Press Releases

ATLANTA – December 5, 2022 – The American Cancer Society (ACS) has named four new members to its board of directors, with all terms beginning on January 1, 2023.

The ACS Board of Directors consists of 22 members, which includes five officers and 17 directors. The directors are elected for a two-year term (unless a lesser term is required to fill a vacancy), and officers hold their position for a one-year term.

“The four new board members bring fresh experience to our increasingly data-driven organization and will help accelerate the American Cancer Society’s vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone,” said Brian Marlow, 2023 Chair of the Board. “As we drive progress on advocacy, research, and patient support services, the diverse backgrounds of our new members will support ACS’s ongoing commitment to health equity and ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.”

Joining the board are:

• José C. Buenaga, MBA – Mr. Buenaga is the chief executive officer of EIG Group Corp., a company dedicated to insurance services for individuals, corporations, and pets. Mr. Buenaga is a territory partner for Trupanion, a leading international pet health insurance company. He is a successful entrepreneur who brings a wealth of experience and passion for helping others. He has been a volunteer for the American Cancer Society of Puerto Rico for more than 33 years, and a member since co-founding the ACS Puerto Rico Hope Lodge for Children Who Want to Smile (our pediatric program). He has served on the American Cancer Society of Puerto Rico Board of Directors since 1990 including serving as president of the board. Among his accolades, he received an award for a decade of volunteer service in 2000, received the Distinguished Excellence Award in 2004, and participated on the Finance Committee of the American Cancer Society, Inc., from 2014 to 2016. Over the past few years, he has been a leading fundraiser for the “Real Men Wear Pink” campaign in Puerto Rico. He received his B.S.B.A. at Bryant University and earned his MBA from the Fuqua Businesses School at Duke University and his HSM certificate in Health Sector Management at Duke University.
   
• Karen Etzkorn – Ms. Etzkorn is the chief information officer of Qurate Retail Group, leading information technology and digital strategy spanning applications, data, cybersecurity, and infrastructure, which are vital to driving long-term growth, innovation, and productivity. Ms. Etzkorn has held senior IT positions at some of the world’s most powerful retailers, including Home Depot, Gap Inc., and Williams-Sonoma. She has an established record as a leader and business partner who builds strong technology teams and collaborates to transform and simplify business processes that deliver robust, cost-effective IT solutions. Among her many accomplishments, she is currently helping Qurate Retail Group usher in a new age of technology capability. Ms. Etzkorn is a dynamic and inclusive leader with a passion for people development. She is on the Board of Directors for Hibbett Sports, Inc. and has been recognized as a recipient of Top Women in Retail Tech, RIS News, 2017; CIO of the Year for Strategic Impact, RIS News, 2014; and Top 10 Women in Tech, Chain Store Age, 2014.

• Michael Pellini, MD – Dr. Pellini is a managing partner of Section 32, a venture capital fund investing at the frontiers of technology, healthcare, and life sciences. Prior to joining Section 32 in 2017, he served as CEO and then chairman of Foundation Medicine, a company which transformed the way pharmaceutical companies and physicians evaluate the genomic changes underlying a patient’s cancer, through the close of Roche’s acquisition in August 2018. Previously, he was president and COO of Clarient, a national leader in molecular pathology, which was acquired by GE Healthcare in 2010. Dr. Pellini brings a breadth of understanding in personalized medicine, with a lifetime interest and focus on defeating cancer. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for TwinStrand Genomics, Nusano, Singular Genomics (‘OMIC’), Adaptive Biotechnologies (‘ADPT’), Octave BioSciences, Sema4 (“SMFR”), Exai Bio, and the Personalized Medicine Coalition. He previously served on the board of Thrive Earlier Detection, which was acquired by Exact Sciences (‘EXACT’) in January 2021, as well as Tango Therapeutics (‘TNGX’). He is also a member of the President’s Leadership Council at Thomas Jefferson University.

• Kenneth R. Stoll – With more than 30 years in the financial services industry, Mr. Stoll is a former partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, and retired president of Weitz Investment Management. He has served as a resource member of the ACS Finance Committee for five years and as a member of the ACS Investment Sub-Committee for five years, including his service as chair since 2020. Mr. Stoll currently serves as a member of the board of trustees of the FAM Funds (Fenimore Asset Management), a $3 billion mutual fund group, where he is responsible, on behalf of the funds’ shareholders, for the governance and oversight of its investment manager and servicing agents.

Board members John Alfonso, CPA, CGMA; Laura Hertz; Amit Kumar, PhD; and Joseph M. Naylor will end their service on December 31, 2022. 

“We are grateful to the outgoing American Cancer Society board members for their dedication and commitment to improving the lives of people with cancer and their families,” said Michael Marquardt, 2022 Board Chair. “ACS volunteers are the backbone of our work in changing the course of cancer for more than 100 years and serve as an inspiration to all of us.”

The following board members were elected to serve as officers for 2023:

• Brian A. Marlow, CFA, chair
• Terri McClements, vice chair 
• Mark A. Goldberg, MD, board scientific officer 
• Katie A. Eccles, Esq., secretary/treasurer 
• Michael T. Marquardt, immediate past chair

2023 re-elected Board members are: 

• Michelle M. LeBeau, PhD
• Edison T. Liu, MD
• Robert Winn, MD

In addition, directors include: 

• Bruce N. Barron 
• Jennifer R. Crozier 
• Asif Dhar, MD, MBA
• Wayne A. I. Frederick, MD, MBA, FACS
• Kathy Gallagher, MSN
• Carmen E. Guerra, MD, MSCE, FACP 
• Othman Laraki, MS, MBA
• Connie Lindsey
• Margaret McCaffery 
• Oyebode Taiwo, MD, MPH

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About The American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support.  We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.