Meet Our Board of Directors

Denise Bulpitt

Denise Bulpitt was diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer after discovering she carried her family’s BRCA1 genetic mutation. She attended her first FORCE support meeting while undergoing chemotherapy. Through FORCE she found not only evidenced based information, but also invaluable support from other previvors and survivors that helped her get through cancer treatment. Denise went on to become a FORCE Peer Navigator and State Impact leader for the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) area.

She is a Registered Nurse and Certified lactation Consultant with over 35 years experience in NICU and maternal nursing. Denise was named one of DFW’s Great 100 Nurses in 2017. She is also a speaker for the Survivors Teaching Students program, which features women who have had ovarian cancer speaking to medical and nursing school students about their journey with ovarian cancer.

Denise is married, lives outside of Dallas, Texas and has three adult children. She enjoys traveling, reading and swimming.

Dana Goldman

Dana Goldman is a practicing real estate attorney in Miami where she represents national and regional homebuilders with the development of their condominiums and planned development communities.

Dana is a 20-year colon cancer survivor, 10-year endometrial cancer survivor and nine-year breast cancer survivor. Her family has a history of pediatric cancers, including a sibling and two cousins.

At the time of her initial diagnosis in 2000, she was unaware of any familial risk factors for hereditary colon cancer. When diagnosed with endometrial cancer in 2007, her oncologist recognized the presence of a genetic mutation. Several years afterwards, following a third, triple negative breast cancer diagnosis in 2010 and upon advice by her medical team, she agreed to undergo genetic screening. In 2019 she tested positive for Lynch syndrome, a leading cause of inherited colon and endometrial cancer.

Dana is delighted to join the Board of Directors for FORCE to raise awareness about Lynch syndrome and the importance of genetic counseling and testing. Dana is a living testament to vigilant and proactive screening and early diagnosis. She is an advocate for policies in support of additional funding, research programs and resources for genetic-based cancers.

Dana is a full-time resident of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida and has extensive ties to the community. She has served as Commissioner for the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida since 2014. She is involved in local breast cancer initiatives and recently spearheaded the introduction of mobile mammography to her community. She was recognized in 2017 by the Honorable Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) for Ten Years of Breast Cancer Survivorship.

Dana lives in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida with her husband, Michael and her daughter, Julia.

Wenora Johnson, President

Wenora Johnson is a colorectal, endometrial and basal cell carcinoma survivor. These different cancers identified her as a Lynch Syndrome patient, with more possible cancers in her future. While diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2011 at the age of 45, it wasn’t until five years later through a genetic test, that she learned of being Lynch syndrome positive. During this time, she also learned that she came from a family with a history of cancer that included her grandfather (who passed away from colorectal cancer at the age of 38), her mother (who passed away from a glioblastoma at the age of 42) and a younger brother (who was diagnosed with late stage colorectal cancer in 2016).

Upon Wenora’s second cancer diagnosis, she decided she wanted to do more about raising colorectal cancer awareness, so she began volunteering with an advocacy organization called Fight CRC. As a volunteer she learned about the importance of policy and research regarding cancer and genetic testing. Wenora then became a clinical trials curator. She also serves as a Patient Advocate for the College of American Pathologists and as a Technical Expert Panel Member for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

She lends her voice by participating in podcasts and writing articles and blogs about her cancer journey. After being involved with other advocacy organizations (such as the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, the National Quality Forum and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship), she found her true calling and home as a volunteer Peer Navigator and Research Advocate with FORCE.

Wenora holds a Bachelors in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and currently works for Argonne National Laboratories. She and her family have been residents of the Chicagoland area for over 30 years and her favorite pastime includes reading and being a motorcycle enthusiast.

Carmen R. Pace

Carmen’s BRCA2 mutation discovery after a breast cancer diagnosis at age 42 brought her to FORCE in 2012. After attending her first conference in 2012 and learning what FORCE represented, she started volunteering and serving in various roles.

Through FORCE she has had opportunities to raise awareness about genetic mutations that cause predispositions to cancer. Her current roles are as a patient advocate on PCORI’s

Healthcare Delivery and Disparities Research Advisory Panel, a patient advocate on the steering committee for the PCORI-funded ABOUT Patient Powered Research Network Project COGENT, a FORCE State Impact Leader, and now a member of FORCE’s Board of Directors .

