Margie Barber, MAc , CPA Chief Administrative Officer Arizona Cancer Center

1. “Margie is an absolutely tireless worker in the Arizona Cancer Center and has gained the reputation of being extremely helpful to both junior and senior faculty members alike. I can categorically state that our Arizona Cancer Center’s Cancer Center Support Grant would be in grave jeopardy if Margie was not available to oversee and immerse herself in the maintenance of our Cancer Center Support Grant. Every day, Margie makes the difference between success and failure in our Mission to Prevent and Cure Cancer in Arizona.” ~ David S. Alberts, MD, Director Margie Barber, MAc, CPAChief Administrative Officer Arizona Cancer Center The University of Arizona

2. Michael Bertram, PhDAssociate Director for Administration University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center “Mike Bertram and his team are invaluable to the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center.  He is the perfect example of ‘hire good people and get out of the way.’” ~ Edward E. Partridge, MD,  Director

3. Dave Rubenson, MS, MBAAssociate Director for Administration Stanford Cancer Center “We have been most fortunate to have had such outstanding administrative support from our CCSG team. Karen Monson has seen us through turbulent times, keeping the ship afloat, and Dave Rubenson has joined us recently to help steer us in new directions.” ~ Beverly S. Mitchell, MD, Director Karen MonsonManager of Finance & Business Operations Stanford Cancer Center

4. John Gricoski, CPA, MBAVice President of Research Administration Fox Chase Cancer Center “From Eagle Scout to all-star CCSG Administrative Leader John’s integrity, leadership, and organizational skill served Fox Chase extraordinarily well during its 2010-11 CCSG submission. Thank you, John.” ~ Michael V. Seiden MD, PhD, Director

5. Ted Yank, MHAAssociate Director for Administration Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center Baylor College of Medicine “Running a cancer center is clearly a team effort. The importance of our administrative team headed by Ted Yank cannot be overstated. As Director I would be lost without Ted and his group. Directing a cancer center without abundant admin support would be impossible.” ~ Kent Osborne, MD, Director

6. Barbara Vance, PhD, CRAAssociate Director for Research Administration Abramson Cancer Center University of Pennsylvania “Kudos to Barbara Vance and Bob Wynne from the Abramson Cancer Center for their rating as EXCEPTIONAL for Research Administration in our 2010 competing renewal!” ~ Caryn Lerman, PhD, Director Robert WynneDirector of Financial & Administrative Affairs Abramson Cancer Center University of Pennsylvania

7. “Judith Epstein and Beth Bernard provide outstanding administrative and organizational support for the CCSG activities at Roswell Park Cancer institute. Their work is integral to our continued success. THANK YOU , Judith and Beth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” ~Donald Trump, MD, FACP, Director & Candace Johnson, PhD, Deputy Director Judith Epstein, MSAssistant CCSG Administrator Roswell Park Cancer Institute

8. “Two years ago, the IU Simon Cancer Center’s founding Director, Steve Williams, died from melanoma. As is quite easy to imagine, this was a devastating blow to the members and staff of the Center and the University. As then Deputy Director, I assumed the responsibilities of Steve with little appreciation of the depth and breadth of the organization that I so casually belonged since its inception. Michael Darling and our administrative team lifted much of the burden of  additional responsibilities  for me, transforming sadness into solidarity.  It is no small testimonial to say that the professionalism and vocational drive of our Cancer Center team drove me consider applying for the full time position as Director, a job I never aspired to hold. Cancer Center Directors get more that their fair share  of the spotlight, but the script and the direction come from the administrative staff… and we have a superb one. Thanks for all you do.” ~Patrick J. Loehrer, MD, FACP, Director Michael Darling, MHA Associate Director for Administration Indiana University Simon Cancer Center

9. “Tina has the unique distinction of serving for a second time as the lead Administrator for the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa.  I was disappointed but understood when Tina initially stepped down as Associate Director for Administration because of family obligations.  Subsequently, one of the best days ever for our Cancer Center (and for me) was the day Tina agreed to return to this role.  She is uniformly respected across the institution and her skillful, thoughtful, calming approach to dealing with both people and problems has been invaluable. ” ~George Weiner, MD, Director Tina Devery, MHA Associate Director for Administration Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center University of Iowa

