A self-proclaimed 16-year breast cancer “thriver,” Cheryl so embodies Susan G. Komen’s mission of saving lives and putting an end to breast cancer forever that Founder Nancy G. Brinker recently chose her to receive the prestigious Founder’s Award. Cheryl’s pro bono work since diagnosis has spanned from local initiatives, like serving on the founding board of Komen Kansas City, to serving on the National Komen board to an U.S. Delegate to the first Global Breast Cancer Advocacy Summit in Budapest, Hungry.

Passionately active in breast cancer research advocacy, she currently serves as the chair of the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Breast Cancer Prevention Center’s Board of Advocates; a member of KU’s Biospecimen Shared Resource Internal Advisory Board; a member of the National Cancer Institute’s Director’s Consumer Liaison Group; the advocate representative to NCI’s National Community Cancer Centers Program; a member of Komen’s Advocates in Science program; an advocate reviewer in Komen’s scientific grants review process; and a member of Komen Scholars (an advisory group of 68 distinguished scholars and leaders in breast cancer research and advocacy who have made significant contributions to advancing the field.)

For the past four years, Cheryl has chaired the Advancement Board of the University of Kansas Medical Center and the Kansas University Hospital. This board of leaders in our bi-state region has been a significant force in KU’s quest to become an NCI-designated cancer center.

Cheryl was Art BraKC’s 2011 Honorary Chair, and still serves on the Executive Committee.