Our Team

NCCS is now Cancer Nation. Find out more about our next chapter. Join Us

Shelley Fuld Nasso, MPP

Chief Executive Officer

Shelley Fuld Nasso, MPP, is CEO of Cancer Nation—the voice of the 18 million Americans living with, through, and beyond cancer. Under her leadership, Cancer Nation (formerly the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship) pushes for bold policy change to ensure every survivor has the right to not just survive—but thrive. From Capitol Hill to cancer centers, Shelley elevates survivor voices and demands care that actually works for the people living it.

A defining part of her work is helping survivors and caregivers find their voice in the democratic process—whether it’s their first visit to Capitol Hill or telling their story to someone in power. Through advocacy training and deep community-building, she empowers people to speak out, be heard, and help shape the policies that shape their lives.

Before joining Cancer Nation in 2013, she led public policy initiatives at Susan G. Komen. She holds degrees from Rice University and the Harvard Kennedy School. Shelley’s advocacy is deeply personal—rooted in love for her friend Dr. Brent Whitworth, a compassionate physician who died of cancer at 43, and in solidarity with countless others in her life affected by cancer.

She lives in Maryland with her husband and three sons. When not pushing for a cure for care, she’s likely found on a paddleboard, in a yoga class, or solving a crossword.

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Woulita Seyoum

Senior Director of Finance and Operations

Woulita Seyoum joined Cancer Nation in 2007 and serves as Senior Director of Finance and Operations.

Prior to joining Cancer Nation, Woulita served as Director of Finance at Point-Of-Purchase Advertising International (POPAI), a trade association for the point of purchase advertising industry. She too has a very personal connection to cancer with her father’s diagnosis, treatment, and end-of-life journey. Woulita is a graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and lives with her husband in Maryland.

Kara Kenan

Director of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships

Kara Kenan, an 11-year breast cancer survivor, joined the Cancer Nation team in 2022. Kara has a master’s degree in English, Composition & Rhetoric and nearly 20 years’ experience in communications across the public and private sectors. Prior to joining Cancer Nation, Kara founded Going Beyond the Pink, a nonprofit organization supporting breast cancer survivors established as a result of her personal experience with stage-3 breast cancer. She also taught English at North Dakota State University for over a decade.

A decorated veteran, Kara served in the Air National Guard for 6-years, including a deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Her role in the military allowed her to support both Search & Rescue and Homeland Defense missions. She is the proud recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Defense of Liberty Service Medal, among others.

In addition to her work with Cancer Nation and Going Beyond the Pink, Kara serves on various cancer-related workgroups and committees with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Cancer Society, Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, Environmental Working Group, Toxic Action Center, University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations.

When she’s not working, Kara can be found dancing in the kitchen, spending time with her family, traveling, or learning about herbalism and homeopathic medicine.

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Veronika Panagiotou, PhD

Director of Advocacy and Programs

Veronika Panagiotou, PhD, joined Cancer Nation in the summer of 2021 and has served as the Director of Advocacy and Programs since 2024. Her responsibilities include managing the Cancer Policy and Advocacy Team (CPAT), Survivorship Champions and various advocacy initiatives.

Dr. Panagiotou’s passion for working in survivorship and advocacy emerged after being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when she was 25 years old. As a young adult cancer survivor, she has witnessed firsthand the need for recognition of the financial toxicity of treatment, the creation of more supportive services, and the availability of survivorship care. Before joining Cancer Nation as a staff member, Veronika was an active CPAT member. She has met with her representatives to share her story and to advocate for policies such as the Affordable Care Act that saved her life by giving her access to cancer treatment.

Dr. Panagiotou obtained her doctorate in Community Engagement at Point Park University in 2021. She defended her dissertation entitled, “Do Service-Learning Models Create an Opportunity to Cultivate Civic Engagement Outcomes at Point Park University? A Phenomenological Study of Students’ Perspectives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.” Dr. Panagiotou was awarded the “Student Award for Excellence in Community Engagement” for the academic year of 2017-2018 after creating the Pioneer Pantry which serves college students, faculty, and staff experiencing food insecurity on campus.

