, public policy, research and executive positions in corporate and nonprofit settings.

Elizabeth currently serves as Head, U.S. Public Affairs and Patient Advocacy, Oncology with Sanofi, an innovative global healthcare company, where she partners with the U.S. advocacy community to advance innovation, ensure access, and improve health. Elizabeth previously held positions as President of the Cancer Support Community, Director of Policy and Engagement at the George Washington University Cancer Institute, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy with the Prevent Cancer Foundation, and Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer at the headquarters of the National Association of Social Workers. 

Elizabeth is a recognized leader. She received the Association of Oncology Social Worker’s Quality of Life Award in 2022 and was named a 40 under 40 leader in oncology in 2020. Her research articles have appeared in publications such as the JCO Oncology Practice, Journal of Cancer Education, Journal of Clinical Pathways, Health and Social Work, Value in Health, and Conquer Cancer Magazine. She has co-authored 2 books on nonprofit leadership and co-edited 2 social work texts. In addition, she is a member and leader in various organizations and coalitions, including the Association of Oncology Social Work, Academy of Oncology Nurse and Patient Navigators, National Navigation Roundtable, and National Association of Social Workers.

Elizabeth earned her doctorate at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, where she focused 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 master's degree in social work from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Kentucky. Elizabeth resides in Washington, D.C., and is an avid reader, aspiring banjo player, volunteer crisis counselor, and proud mother of pugs.

A native of Philadelphia who grew up in a close-knit family of 5 children, Kim Thiboldeaux graduated from American University with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in Spanish. While at American, Thiboldeaux studied abroad in London and Buenos Aires, experiences that spurred her lifelong zest for travel.

She has visited all 7 continents, all 50 states, and 50-plus countries around the world, and has no intention of slowing down her exploration of new countries and cultures.

Among her many adventures, Thiboldeaux counts a recent road trip as one of her most memorable. She was gifted last-minute tickets to Super Bowl LII. With all airlines booked, she drove her father, a retired Philadelphia city bus driver and lifelong Eagles fan, to Minneapolis where, together, they watched their beloved home team win their first Super Bowl title.

Thiboldeaux is an innovative, internationally recognized leader who has dedicated her career to improving the lives of cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. As the former CEO of the Cancer Support Community (CSC), Thiboldeaux oversaw a global non-profit network of 196 locations, including 47 CSC and Gilda's Club centers, 8 health-care partnerships, and satellite locations that deliver more than $50 million in free support services to patients and families. In addition, CSC administers a toll-free helpline and produces award-winning educational resources that reach more than 1 million people each year. Most recently Thiboldeaux served as CSC's Executive Chair. 

The Cancer Support Community, formed in 2009 by the merger of The Wellness Community and Gilda’s Club, also conducts cutting-edge research on the emotional, psychological, and financial journey of cancer patients. In addition, CSC advocates in Washington, D.C., and at all levels of government for policies to help individuals whose lives have been disrupted by cancer.

As a testament to her drive to serve even more patients and families, in 2018 Thiboldeaux welcomed to the CSC network MyLifeLine, an innovative digital community that includes thousands of patients, caregivers, and their supporters. This exciting advancement has enabled CSC to scale its digital services in an innovative, groundbreaking way.

Thiboldeaux coauthored two full-length books, Reclaiming Your Life After Diagnosis and The Total Cancer Wellness Guide, and hosts the award-winning Frankly Speaking About Cancer podcasts. She also serves on multiple advisory boards, speaks at leading conferences, and frequently appears in national media outlets.

In June 2017, Vice President Joe Biden appointed Thiboldeaux to serve on the Biden Cancer Initiative’s Board of Directors.

Thiboldeaux is the author of Your Cancer Road Map: Navigating Life With Resilience, a comprehensive guide for cancer patients, their families, and caregivers. She also coauthored two full-length books, Reclaiming Your Life After Diagnosis and The Total Cancer Wellness Guide. She serves on multiple advisory boards, speaks at leading conferences, and frequently appears in national media outlets.

Helen Nichols, PhD, is the CPI Research Fellow. As a social worker, she has developed clinical expertise providing psychotherapy to adults with co-occurring disorders, having worked in outpatient mental health clinics and correctional facilities. Helen also has experience leading local service organizations, where she successfully secured grant funding to award college scholarships to local high school students. Prior to her career in social work, Helen had a successful practice in the financial services industry, where she was responsible for personal financial planning and investment management.

Helen researches patient-provider communication and associated outcomes, such as patient satisfaction, trust, and overall health. She is particularly interested in the delivery of patient-centered cancer care and healthcare value and quality. She has extensive expertise in advanced quantitative and qualitative analyses, research design, and survey development. Helen has published in multiple peer-reviewed healthcare journals, including Patient Education & Counseling, Journal of Hospital Administration, Health Care Manager, Annals of Global Health, Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, and Journal of Cancer Education. Helen received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Penn State University and her Master of Social Work degree from Salisbury University.

Libby Mullin graduated from Lawrence University in 1990 with a B.A. in political science. After eight years of legislative experience on Capitol Hill, Libby opened her own health care consulting practice in 1999.

Prior to Mullin Strategies, Libby worked as a health policy advisor, legislative director and Chief of Staff for several members of the U.S. House of Representatives who served on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Libby is the recipient of the National Children’s Hospital Award for Advocacy, the President Award for Leadership in Women’s Health from the Interstitial Cystitis Association and a policy leader of the year from the Cancer Support Community’s Policy Institute.

Over the last 20 years, Libby has consulted with health care organizations to help build and advance their policy and programmatic objectives. Libby works closely with clients to identify and commit to realistic policy priorities, form new partnerships, strengthen existing relationships and strategically advance a policy agenda consistent with the organization’s mission. Libby has extensive experience leading policy and advocacy workshops, running disease specific coalitions, organizing Congressional briefings and orchestrating visits with elected officials and regulators on behalf of clients. Most importantly, Libby helps organizations leverage their policy work strategically, in a manner that not only advances organizational goals but also attracts funder support. Highlights of Libby’s legislative successes include drafting and negotiating the inclusion of multiple provisions in a range of major health care laws the Affordable Care Act, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and multiple FDA reauthorization bills. Libby also works closely with her clients to navigate an increasing complex regulatory system to ensure appropriate input, oversight and communications with the agencies are consistent with the organization’s interests.

A native Washingtonian, Libby lives with her husband and three children in Chevy Chase, Md. Libby is a competitive triathlete, serves on the advisory board of the U.S. Soccer Foundation and coaches soccer at the Washington School for Girls.

Ken Scalet spent 17-years at Accenture, working largely in the health care industry on large-scale, technology enabled programs. As a partner, Mr. Scalet launched Accenture’s Federal Health practice. Following his retirement from Accenture in 2004, Mr. Scalet established an independent health IT consultancy. He has also channeled his professional energy toward board service for local and national not-for-profit organizations. He has served on the Board of Directors of Cancer Support Community since 2003 and serves as the chair of the Technology Committee. Mr. Scalet received a BA in economics from Franklin & Marshall College in 1987. He is married with 3 children and lives in Rockville, Maryland.