Carmen is a Registered Nurse with nursing experience in a variety of clinical settings, including oncology. After serving a tour in the U.S. Air Force, she received a practical nurse diploma from Greenville Technical College in Greenville, SC, a Bachelors in Nursing from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, followed by a Master in Public Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Administration.

Tara Freundlich has been an active member of FORCE since learning of her BRCA 2 mutation in 2002. Tara has been a tireless advocate for the HBOC community. She helped to establish the FORCE helpline and she has logged over 1200 hours fielding calls. She has also hosted meetings, been available to the media and helped to organize both local and national fundraising events.

After graduating from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Tara started her career in Social Services. She became a director of youth services, but then took a different career path and opened a fine jewelry store. Tara owned and operated a successful business for twenty-five years before leaving the business world to be a full time stay at home mother.

As a result of her volunteer work with FORCE and a growing commitment to advocacy, Tara’s career took another turn and she is now a Patient Liaison at Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, New Jersey.

Tara lives in Randolph, New Jersey with her husband Dr. Kenneth Freundlich. They have two children Jesse and Brooke

Debora Setuain is a daughter, a sister and a mother. She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her studies and work took her from Buenos Aires to Austin, Miami, Sao Paulo, Dallas, and finally Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. Her life was centered around work and family. She grew up in a very small family that had a very large medical history of cancer. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 39 and died 5 years later when Debbie was only 13 and her sister was 11.

In 2010 her life changed completely with a Triple Negative Breast Cancer diagnosis. The results of her genetic testing came back positive for the BRCA1 genetic mutation. She had all the necessary surgeries and treatments. She was overwhelmed. Her journey back to health started with FAITH and HOPE. Throughout her cancer diagnosis, treatments and surgeries, her two sons, Alex and Michael, were her guardian angels. They were there every step of the way during her recovery. She is blessed with wonderful friends and neighbors. Debora was fortunate that she was never alone, because she found FORCE. Now she provides support to individuals and families affected by hereditary cancer. She is an eight year breast cancer survivor and her sister is a Previvor.

Debora is on a mission to raise awareness about genetic counseling and testing, so others can have choices to reduce their risk of developing hereditary cancer. Since February 2011, she has been a FORCE Peer Support Group Leader volunteer in South Florida. She now works tirelessly in her volunteer position to pay it forward to support others. She fundraises with a purpose, for research, advocacy and support. She is interested in sharing information available in the United States to Latin American countries. When she talks to a person who has a family history of cancer, she is passionate about suggesting that they contact a certified genetic counselor, who can counsel them on their own situation. She knows from her own personal experience that this information can save lives.

Debora speaks to others about breast cancer and has received multiple honors for her service to the community. In 2018, she received a Pink Warrior award from The Miami Women Who Rock and a Proclamation from the City of Sunny Isles Beach for her dedication to educate the community.

Debora wants all women to empower themselves with knowledge so that they may make the best healthcare decisions for themselves and their families.

Carrie Catlin, CFP® is a BRCA1+ Previvor and has been an active part of the volunteer FORCE community since 2006. Carrie joined the FORCE Board of Directors in 2015 and held the positions of Treasurer and Secretary before she was elected President in December 2020. She continues to be an advocate for the hereditary cancer community and speaks publicly about her BRCA journey and FORCE.

Carrie’s mother Donna died of ovarian cancer in 1986 at the age of 51.  After her aunt and first cousin died of ovarian cancer and another aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, Carrie underwent genetic counseling and testing in 2005. One of her surgeons at Mass General Hospital gave her a FORCE brochure and she gratefully spent hours on the FORCE website, learning about the risks of hereditary cancer and connecting with others in the hereditary cancer community.  FORCE’s resources were extraordinary as Carrie made decisions regarding her risk-reducing surgeries: an oophorectomy in 2005 and a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy in 2006. 

Most of Carrie’s career has been focused in financial services, in both the US and Singapore. Since 2015 Carrie and her husband Steve have been business partners at Fenway Financial Advisors in Boston, providing financial planning and efficient investment advice to individuals and non-profits.

Carrie earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Delaware and an MBA from the New York University Stern School of Business. 