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Zach Biondo

Senior Manager of Digital Media

Zach joined the staff of Cancer Nation in 2013, and currently serves as the Senior Manager of Digital Media. Zach’s duties include managing the Cancer Nation website and many of its digital communications, as well as the production of audiovisual content and virtual events. Though he is not a survivor himself, Zach’s experiences as both a caregiver and a patient in the health care system inform the passion he brings to the work he does at Cancer Nation.

Zach earned his Bachelors of Arts in Media Arts from the University of South Carolina – Columbia. He has an avid interest in media — particularly audio production, video editing, and photography.

Nadine Dorvelus

Events & Operations Manager

Nadine Dorvelus joined Cancer Nation in 2022, and currently serves as the Events & Operations Manager. Nadine’s duties include managing Cancer Policy Roundtable (CPR) and Cancer Policy Advocacy Team (CPAT) conferences, and other Cancer Nation events. Nadine also supports NCCS’ operations and development activities.

Prior to joining Cancer Nation, Nadine lived in New York City, where she was a real estate agent after spending over 10 years working in Operations in the nonprofit sector. She is passionate about supporting organizations that are dedicated to social change. Nadine received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Pace University.

When she is not working, Nadine enjoys cooking and spending time with family and friends, connecting over delectable meals. Nadine also enjoys nurturing her growing collection of exotic plants.

Andrea Hans

Public Policy Manager

Andrea Hans manages public policy at Cancer Nation. Her breast cancer diagnosis in 2021, as an otherwise young healthy adult who found her own lump and was repeatedly told she was “too young”, served as a call to action. With a background in public health, Andrea has become an active voice in health policy and advocacy.

Karen Wilson

Development Manager

Karen Wilson joined Cancer Nation in June 2023 as the Development Manager. She serves as lead executor of the Cancer Nation’s development program with responsibility primarily for implementing our annual giving program. Karen has over 25 years’ professional experience in the nonprofit sector primarily in the areas of strategic planning, marketing and communications, and fundraising. Karen received her bachelor’s degree in marketing at Howard University and her master’s in publishing at George Washington University.

Prior to working at Cancer Nation, Karen served as Development + Grants Lead for Here for the Girls (H4TG), a nonprofit whose mission is to improve the lives of young women affected by breast cancer. Karen was responsible for enhancing and extending H4TG’s donor management efforts to ensure revenue growth and partnership development. As a member of the Development team, she used her knowledge and expertise to help manage all community-supported fundraising events, procurement of individuals gifts, and grant submissions.

Karen resides in the Hampton Roads area with her husband and son. When she is not working, she enjoys reading, going to the beach, and spending quality time with family.

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Board of Directors

Samira K. Beckwith

Samira K. Beckwith, a two-time cancer survivor, has over 30 years experience in professional healthcare and social services. Samira previously served Cancer Nation as Acting Board Chair and continues to serve on the board. She has served as President and CEO of Hope HealthCare Services, based in Fort Myers, Florida, since 1991.

Under her leadership, Hope has created a unique array of services for the frail elderly and children and today serves nearly 3,000 people and their families in a 10,000 square-mile area throughout southwest and mid-Florida.

In 2010, Samira was appointed as a Team Leader on Florida Governor-elect Rick Scott’s Health and Human Services Transition Team. Former Governor Jeb Bush described her as a visionary who provides leadership on a local and national level – “passionate about ensuring the highest quality” of service in her role as President of Hope. With that in mind, he appointed Samira to the state’s Long-Term Care Policy Council, focused on providing the most cost-effective, community-based services for Florida’s elderly. She has testified before a US House Judiciary subcommittee on the need for legislation to enable better care and comfort for those at the end of life.

Samira currently maintains leadership roles in multiple national, state, and community organizations, including the Board of Directors of the Hospice Action Network and Florida Hospices and Palliative Care Association. She served previously on the Board of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Ohio State University Alumni Association. Samira is the Founding President of the Florida PACE Association – the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly.

Awards and honors bestowed upon Samira include the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor, presented to distinguished Americans who “represent the very essence of the American way of life.” She has twice been honored by the National Association of Social Workers, as a Community Action Hero and a Social Work Pioneer. She has received the Ohio State University Alumni Association’s Medalist Award, and has been inducted into the Ohio State University College of Social Work Hall of Fame.

