Top L to R: Fred Mills, Chris Bennett, Tom Hiatt, Jim Kiefert, Jo Ann Hardy, Tom Kirk, Don Lynam, Greg Bielawski, Stu Porter Sitting L to R: Bill Palos, Ron Witherspoon, Bob Fidoten, George Ledwith Not pictured: Carl Frankel, David Houchens, Kay Lowmaster
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."
A native of Detroit, Mich., Jo Ann Hardy is the first woman to
serve on the Us TOO Board of Directors. This is Hardy’s second term as Secretary for
the Board, a position which she feels honored to accept. In September 2000, at the age
of 46, Hardy’s husband, Jerry, faced a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Hardy and her
husband are faithful members of the local Us TOO group at St. Mary Mercy Hospital in
Livonia, Mich. As Director of Corporate Events for the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan,
Hardy is active on the local and national level.
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.
George Ledwith is the Director
of Corporate Communications for KPMG LLP, a
major international accounting and consulting
firm. He has extensive communication
consulting and journalism experience and is a
seasoned counselor in nearly every area of
corporate communications.
George was diagnosed with prostate cancer
in 2003. A graduate of St. John’s University
and a former Navy journalist, George and his
wife, Elizabeth, reside in Wyckoff, NJ, and
have a blended family of four sons and a
daughter
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.
Chris Bennett is Chairman of the Board of Centegra Health System, a large healthcare institution in northern Illinois, and Senior Vice President of Althoff Industries, a large mechanical contractor in Crystal Lake, where he has served for 34 years.
Prior to that, he served as a McHenry Township firefighter, rising through the ranks to become Fire Chief, a position held for 12 years until 1998.
Robert Fidoten, Ph.D. received a B.A. at New York University in 1949. During his college years he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He then went on to earn a graduate degree at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York in 1950. In 1970, Dr. Fidoten earned a Ph.D. in Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh.
In 1989 he retired from PPG Industries in Pittsburgh, and since then he has been an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at Slippery Rock University.
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.
Frankel also served as the Union-nominated member of the LTV Corporate Board of Directors.
Tom Hiatt, Esq. retired at age 55 as Vice President, Public Affairs after 32 years at Eastman Kodak Company. Hiatt was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 60. He is chair of two captive insurance companies, which provide medical malpractice coverage to physicians and hospitals; life trustee & past chair of
CGR, a regional think tank; and has served on two hospital boards as well as the boards of other educational, social and professional organizations.
He graduated from the University of Illinois in Chemical Engineering and obtained a Juris Doctorate from George Washington University and subsequently attended Harvard Business School.
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.
Kay is Chapter Leader of the Us TOO Hillman Cancer Center Chapter, and Regional Director for Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. She is a licensed clinical social worker, and is the Community Outreach Program Coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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.
Bill Palos retired from Civil Service as Chief of Quality for Artillery and Small Arms with the U.S. Army and Munitions Command, located at Rock Island Arsenal in Rock Island, Ill. He is active in Us TOO as a regional coordinator in the Quad Cities area of Iowa and Illinois, which has given him deep experience in chapter start-up and development.
Stuart Porter has spent his career in the financial arena, currently serving as a Managing Partner of Sowood Capital Management LP and Chief Investment Officer for Sowood’s private investment activities. He received his BA in Economics from University of Michigan, and his MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He serves on the board of directors of five large companies.
Stu’s father is a prostate cancer survivor and his mother is a breast cancer survivor. Stu and his wife, Susan, have two sons.
Ron Witherspoon has worked for 25 years with General Motors, an electrician by trade. In addition he has served as a UAW Health & Safety Representative for GM for the past 15 yeas, consistently raising cancer awareness in his workplace. Ron, a Navy veteran, is committed to bringing cancer awareness to all Veterans. He has been as a member of the Royal Oaks, MI, chapter of Us TOO since 2004, serving in a variety of leadership roles.
Ron is a 4-year prostate cancer survivor, and his wife, Carol, is a uterine (endometrial) cancer survivor. Ron and Carol, married 39 years, have two children and seven grandchildren, ages 2-19.