Native New Yorkers, Carrie and her husband Steve have been Boston residents for over 25 years. They live with their two cats – Rickie Fowler and Arlington.  They are enthusiastic world travelers and amateur photographers, love playing golf and enjoying spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Sue Friedman was practicing small animal medicine in south Florida in 1996 when she was diagnosed “out of the blue” at age 33 with what appeared to be sporadic breast cancer. At the time, she was unaware of any familial risk factors for hereditary cancer. After her treatment, however, Sue realized from an article about hereditary breast cancer that she had several indications for a mutation. She pursued genetic counseling, and in 1997 she tested positive for a BRCA2 mutation.

Shocked that her health care team didn’t alert her to the possibility of being at high risk, and disappointed at having to make critical treatment decisions without knowing of her mutation, Sue acted so others could benefit from her misfortune. She founded FORCE in 1999 to fill the information void for individuals and families with hereditary cancer, and to help them advocate for themselves. Sue is co-author of the book Confronting Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer published by John Hopkins Press. Under her direction, FORCE has grown into the de facto voice of the hereditary breast and ovarian cancer community, filling the unique and unmet support needs for those who are navigating risk management and treatment decisions.

With FORCE, no one needs to face hereditary breast and ovarian cancer alone. After five years as the organization’s executive director and maintaining her own busy practice, Sue left veterinary medicine to direct FORCE full-time. Since then, the organization has established itself as an unequaled source of research, advocacy, support, and information regarding risk management, prevention, and awareness. In 2004, Sue relocated her family and FORCE headquarters to Tampa to work more closely with researchers to improve options and care for high-risk women.

Sue lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband, Dan, and her son, Beau. She is a 14-year breast cancer survivor.

Matt Yurgelun, MD

Matt Yurgelun, MD, is a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, with a long-standing clinical and research interest in hereditary cancer syndromes, particularly Lynch syndrome. He manages and treats patients with a wide array of gastrointestinal malignancies and also evaluates individuals and families with known/suspected forms of inherited gastrointestinal cancer risk. He has served as the Director of the Dana-Farber Lynch Syndrome Center since its inception in 2019, and also serves as the Director of Clinical Research for the Dana-Farber’s Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention. Previously, he served as the national President of the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancer (CGA-IGC). Matt has been active in developing various clinical practice guidelines for the workup and management of individuals with inherited cancer risk, including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Clinical Practice Guidelines Panels for both Colorectal Cancer Genetics/High-Risk Assessment and Breast/Ovarian/Pancreatic Cancer Genetics/High-Risk Assessment. Dr. Yurgelun’s research has focused on the use of multigene panel testing in individuals with gastrointestinal cancers as well as on personalized risk factors for cancer in individuals with Lynch syndrome.

Elaine Kennedy was 31, recently married and a Marketing Director at a growing software company in the Washington, DC area when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000.  After hearing the news, Elaine’s older sister decided to get checked and was also diagnosed with breast cancer 3 months later.  Their dual diagnoses prompted genetic testing which was still fairly new at the time.  With confirmed BRCA1 mutations, both women opted for chemotherapy and additional preventative surgery to lower their future risk.  Doctors encouraged Elaine to think about having children since a hysterectomy by age 36 was recommended to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.  Elaine was grateful and relieved to gave birth to two healthy daughters, one in 2002 and a second daughter in 2005.   During a routine doctor visit after the birth of her second child, a nodule was was found on her neck, which turned out to be thyroid cancer.  More surgery and treatment followed.  

Happy to have the two cancer episodes behind her, Elaine started her own business consulting firm, Diventa Consulting, where she helps clients define winning business strategies, enter new markets and improve marketing efforts.  In addition to helping business clients, Elaine has also provided support and advice to numerous women grappling with cancer diagnoses and treatment. While helping a newly diagnosed friend, Elaine uncovered another tumor that again turned out to be breast cancer.  It was during this third diagnoses that she found FORCE.  

Today, Elaine is excited to help FORCE bring its community and empowerment to women facing the complex issues of hereditary cancer.  

Elaine has a B.S. In Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, an MBA from The American University, and resides in Washington, DC with her husband and two daughters.

