Board of Visitors welcomes new members, leadership

Volunteers across the nation advance mission of MD Anderson Cancer Center

BY Sarah Watson

From left, MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors officers for Fiscal Year 2019 are Marsha Shields, chair; Don Evans, chair-elect; Jim Mulva, immediate past chair; and Clarence Cazalot Jr., vice chair. Photos by Adolfo Chavez III

The MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors (BOV), a nonfiduciary, appointed advisory board of volunteers who advance the institution’s mission to end cancer, marked the beginning of Fiscal Year 2019 with nine new members, effective Sept. 1.

“We are proud to welcome these outstanding leaders and citizens as they join us in supporting MD Anderson’s mission to end cancer throughout Texas, the nation and the world," says the Hon. Donald Evans, chair-elect and outgoing Membership and Board Development Committee chair. "Their addition is a wonderful asset in our endeavors to make a significant difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families everywhere.”

Kimberly Alfonso, Carlyse Ciocca, Julie Crosswell, Thomas Donohue, Douglas Glass, David Herr, Cappy McGarr, Sherri Patton and Tony Vallone were welcomed at the BOV's annual business meeting in October.

“My colleagues and I are grateful for the dedication, compassion and support of the entire BOV membership,” says Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “We are honored to welcome these new members as they join our collective efforts toward a world free of cancer.”

The BOV executive leadership team for FY19 comprises Marsha Shields, chair; the Hon. Donald Evans, chair-elect; Jim Mulva, immediate past chair; and Clarence Cazalot Jr., vice chair.

“Each of our members brings unique talents and expertise to the fight against cancer," says Marsha Shields, BOV chair. "I look forward to working with this dynamic group over the coming year in support of MD Anderson’s efforts in Making Cancer History.”

This year’s committee chairs include Mark W. Albers, Clinical Operations and Competitive Assessment Advisory Group; Pat Bodin, Cancer Control Advisory Group; Clarence Cazalot Jr., Membership and Board Development Committee; Gregg Falgout, Events Committee; Wayne Gibbens, Governmental Relations Committee; Maureen Hackett, MD Anderson Network Advisory Group; Tom Johnson, Public Affairs Committee; Pierre Lapeyre Jr., Bylaws Committee; Linda Mays McCaul, Children’s Cancer Hospital Advisory Group; and Don Woo, Development Committee.

At-large members of the executive committee are: Alan Batkin; J. Robert Brown; David Cockrell; Christopher Damico; Walter Driver Jr.; Mel Klein; Susan Epstein; Nancy Loeffler; Jeff Love; Sam L. Susser; Walker Moody; Holden Rushing, Advance Team chair; and Eric Zorn.