ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis Elects New Slate of Officers
Billie Jean Smith. Photo courtesy of ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Milwaukee –Jan 21, 2021 – ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis announced today the appointment of Billie Jean Smith (President), intellectual property attorney at Boyle Fredrickson; Linda E.B. Hansen (Vice President), retired partner at Foley & Lardner LLP; Gina Rich (Secretary), writer and community volunteer; and Cindy Moon-Mogush (Treasurer), chief marketing & communications officer at Bethesda Lutheran Communities to its Board of Directors. These appointments bring ABCD’s total board membership to 15.
“I’m honored to lead the Board at such a pivotal time,” said Billie Jean Smith. “Now more than ever, breast cancer patients need emotional support as they deal with feelings, concerns, and questions about their diagnosis as well as added fears related to the COVID pandemic – such as going to treatment alone, delayed surgeries, and hospitals stays without visitors.”
As shelter-at-home regulations began easing up this past summer and people started getting mammograms again, ABCD experienced a 25% increase in requests for matches in the second half of 2020, and in the month of August alone, service requests went up by 90%.
“I’m so grateful to have Billie, Linda, Gina and Cindy lead our Board of Directors to ensure we not only meet our rising service demand but also to launch innovative fundraising and engagement strategies to sustain our operations,” said Ellen Friebert Schupper, ABCD Executive Director. “ABCD must remain strong so that we are here for anyone who needs us in 2021 and beyond.”
Other members of the ABCD Board of Directors include Bonnie Anderson, Mary J. Dowell, Lisa Gibb, Janet Howenstine, Ruth Kallio-Mielke, John LoGiudice MD, Wayne C. Oldenburg, Sandra Underwood PhD, Alonzo Walker MD, Kathryn Walker and Leslie Waltke PT, DPT.
Contact: Julie Frinzi, ABCD, Director of Community Engagement
About ABCD
Since 1999, ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis has been committed to providing free, customized, one-to-one support to anyone impacted by breast cancer. As a complement to medical care and drawing from a pool of more than 275 professionally-trained volunteer Mentors/breast cancer survivors, the organization pairs people who not only share a similar diagnosis and treatment plan, but who also have common interests, personal traits, and family dynamics. As a phone-based organization, ABCD supports people in the US and around the world at time of diagnosis, during treatment, and on into survivorship. ABCD was founded in 1999 by Emmy Award-winning Milwaukee journalist Melodie Wilson Oldenburg with her founding vision that ‘no one needs to feel alone’ after being diagnosed with breast cancer. To learn more about the organization, please visit abcdbreastcancersupport.org.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