Allison W. Kurian, M.D., M.Sc.
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Oncology) and of Health Research and Policy
Director, Women’s Cancer Genetics Clinic
Stanford University

Dr. Kurian’s research focuses on the identification of women with elevated breast and gynecologic cancer risk, and on the development and evaluation of novel techniques for early cancer detection and risk reduction.  She received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School, trained as a resident in Internal Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and completed her fellowship training in Medical Oncology along with a master’s degree in Epidemiology at Stanford University.  As Director of the Stanford Women’s Cancer Genetics Clinic, her practice centers on women at high risk of developing breast and gynecologic cancers.

Dr. Kurian has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, including several in high-impact journals such as JAMA, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Journal of the National Cancer Institute.  Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the California Breast Cancer Research Program, the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  Dr. Kurian serves on several national committees that advance the clinical and research mission of women’s cancer genetics: she develops evidence-based practice guidelines as a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and she recently led the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Scientific Program Committee for Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention.

Dr. Kurian has had the privilege of working closely with FORCE for many years, as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board and a frequent speaker at their annual conference: Joining Forces Against Hereditary Cancer®.  Dr. Kurian is passionate about improving the health of people with hereditary cancer predisposition through education, outreach and support, and she is honored to serve FORCE as a member of the Board of Directors.   

Laurie Spiegel, Treasurer

For Laurie Spiegel, FORCE was the key to discovering her genetic mutation when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, enabling her to make informed decisions to protect her health. Proud to be part of the FORCE team, Laurie is a trained Peer Navigator and Research Advocate and a regular at the Northern New Jersey Support Group meetings. She derives special satisfaction from speaking with women who suddenly find themselves having to make serious decisions within a whirlwind of complex choices. She finds helping them deal with their risks, options and challenges; providing them with good resources; and simply lending an ear based on her personal experience to be incredibly rewarding. 

Laurie is a SUNY graduate, having earned a BA in Mathematics from the State University College at New Paltz and an MS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from the University at Buffalo. Now retired, she spent over 40 years in telecommunications software systems and operations across engineering, economics, consulting, and marketing. In addition to serving on the FORCE Board of Directors, Laurie is a vice president at Temple B’nai Or in Morristown, NJ, and treasurer of Theta Phi Sorority Alumnae Association. Laurie and her husband Steve reside in Florham Park, NJ, and are the proud parents of daughters and BFFs Jennifer and Carrie. 

Tammy Li learned of the hereditary cancer in her family over 16 years ago when her firstborn was a newborn.  She had previously had two early stage melanomas, but otherwise had never had a cancer diagnosis herself. She pursued genetic testing to learn that she carried both a BRCA 1 and 2 mutation. She feels she is extremely fortunate to have gained this knowledge, and to count herself among the previvor community. She pursued prophylactic surgery to avoid the deadly ovarian cancer that had plagued the women in at least two prior generations of her family, and to be able to survive and thrive for her family and her future.

During the initial years after learning of her mutation carrier status, Tammy was busy with her young family and work. But five years after her surgery, she began to look for resources to support her in the longer term journey – healthcare surveillance, managing menopause, staying on top of new research, etc. She quickly found FORCE and found a home. She received and provided support on the online Message Boards, and was involved in the Chicago Peer Support group where she made some lifelong friends and fellow “needles in a haystack”. She provided support to women travelling to Chicago for surgery, and had the life changing experience of attending her first FORCE conference.

After moving to Tampa, Tammy became involved in the Peer Support Group, and last year became one of the Outreach Leaders for the Tampa Bay area. In addition, Tammy is a trained FORCE Peer Navigator where she provides support over the phone to anyone traveling the hereditary cancer journey. She finds so much satisfaction in being able to help others, often simply through listening or validating someone’s feelings. She loves the look of relief she sees in someone’s eyes or in their voice when they are able to share their experiences or fears with someone who understands.

This year, Tammy created a team to run the Disney Princess race as part of Team FORCE. She fundraised for the whole team and loved supporting FORCE while also progressing on her own journey of health and fitness. Her favorite way to donate to FORCE is by providing scholarships to conference attendees. She looks forward to attending each conference, meeting new people, and learning from professionals on the forefront of hereditary cancer research.