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Otis W. Brawley, MD

Otis W. Brawley, MD is a globally recognized expert in cancer prevention and control. He has worked to reduce over-screening of medical conditions, which has revolutionized patient treatment by increasing quality of life and reducing health disparities.

Dr. Brawley’s research focuses on developing cancer screening strategies and ensuring their effectiveness. He has championed efforts to decrease smoking and implement other lifestyle risk reduction programs, as well as to provide critical support to cancer patients and concentrate cancer control efforts in areas where they could be most effective. Dr. Brawley currently leads a broad interdisciplinary research effort on cancer health disparities at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, striving to close racial, economic, and social disparities in the prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer in the United States and worldwide. He also directs community outreach programs for underserved populations throughout Maryland.

Dr. Brawley joined Johns Hopkins University as a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in 2019 from the American Cancer Society and Emory University.

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Philip Dufour

As President of The Dufour Collaborative, one of the nation’s premier experience design firms, Philip Dufour brings his signature style to every event. With formal training in graphic design and professional experience spanning government affairs, corporate relations, and event production, Philip marries strategic and diplomatic sensibilities with a finely-tuned design aesthetic to create experiences that move, delight, and unite people.

Prior to creating Dufour & Co, Philip co-founded the J Street Group, LLC in 2005. This followed his tenure as Director of Development and Events for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, where he led a 10+ person staff in creating, planning, and managing high-visibility development events, raising more than $8 million annually, attracting major celebrities, and garnering extensive media coverage.

Taylor Ferrell

Taylor Ferrell joined the Cancer Nation Board of Directors in 2019. Taylor was appointed to serve on the Cancer Nation Board Finance Committee in 2022.

He is an environmental attorney with the Department of Justice. He formerly worked in the Pentagon and in the White House under President Obama. A cancer survivor, he lives in Washington, DC with his wife and daughter.

Ben Fishman

Ben Fishman joined the board of Cancer Nation in 2017. He is a foreign policy and national security specialist who served at the White House from 2009-2013.

Laurie Isenberg

Board Chair

Laurie Isenberg joined the Cancer Nation Board in 2016 and has served as Board Chair since 2022. As a two-time breast cancer survivor, Laurie was inspired by Ellen Stovall, her husband’s cousin, to work as a patient advocate. She has worked with the UCSF Center of Excellence for Breast Cancer Care, where she served in a marketing advisory capacity at BreastCancerTrials.org, a matching clinical trial service for anyone touched by breast cancer. She is currently working with a team at the UCSF Cancer Center who are building integrated survivorship care resources across various cancer programs.

Laurie is a strategic marketing and branding consultant helping both social enterprises and for-profit companies with their launch, branding and repositioning plans. She began her career in acquisitions and strategy for the Dun & Bradstreet Corporation in NYC and was the Director of Strategic Planning for D&B’s subsidiary, ACNielsen Worldwide. She subsequently co-founded SPINS, a marketing research firm for the natural consumer products industry. Laurie has worked with Prophet Brand Strategy and other consulting firms; her work includes developing a brand strategy for Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (formally The Breast Cancer Fund), a research and policy organization that works to remove cancer-correlated toxics from consumer products.

Laurie earned her B.A. in Economics at the University of Colorado and her M.B.A. at The Wharton School of Business.

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Michael L. Kappel

Finance Committee Chair

Michael L. Kappel served NCCS as the acting President & CEO and continues to serve the organization as a board member and Chair of the Board Finance Committee, representing Cancer Nation at conferences and other meetings ensuring the voice of the survivor remains at the center of health policy reform and quality improvement. He retired in 2011 as the Senior Vice President, Government & Industry Relations for McKesson Technology Solutions. He served as an advocate for healthcare policies that enable improved care through the use of information technology. He was responsible for developing McKesson Technology Solutions’ responses to emerging legislation and regulatory initiatives. He previously served as Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning where he was responsible for product direction and long-range strategic planning.

Kappel is active in a number of the healthcare industry’s information technology organizations. He was elected a Commissioner for the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology where he previously served as co-chair of the Network Certification Workgroup, the Certification Process Workgroup and the Advisory panel. He is past chair of the Policy Committee of the National Alliance for Healthcare Information Technology and currently serves as a member of the Leadership Council of the eHealth Initiative and the steering committee of Connecting for Health. He currently is a member of HIMSS Electronic Health Record Association which he helped to found in 2004 and where he has served as a past member of the Executive Committee.

