Fred Mills, also a survivor, has 30+ years experience as a health care executive and consultant, with proven leadership and results in various health care settings. His area of expertise is in the area of medical staff and board relations. Fred is Board Certified in Healthcare Management and a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, and currently serves on the board of several healthcare related organizations.
Fred has been married for 43 years to Sylvia, and has 4 grown sons and 8 grandchildren.
Kay has been the Chapter Leader of the Us TOO Hillman Cancer Center Chapter in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for 13 years. She also serves as the Us TOO Regional Director for Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia and has been a faculty member for several Us TOO University programs. Kay has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in social work. Her background is in oncology social work, and she has worked in both hospice and acute care settings. She is currently an oncology educator serving as the Program Coordinator for Community Outreach at the UPMC Cancer Centers in Pittsburgh. She lectures throughout western Pennsylvania on cancer prevention and early detection.
Carl Frankel has served as General Counsel to the United Steelworkers of America, overseeing all of the Union’s legal affairs in the U.S. and Canada. Much of his early career was devoted to collective bargaining, among both small and large firms, for a rich history that involved the tire and aluminum industry as well as basic steel.
A graduate of the College and Law School of the University of Chicago, Frankel currently serves on the Board of Kaiser Aluminum
Corporation. Frankel also served as the Union-nominated member of the LTV Corporate Board of Directors.
David has a PhD in microbiology and immunology from George Washington University, and is a senior scientist/administrator with extensive experience in pharmaceutical research and development with industry, university medical centers, contract laboratories and government funding agencies. He currently serves as a Program Manager at the Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio.
Ridge Taylor is the California / Nevada Sales Manager and Engineered Wood Products Group Manager at a commodity lumber trading business located in Portland, Oregon. He began his career 28 years ago at Shelter Products Inc., over half of which has been spent in management. Diagnosed at age 50 with prostate cancer, he underwent RLRP in January, 2007. Taylor is currently active in the OHSU Prostate Cancer Support Group, has been instrumental in the development of a separate OHSU Prostate Cancer Advocacy Group, and serves on the Pacific Northwest Prostate Cancer SPORE in Seattle, Washington. He has been blissfully married to wife Lisa for 19 years. His daughter attends the University of Oregon.
Tom joined Us TOO in November 2004 and brings over 30 years of experience as a family service leader. He has worked in the area of Alzheimer’s disease for nearly 20 years, having served 13 years with the National Alzheimer’s Association staff where he worked to establish and develop chapters, developed new education programs and services for patients and families and served on the Senior Management Team. Tom also worked for over a decade in a Family Service Association in NE Wisconsin where he developed and managed services such as an outpatient Mental Health Program, a 24-hour Crisis Intervention Center and an Outreach Program for Vietnam Veterans and their families. In addition, he has worked as a direct services provider, Director and Vice President in long term care and social service settings. Tom holds a Masters Degree in Planning and Administration from the University of Wisconsin Madison’s School of Social Work.
Greg Bielawski served as Village Manager of Carol Stream, Ill., from January 1980 to June 2002 when he retired.
He is married with three grown children. Greg is a prostate cancer survivor diagnosed in
1999 at the age of 54 and is active in many cancer education and advocacy
organizations such as the National Cancer Institute's Consumer Advocates in Research
and Related Activities (CARRA) network, and the American Cancer Society, of which he
is DuPage (IL) Regional Chairman and an Illinois Division Board member.
Greg served as Steering Committee Co-Chair for the 2009 Chicago SEA Blue Prostate Cancer Walk.
David M. Lubaroff, PhD, is a Professor in the Departments of Urology and Microbiology and in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Immunology as well as Associate Director in the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, all at the University of Iowa. His research is centered on immunologic aspects of prostate cancer, in particular immunotherapy for the disease. Currently, David is the Principal Investigator in a Phase II clinical trial of a vaccine for the treatment of recurrent prostate cancer.
