American Cancer Society Announces National Officers

American Cancer Society
Monday, 4 November 2002

The American Cancer Society, the nation's leading voluntary health organization, elected national officers at its annual meeting November 2 in Dallas. Elected officers include eight individuals from last year's roster.

Mary A. Simmonds, MD, FACP, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was elected president. Dr. Simmonds is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Penn State University College of Medicine and a medical oncologist practicing with Andrews and Patel Associates in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Simmonds is a graduate of Smith College and the Medical College of Pennsylvania. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Geisinger Medical Center. In addition, she completed a fellowship in Hematology at the Thomas Jefferson University and a fellowship in Medical Oncology at the Hershey Medical Center.

Dr. Simmonds has been actively involved with an array of cancer control organizations in Pennsylvania. She is the co-founder of the Pennsylvania Cancer Pain Initiative. In addition, Dr. Simmonds serves on the Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition and she was honored with the group's Pink Ribbon Award. She also was appointed to chair of the Cancer Control, Prevention and Research Advisory Committee of the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

A longstanding volunteer with the American Cancer Society, Dr. Simmonds has served as president of the Society's Pennsylvania Division.

Dr. Simmonds, succeeds Robert C. Young, MD, president of Fox Chase Center in Philadelphia. Dr. Young becomes the Society's immediate past-president.

David M. Zacks, of Atlanta, was elected chairman of the board. Committed to the global fight against cancer, Mr. Zacks was recently elected to serve on the Council of the International Union Against Cancer based in Geneva, Switzerland. Mr. Zacks has been active in the American Cancer Society, serving as an instructor in the American Cancer Society University, which trains scholars from abroad on strengthening the capacity of developing cancer societies. In addition, Mr. Zacks is a litigator and partner for the international law firm Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP, based in Atlanta. He is a certified arbitrator and mediator with the American Arbitration Association as well as other state and private organizations.

Recently, Mr. Zacks served as president of the Antitrust Section of the State Bar of Georgia. He has also served on the Antitrust Committee of the American Academy of Health Care Attorneys. In addition, he was the recipient of the Palmer Ansley Leadership Award from the Atlanta Bar Association. He is recognized as one of the leading attorneys in America by The Best Lawyers in America.

Mr. Zacks received his BA and JD with honors from Wake Forest University. From 1967 until 1971, he served in the Judge Advocate General's Corp of the United States Army.

Mr. Zacks replaces H. Fred Mickelson, president of Corral Creek Consultants, a management coaching and consulting firm for senior executives. Mr. Mickelson is now the Society's immediate past-chairman of the board.

Ralph B. Vance, MD, FACP, was voted president-elect. Dr. Vance is a professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. In addition, he has served as chief of staff and president of the Clinical Associates, and president of the Faculty Senate for the school.

Selected to serve as chairman-elect was Gary J. Streit, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Mr. Streit is president of Shuttleworth and Ingersoll, PLC, one of Iowa's largest and oldest law firms, where he has practiced for more than 25 years.

Thomas G. Burish, PhD, of Nashville, Tennessee was elected vice chairman. Dr. Burish is president of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

Mark Clanton, MD, MPH, a Texas native, was voted first vice-president. Dr. Clanton is a national health care consultant and former physician executive with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

Voted second vice-president is Stephen F. Sener, MD. Dr. Sener is associate director for the Residency Training Program in Surgery at Northwestern University Medical School in Evanston, Illinois.

Elected lay officers include treasurer Jean B. McGill of Tulsa, Oklahoma, president of Noble Investments, Inc., a private investment firm, and secretary Anna Johnson-Winegar, PhD, Deputy Assistant to the United States Secretary of Defense.

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service.

For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org