Kappel brings to this position more than thirty years of experience in healthcare information technology development, strategic planning and business development. During his career, Kappel has served in numerous positions in private industry. Prior to rejoining McKesson in 2002, he was executive vice-president of ProVation Medical Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to joining ProVation Medical Inc., Kappel was chief executive officer of MedSpecialists, Inc., a start-up company that was acquired by ProVation in 2001. Kappel also held numerous leadership positions over 16 years with McKessonHBOC and HBO & Company.

Kappel earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of William and Mary and a master of business administration degree in finance and healthcare administration from Cornell University.

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Ana Maria López, MD

Ana Maria López, MD, MPH, FACP, is Professor and Vice Chair of Medical Oncology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College and Chief of Cancer Services at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center – Jefferson Health – New Jersey. Dr. López has served as an Cancer Nation Board Member since 2021.

Dr. López joined Jefferson in 2018 from the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, UT, where she was Director of Cancer Health Equality and Inclusion and served as Associate Vice President of Health Equality and Inclusion at the University of Utah Health. A board-certified Medical Oncologist, Dr. López’s clinical expertise is in women’s malignancies, integrative medicine and oncology, and telehealth.

Dr. López is President-Emeritus of the American College of Physicians, the largest medical specialty organization in the United States. Her strong commitment to health equity is reflected in her work with the American Society of Clinical Oncology as former Chair of the Health Equity Committee, and with the Association of American Medical Colleges where she serves as Member of the Steering Committee of the Group of Women in Medicine and Science. Her areas of expertise and research focus include cancer prevention, integrative oncology, and innovations in healthcare.

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Lisa Montez

Lisa Montez is Senior Counsel of Philanthropy and Impact Investments at Builders Vision. In this role, Lisa guides Builders Initiative’s use of philanthropic tools to maximize social impact and provide advice on spanning myriad legal matters related to compliance with the laws and regulations applicable to private foundations; formulation of governance and compliance policies; advising program staff with respect to grantmaking; and general corporate and transactional matters.

Previously, Lisa served as General Counsel for the Walton Family Foundation and Deputy General Counsel and assistant secretary at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Lisa also worked at the McCormick Foundation and at Chapman and Cutler’s Chicago office, where she specialized in public finance law focused on bond financing and securitization of tax-exempt status.

Lisa is a graduate of Rice University and the University of Texas School of Law. In her free time, she loves to cook and bake for friends and family, travel, and explore her Logan Square, Chicago, neighborhood with her dog Kopper. Lisa’s interest in cancer survivorship stems from her family’s experience when her beloved father, Manuel Montez, was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away. Lisa was subsequently diagnosed with cancer herself.

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Lisa D. T. Rice, S.M.

Board Vice Chair

Lisa D. T. Rice is an influential advocate for multiple causes—including quality cancer care, women’s health and empowerment, and palliative and hospice care. She is a political strategist and social media activist, driven by the principles of accountability, transparency, and ethical behavior.

Lisa first connected with Shelley and Cancer Nation in 2015, the year after two dear friends died of metastatic cancer. Those tragic, premature deaths drove Lisa’s search for a meaningful policy role in the cancer advocacy community. Due to her mother’s advanced Alzheimer’s, Lisa was already responsible for all medical decisions when, in 2014, her mother received a cancer diagnosis – her second in 31 years. With Shelley’s encouragement, Lisa wrote her first post for the Cancer Policy Matters blog in 2016. Read about the very tough decisions faced and bold actions taken on her mother’s behalf here. Later that year, Lisa wrote a second post for the Cancer Nation blog, her tribute to a childhood friend killed by metastatic breast cancer.

A sought-after communications expert and recent cancer survivor, Lisa has represented the caregiver’s perspective on Cancer Care Planning (2018 Cancer Nation CPAT symposium) and Overtreatment & Overdiagnosis (2018 Cancer Nation Cancer Policy Roundtable) panels. Lisa supports other survivors and advocates with one-on-one coaching, teaching them how to deliver succinct, compelling stories to policymakers about cancer’s personal impact. She also accompanies survivors on constituent visits to their members of Congress. She has actively advocated for Cancer Nation policy efforts on Capitol Hill in both the U.S. House and Senate since 2016.

