Global ambassadors with a collective goal: Making Cancer History®

The MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors plays a significant role in advancing the institution as the world's premier cancer center. The advisory, nonfiduciary board was established in 1957. Almost 60 years later, members continue to support MD Anderson's mission to end cancer by participating in numerous board activities and committees, offering advice and counsel on a range of issues, sharing personal expertise and interests within the community, fundraising for MD Anderson initiatives and contributing personal philanthropy.

The board recently welcomed 14 new members who join more than 250 appointed volunteers from across the country and all over the world. The incoming group reflects the board's national and international presence, with new members from five states and as far away as Spain. 

"It is an honor to welcome each of these outstanding men and women to the Board of Visitors," says chair Mel Klein, of Corpus Christi, adding that being a part of MD Anderson's history "is a privilege."

"We are grateful for these dedicated volunteers who have enthusiastically joined us as ambassadors of this great institution," says Klein. 

"Our Board of Visitors members dedicate their time, wisdom, influence and resources to our shared goal to end cancer here at home and globally," says Ronald DePinho, M.D., president of MD Anderson. "Their compassion for all cancer patients and commitment to MD Anderson fuel our efforts to make a real difference for patients and their families everywhere."

Fiscal Year 2016 New Members

• Andrew M. Baker (Houston, Texas) Baker is the managing partner of Baker Botts. He represents companies, boards and audit committees in corporate and government investigations, and counsels on corporate governance compliance, crisis response, dispute resolution, strategic planning and communications strategies.
  
  
• J. Robert Brown (El Paso, Texas) Brown is owner and president of Brownco Capital LLC. He serves on the board of directors of WestStar Bank, is on The University of Texas at El Paso Development Board and is a director of El Paso Electric Company.
  
  
• Anthony Ray "Tony" Chase (Houston, Texas) Chase is chairman and chief executive office of ChaseSource LP. An entrepreneur, a tenured law professor at the University of Houston Law Center and an Eagle Scout, he serves on the boards of Anadarko and Paragon Offshore.
  
  
• Alejandra De la Vega Foster (Chihuahua, Mexico; El Paso, Texas) De la Vega Foster is president of Almacenes Distribuidores de la Frontera, which owns and operates Del Rio stores in Chihuahua. She owns the Domino's Pizza franchise in Juarez and franchise rights for the El Paso, Southern New Mexico and Arizona markets for La Madeleine Country French Café.
  
  
• Diane Dilworth Gates (Corpus Christi, Texas) Gates is a retired school teacher, counselor and administrator for a private school in Laredo. She serves on numerous nonprofit boards in Laredo and Corpus Christi.
  
  
• Robert (Bob) G. Gwin (The Woodlands, Texas) Gwin is executive vice president, finance, and chief financial officer at Anadarko Petroleum. He chairs the boards of LyondellBasell Industries N.V., Western Gas Partners LP and Western Gas Equity Partners LP and is co-owner and director of the Arizona Coyotes.
  
  
• Wyck A. Know Jr. (Augusta, Georgia) Knox is a retired partner and former chairman of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. He is a director of AGL Resources Inc., director and chairman of nBank Corp, partner of Knox Properties LLP and president of Knox Charity Fund Inc.
  
  
• Andrew D. McCullough (Houston, Texas) McCullough is a private investor in Asche Family Interests. He is a former chair of MD Anderson's Advance Team advisory board. In this capacity, he served on the Board of Visitor's Executive and Advisory Group-Children's Cancer Hospital committees.
  
  
• Charles D. McVean (Memphis, Tennessee) McVean founded McVean Trading & Investments LLC in 1986 as chairman and chief executive officer. The company conducts extensive research in livestock and meats, grains and oilseeds, and global macroeconomics, managing investments for over 5,000 clients worldwide.
  
  
• George E. Norcross III  (Cherry Hill, New Jersey) Norcross is executive chairman of Conner Strong & Buckelew, a brokerage and consulting firm. He also is chairman of the board of trustees of the Cooper Health System and Cooper University Hospital in Camden.
  
  
• Ana Palacio (Madrid, Spain) Palacio, the first woman to serve as Foreign Minister of Spain, is a lawyer by profession. She has held senior positions in the governing bodies of the Madrid Bar and the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe.
  
  
• Donald R. Sinclair (Houston, Texas) Sinclair is president and chief executive officer and a director of Western Gas Partners LP and Western Gas Equity Partners LP. Before joining Anadarko and Western Gas, he was a founding partner and president of Ceritas Energy LLC.
  
  
• Glenn B. Stearns (Jackson Hole, Wyoming) Stearns is the founder of Stearns Lending. He was inducted into the Horatio Alger Association in 2011. Glenn and his wife, Mindy, founded the Stearns Family Charitable Foundation, dedicated to helping disadvantaged youths.
  
  
• S. Wil VanLoh Jr. (Houston, Texas) VanLoh co-founded Quantum Energy Partners in 1998. He is president and chief executive officer and serves as chairman of the firm's executive and investment committees. He is on the board of trustees of St. John's School.