10. Kevin Vest, MBA Deputy Director - Administration Yale Cancer Center “Kevin Vest and his leadership team are the heart of the cancer center. They touch all of our initiatives and programs. From operations to recruiting to the CCSG our administrative leadership ensures the success of the cancer center. Most importantly our leaders are motivated to improve outcome for our patients.” ~Thomas Lynch, Jr., MD, Director

11. “Our administrative team, led by Ms. Connie Claybaker, is the heart and soul of our cancer center.  Their expertise, attention to detail, service orientation and warmth were on full display at our recent site visit.  We are grateful to have such a wonderful team at the Karmanos Cancer Institute.” ~Gerold Bepler, MD, PhD, Director Connie Claybaker Associate Center Director Research Administration Karmanos Cancer Institute Wayne State University

12. “When Anita joined our team in 2005, I announced that she was our secret weapon. She had been through the NCI designation process before and knew all the ins and outs. She was what made our designation possible. Cancer center administrators are the glue that holds together the entire cancer center. There are so many problems that cancer centers face. Only a good administrator can find solutions to these problems. “ ~Andrew Kraft, MD, Director Anita Harrison, MPA Associate Director of Administration Hollings Cancer Center Medical University of South Carolina

13. Lisa Sideras Associate Director CCSG Administration The Wistar Institute “Lisa Sideras is an incredible engine that powers all aspects of our cancer center with dedication, enthusiasm, and passion. And, of course, her spunk keeps everybody on their toes, especially me.” ~Dario Altieri, MD, Director

14. “There is no way an NCI designated cancer center could function without superb administration. I have been blessed to have two of the very best - Anita Harrison and Brian Springer. Their passion and dedication as well as professionalism, make them extraordinarily valuable to our center. ” ~Timothy Eberlein, MD, Director Brian Springer, MHA Executive Director Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center Washington University

15. Stephen Long Associate Director for Administration Marlene & Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center University of Maryland Medical Center “Having just completed our NCI P30 site visit, I am enormously grateful to the wonderful administrative team we have assembled at Maryland, led by Steve Long.  They are the engineers which keep the cancer center on track and moving forward.  What we do and what we aspire to be would simply not be possible without them. ” ~Kevin J. Cullen, MD, Director

16. “Bob Gerlach joined Norris Cotton Cancer Center in 2007, a time of very rapid expansion for our Cancer Center. As Associate Director for Administration and Scientific Affairs, he quietly and efficiently began to develop effective policies to support the evolution of our Center. Bob leads the execution of our Strategic Plan, supports operation of core research infrastructure and our Office of Clinical Research, and drives the development and implementation of Dartmouth’s CCSG and related grants. In short order, Bob created a sea change at our Cancer Center, profoundly transforming the operations of our research enterprise through dedicated leadership and ably representing our Center at the highest administrative levels across our parent institutions. I am deeply in his debt for his outstanding major achievements and for those of the talented administrative team he oversees.” ~Mark Israel, MD, Director Robert W. Gerlach, MPA Associate Director for Administration & Scientific Affairs Norris Cotton Cancer Center Dartmouth Medical School

17.       Jacqueline (Jackie, Jaq) With a smile that beguiles But honest to a fault As subtle as a Mack truck Keeping us(me) out of CCSG guidelines jail! ~Frank L. Meyskens, Jr., MD, FACP, Director Jacqueline Tidball Cancer Center Support Grant Administrator Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center University of California Irvine

18. John Gricoski, CPA, MBA Vice President Research Administration Fox Chase Cancer Center “From Eagle Scout to all-star CCSG Administrative Leader John’s integrity, leadership, and organizational skill served Fox Chase extraordinarily well during its 2010-11 CCSG submission. Thank you John.” ~Michael V. Seiden, MD, PhD

19. Beverly Ginsburg-Cooper Senior Vice President for Research Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Harvard Cancer Center “Bev Ginsburg-Cooper and her team are fantastic. Our CCSG administration has to pull together grants, papers, compliance, financial and administrative data for over 1100 faculty from 7 Institutions, over 700 clinical trials, and nearly $650 Milllion in extramural grant funding, and have it all align with NCI rubrics not designed to allow for this complexity. They deal with different research office and clinical trials office structures at each institution, different policies and different compliance cultures, and do it all with aplomb. Somehow they make it all work. I think they are the best in the business.” ~Edward Benz, Jr., MD, Director