Tammy also serves on the board of The Florida Holocaust Museum, where she leads a marketing committee, and also co-chaired this year’s annual gala fundraiser. She is an active volunteer and Troop Cookie Chair with Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. Professionally, Tammy has her own Consumer Insights consulting practice, where she guides consumer goods companies in development of new products, advertising and other marketing programs through consumer and marketplace information. She worked at a number of large corporations over the years, including Kraft Foods, Pepsi-Cola and ConAgra Foods, where she served at Insights Director, Marketing Manager, and VP Consumer Insights.  In her professional roles, Tammy consistently brings a focus on driving marketing planning and business strategy through consumer or target audience understanding.

Tammy holds an MBA from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. Prior to that, she earned a BBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business where she graduated with High Distinction.

Tammy lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband John, 16-year-old son Jalen and 14-year-old daughter Maya, as well as her two Labrador retrievers, Charlotte and Buttercup.

M. Margaret Snow, MD

Margaret Snow was a newly diagnosed BRCA1 previvor when she found the FORCE message boards in 2007. At that time, the ability to connect with other people experiencing the challenge of a hereditary cancer syndrome was essential. Interacting with other FORCE members made it possible to balance scientific information with real human stories and to move forward with preventive surgeries. Like so many others in our community, Margaret was heartbroken to lose a family member to hereditary cancer. In 2015, her father, who had a BRCA1 mutation, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died after fighting it for eight months.

Margaret appreciates the openness of the FORCE community to her specific concerns as a lesbian, and she has proudly given back by volunteering as a chat room moderator and an active member on the message boards from 2008 through 2014. She looks forward to participating as an open LGBT board member and continuing to help FORCE disseminate essential information about hereditary cancer. 

As a Physiatrist (a rehabilitation physician), Margaret’s work focuses on patients with physical disabilities and painful musculoskeletal conditions. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Margaret studied medicine at George Washington University in the District of Columbia. She completed the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation internship and residency at Medical College of Wisconsin. She has practiced inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation care in Michigan since 1995. Margaret has also worked at Mary Free Bed at Covenant in Saginaw, Michigan since November of 2019.

Margaret and her life partner Pam enjoy golfing and doting on their pups Scooter and Sassy. They work together on projects to improve their home and three-acre yard and gardens. Margaret also enjoys woodworking and bird photography.

Rebecca Sutphen, MD, FACMG
Professor of Genetics
College of Medicine
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL

Dr. Rebecca Sutphen is a Professor of Genetics, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL and Chief Medical Officer of InformedDNA.  Dr. Sutphen received her medical degree from Temple University, where she was elected to the National Honor Medical Society Alpha Omega Alpha.  She is board certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics as a Clinical Geneticist as well as a Molecular Geneticist.  Dr. Sutphen has been an NIH-funded researcher for more than a decade. Her research involves identification and management of hereditary cancer risk, strategies for early detection and prevention of cancer, and ways to increase consumer access to genetics experts as well as involve consumers in the entire research process.  Dr. Sutphen serves with Sue Friedman, DVM as Co-Principal Investigators leading the ABOUT Network focused on hereditary cancer as part of the National Clinical Research Network PCORnet.  Dr. Sutphen is a member of the FORCE Medical Advisory Board and Board of Directors and the co-author along with Kathy Steligo and Dr. Sue Friedman of the book, Confronting Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer.  She is survivor of premenopausal breast cancer and melanoma.

Judy E. Garber, MD is the director of the Cancer Genetics and Prevention Disease Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.  Dr. Garber founded the Friends of Dana-Farber Cancer Risk and Prevention Clinic, one of the first devoted to the identification and management of individuals at highest cancer risk.  The program formed the basis for the new disease center, and is a major referral center for clinical care and research in inherited cancer risk, clinical trials of cancer preventive interventions and cancer genetic counseling models. To foster the incorporation of cancer genetics into clinical practice, Dr. Garber has played a major role in the development of national guidelines in genetics (American College of Medical Genetics) and medical oncology (American Society of Clinical Oncology and National Comprehensive Cancer Network.)  Her research activities have been continuously funded by NIH and private foundations and include the study of breast cancer risk assessment and communication, cancer genetics more broadly, and pharmacogenetics.  She is also a leader in research into the characteristics and treatment of triple negative or basal-like breast cancer, the most common form in women with BRCA1 mutations.  Her translational research focuses on the evaluation of novel agents targeting DNA repair defects in breast cancer, including PARP inhibitors for treatment and prevention of breast cancer and other BRCA-associated cancers. 