Lisa serves on the board of directors of Unite America (investing in the infrastructure of political reform) and is past president of the Newcomb Alumnae Association. A fourth-generation quilter, she is dedicated to preserving this art form and teaching the next generation of makers.

Lisa holds a B.A. degree in American Studies from Newcomb College of Tulane University and an M.S. degree in Management from the MIT Sloan School. A native Washingtonian, Lisa lives in the District with her husband, Tom Thompson.

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Julia H. Rowland, PhD

Secretary of the Board

Julia H. Rowland, PhD is a long-time clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer. Dr. Rowland re-joined the Cancer Nation Board of Directors in 2017, having previously served on the board before joining the federal government. She has worked with and conducted competitively funded research among both pediatric and adult cancer survivors, and published broadly in psycho-oncology, including co-editing with the late Dr. Jimmie Holland the ground-breaking text, Handbook of Psychooncology.

Dr. Rowland received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in psychosocial oncology. While at MSKCC, where she held joint appointments in pediatrics and neurology, Dr. Rowland helped to develop and was the first Director of the Post-Treatment Resource Program, an innovative resource designed to provide a full range of non-medical services to patients and their families after the end of treatment. In 1990 Dr. Rowland moved to Washington, DC to become founding Director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Georgetown University and the Lombardi Cancer Center.

Nine years later, in September of 1999, at the urging of Ellen Stovall, she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute to become the first, full-time Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship (OCS). As OCS Director Dr. Rowland helped build the visibility of the Office and created numerous governmental and non-profit partnerships to advance public awareness about and funding for research addressing the health care and quality of life needs of the growing population of cancer survivors of all ages, and their families. After 18 years in this role, Dr. Rowland retired from service at the NCI in September 2017 and assumed the role of Senior Strategic Advisor at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, a small non-profit organization that has been providing integrative support services to cancer patients and their families in the heart of Washington, DC, for over twenty years.

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Stephen Whisnant

Stephen Whisnant is the founder and managing director of Stephen Whisnant Strategies, LLC, a boutique consulting firm established in 2014 that provides philanthropic services to individuals, organizations, and charitable foundations. His previous roles include Director of Philanthropy at the National Democratic Institute, Managing Director for the United States Olympic Committee, and Campaign Director for the “Building for Peace Campaign” of the United States Institute of Peace, where he led a $186 million campaign for their headquarters on the National Mall.

With an extensive background in fund development and nonprofit leadership, Whisnant has served as Vice President at Venture Philanthropy Partners and as Senior Director of Development for Paul Allen and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. He developed strategies for numerous Allen initiatives including the Experience Music Project and the Allen Institute for Brain Science. His higher education experience includes fourteen years as a senior development officer at institutions like Harvard University and Davidson College.

In 1993, Whisnant founded World T.E.A.M. Sports, serving as its Executive Director/CEO for eleven years. This international nonprofit earned recognition for advancing educational and medical initiatives through sports programming, particularly for persons with disabilities. His work with the organization included overseeing four documentary films, including the Emmy Award-winning “Vietnam, Long Time Coming,” for which he served as Executive Producer.

Whisnant holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina and a Master’s in Education from Harvard University. His extensive board service includes roles with Kartemquin Films, the Women’s Sports Foundation, Athletes for Hope, Outward Bound USA, and numerous other organizations. He was a founding director of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and has been recognized with the Lyndhurst Prize for his commitment to community service.

He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife Liz, former Head of the Horace Mann School who now consults and manages an organic farm, and their son Max, who is currently a second-year law student. Steve is a cancer survivor and supports a number of cancer initiatives.

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Our Team

Shelley Fuld Nasso, MPP

Woulita Seyoum

Kara Kenan

Veronika Panagiotou, PhD

Zach Biondo

Nadine Dorvelus

Andrea Hans

Karen Wilson

Board of Directors

Samira K. Beckwith

Otis W. Brawley, MD

Philip Dufour

Taylor Ferrell

Ben Fishman

Laurie Isenberg

Michael L. Kappel

Ana Maria López, MD

Lisa Montez

Lisa D. T. Rice, S.M.

Julia H. Rowland, PhD

Stephen Whisnant

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