Jean Jeffries is an active member of the Treasure Valley Us TOO chapter in Idaho. Jean’s husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009 and is currently undergoing treatment. Her service work includes being a Board Member of the Ada County Community Guardians, the Vancouver Women’s Resources Centre Society of the University of British Columbia, and the Lower Mainland Grief Recovery Society. Jean is a founding member of the Widowed Journey which is an outreach program by the University of British Columbia for widows, widowers and their families.
Jerry Hardy is a prostate cancer survivor, counselor, speaker, and advocate. He is a member of the Us TOO Livonia, Michigan Chapter, a peer reviewer for National Cancer Institute, and with wife (and retiring Board member) Jo Ann Hardy, shared their personal prostate cancer story in The Circles of Love Collection, published by Us TOO International. He has recently retired from 35 years with the United States Postal Service, serving as a National Association of Letter Carriers union steward and USPS supervisor. Jerry is a pianist and choir director, and is on the Board of Deacons at Trinity Baptist Church in Detroit.
Rick Lyke is a Senior Partner, Public Relations and Public Affairs with Eric Mower and Associates in Charlotte, NC, a marketing communications firm with seven offices along the east coast. Lyke is also a drinks journalist whose work appears in many brewing magazines including All About Beer and DRAFT Magazine. Last year, a colleague with prostate cancer urged Rick to get a blood test, which revealed that the 47-year-old had the disease. After successful surgery in April 2008, he initiated a pro-bono initiative with Us TOO International to create the successful Pints for Prostates awareness campaign using the universal language of beer to reach men with a critical health message. So far the campaign has reached about 25 million people with information about PSA testing and prostate health. Mr. Lyke is accredited in Public Relations (APR) with the Public Relations Society of America, and has a BA from S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University. He and his wife, Sandy, have two daughters.
John served his country before and throughout World War II in both European and Philippines theaters as a Major in the combat engineers. After leaving Commonwealth Edison Company in Chicago in 1955, John was self employed as the owner of a variety of businesses, including home decorating, private scavenging, dry cleaning and shirt laundry, and mobile home parks. Retired from the business world in 1976, John volunteered to serve in ministry in The Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts. He became its Executive Vice President in 1980, and retired in 1986. In May 1988, John had a radical prostatectomy and with the purpose of serving his fellow man, became one of the co-founders of Us TOO in 1990. John lives in Elmhurst, Illinois, and participates in the Us TOO Elmhurst Support Group Chapter.
Ed was born, raised and educated in Illinois. He served in the United States Navy as an aviation radioman from 1943-1946. He worked for General Motors for 42 years as an industrial relations director, retiring in 1988. Ed has been involved in many organizations over the years, including President/Secretary of a bowling league, President of a Little/Pony Baseball League, Executive Director of the Illinois Manufacturers Association, Trustee of his church, and a member of the Board of Directors of a retirement home. Ed has been a prostate cancer survivor since 1978, and became one of the co-founders of Us TOO in 1990. He was a Director and Trustee of the American Foundation of Urological Disease (AFUD), and in 2008 started the Edward C. Kaps Hope Awards given to “An outstanding Leader in an Us TOO Support Group who has shown unselfish, dedicated service to prostate cancer survivors and their families." Ed currently lives in the Chicagoland area and in Arizona.
Jim was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1989 at age
50. He had surgery and radiation which did not eliminate the cancer. Jim retired in 2001
as a school district superintendent having spent 41 years in education serving as a
math/science teacher, University professor and public school administrator. Kiefert was
a Fulbright Scholar who studied at the American University in Cairo, Egypt and served
as Executive Secretary of the Washington Educational Research Association for 19
years.
Kiefert credits his prostate cancer diagnosis with changing his life - sparking
changes in diet, exercise, stress reduction, spirituality, and focused on the appreciation
of the most important things in life. Jim and his wife Maureen have eight children, 14
grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. Kiefert and his wife received ACS M2M
facilitator training and are now facilitator trainers. They formed and facilitate support
groups in The Dalles, OR and Olympia, WA. Jim says, "Living with prostate cancer
makes you realize that every day is a gift, to be spent wisely."