Dr. Garber is currently president-elect of American Association for Cancer Research, the largest organization of cancer researchers in the world.  She is a member of the NCI Board of Scientific Counselors and chairs the External Advisory Board of the SPORE in Breast Cancer at MD Anderson Cancer Center.  She serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and is a member or chair of the Data Safety Monitoring Committees of several international breast cancer clinical trials.  Locally, she co-chairs a Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Institutional Review Board panel D, and is a member of the Personalized Cancer Medicine Partnership Steering Committee and Executive Committee for Clinical Research.   

Dr. Garber received her BA from the University of Virginia, and her MD and MPH from Yale University School of Medicine.

David brings 23 years of healthcare experience and a record of entrepreneurial leadership to his role as CEO of InformedDNA. Since joining the company in 2007, David has transformed InformedDNA from the premier national genetic counseling provider network to the first-mover in the rapidly growing field of genetic testing utilization management. Recognized for his ability to bridge the gaps between clinical expertise, business imperatives and consumer awareness, David is both a pioneer and driving force behind the revolution to educate and engage payers, patients and physicians about the appropriate use of genetic tests, other molecular diagnostics and the emerging therapies informed by these tests.

Guided by David’s leadership and unique understanding of the prospects and challenges for personalized medicine, InformedDNA is now the leading genetic benefits management organization, working with health plans, hospitals and health systems nationwide to ensure patients and providers have convenient and unprecedented access to quality genetics services and genetic testing decision support.

David’s passion has propelled InformedDNA to become the trusted partner for health plans seeking to leverage the newest diagnostics to provide valuable genetic information for patients and their clinicians. Notably, David helped design and launch a groundbreaking program with national health insurer Cigna to improve access to genetic counseling and genetic testing decision support for its members and network providers. This first-of-its-kind initiative garnered praises widely.; Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, declared that Cigna’s program is “what everybody ought to do.”

Prior to joining InformedDNA, David founded The Nixon Group, a consumer and healthcare marketing communications firm serving clients ranging from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration to Noven Pharmaceuticals and state departments of health. The Nixon Group created novel marketing models that leveraged activism and peer-to-peer health communication such as the Florida state youth tobacco prevention campaign which served as a model for the renowned national truth® campaign.

David speaks regularly at healthcare and technology events. His speaking engagements have included presentations at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Demo Day, iiBIG’s Healthcare Investment and M&A Conference, 2014 Cancer Business Summit, Business of Personalized Medicine Summit, American Telemedicine Association annual meeting and the MedAssets Business & Technology Forum.

David is a lifelong advocate for public education and has served on and chaired community and state education non-profits. David’s other philanthropic pursuits focus on equality and social justice. He served on the boards of Victory Fund and the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute, which he chaired from 2005-2008.

David and his life partner Trevor live in St Petersburg, FL, where they enjoy trying to keep up with their two dogs, Jasper and Jake, and staying connected to their families that include 11 siblings spread across the US between the two of them.

Sherri Silver

Sherri Silver learned of her BRCA1 status after a recommended genetic test in 2000 and immediately began to search for information about the mutation and risk mitigation. She searched the internet, consumed research studies and considered information from her genetic counselor and various medical specialists. She struggled, though, to understand the real life implications of her options, especially in combination with each other. Ultimately, Sherri decided to undergo risk reducing surgeries.

FORCE, then in its early stages, was an invaluable source of information and support. Sherri spent her nights on the FORCE message board, taking comfort that she was not alone and reading advice from those who were ahead of her on their journey. Over the years, Sherri came back to FORCE to keep tabs on the latest information and screening recommendations. She always knew she wanted to give back to the FORCE community and started as a volunteer in 2021, helping to host Virtual Community Meetings and participating in Advocacy Day before becoming a Board Member. 

Sherri has experience as a Corporate Executive and Chief Marketing Officer. She has an undergraduate degree in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts and an MBA in Finance from Fordham University. She is certified for Board Service by the National Association of Corporate Directors.