20. Brian Nelson Deputy Director Cancer Center Administration The Mayo Clinic “Managing the day-to-day operation of our large comprehensive cancer center with more than 450 members at three geographically separated sites in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida simply would not be possible without the strong administrative leadership provided by both our Deputy Director for Administration, Brian Nelson, and our Associate Director for Administration, Drew Memmott.” ~Robert B. Diasio, M.D. Drew Memmott Associate Director for Administration The Mayo Clinic

21. Ted Yank, MHA Associate Director for Administration Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center Baylor College of Medicine “Running a cancer center is clearly a team effort. The importance of the Administrative team headed by Ted Yank cannot be overstated. As Director I would be lost without Ted and his group. Directing a cancer center without abundant admin support would be impossible.”~Kent Osborne, MD, Director

22. “Perhaps the best and most objective critique comes from our recent CCSG review that commented on Tim Strawderman’s leadership as follows: ‘The guiding principle for the Simmons Cancer Center Administration defines Cancer Center members and leaders as the prime customer with the role of administration being to anticipate their needs through proactive support of the research endeavors. Dr. Strawderman has built an organization that is service oriented in a manner that doesn’t simply react to needs and challenges, but rather provides a strong framework to support Cancer Center initiatives in multiple venues and a variety of enterprises.’ Tim is respected by program leaders and resource directors for his ability to get things done “with an absence of pain” (to quote one senior leader).” ~James Willson, MD, Director Tim Strawderman, PhD Director, Cancer Center Administration Simmons Cancer Center UT Southwestern Medical Center

23. Janet Villarmia, MBA Associate Director for Administration & Education Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center University of Southern California “Janet has the instinct and passion it takes to make the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center work. She does it all with a sense of humor and commitment. Without her, there would no way that I could lead the science to try and make cancer a disease of the past.” ~Peter Jones, PhD, Dsc, Director

24. “The Cancer Center Support Grant is an integral resource for research programs at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. We depend on our excellent CCSG team, led by Alan McClelland, to ensure it is administered with the utmost care and efficiency for the benefit of our investigators. Alan and his team do an outstanding job.” ~John Mendelsohn, MD, President Alan McClelland Associate Vice President MD Anderson Cancer Center University of Texas

25. Rhoda Arzoomanian Associate Director of Administration Carbone Cancer Center University of Wisconsin “Rhoda and I have worked together  for 23 years growing programs and now managing the Carbone Cancer Center. Rhoda's energy, personality and experience make her the "go to" person at the Carbone Cancer Center. She keeps us all on track and moving towards our goals.” ~George Wilding, MD, Director

26. Mary Sumpmann, RN, MS Associate Director for Administration Masonic Cancer Center University of Minnesota “I assumed the position of cancer center director in March 2007.  Our cancer center support grant was due in January 2008, clearly a very short timeline! Fortunately, I had the tremendous help of Mary Sumpmann (Associate Director of Administration) and her skilled, experienced staff. Mary had been involved in the cancer center since Day 0, and her collective wisdom and experience was invaluable.  She helped me navigate the "sand traps" of the application and site visit. We successfully reviewed our CCSG with the center's best priority score ever. This certainly was due in great part to Mary's assistance with the grant. I certainly would not have taken the job as director if Mary was not willing to stay on!”~Doug Yee, MD, Director

27. Amy Barach CCSG Coordinator UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center “The role of the CCSG Administrator is vitally important in putting a Center in a strong position. Our administrator, Amy Barach, has played an enormous role in the development of our Center. Through her exceptional effort, she has guided our Center through three successful round of competitive renewal. Unfortunately for us, Amy has accepted an outstanding position at City of Hope, and we wish her all the very best in this new role.” ~Frank McCormick, PhD, Director

28. Eveline Hernandez, MBA Cancer Center Associate Director Administration Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute “Eveline and Craig, many thanks for your hard work, dedication and talent that you bring to Sanford-Burnham’s Cancer Center. Without you, I would not be getting e-mails from NCI as I just received today: “Thank you for submitting such an outstanding Annual Progress Report”! Best wishes, Kristiina” ~KristiinaVuori, MD, PhD, Director Craig Hauser, PhD VP Scientific Resources Associate Director of Shared Resources Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute

29. “Over the past year we have put in place an entirely new administrative team. Dina Gould Halme joined us in January 2010 from UCSF, where she played a central role in program building and in obtaining a CTSA. This was only a year before our CCSG renewal was due, and Dina not only had a steep learning curve, but our administrative team was very thin. (As an aside, our administrative team has always been understaffed, and it was only the dedicated -- even heroic -- efforts of our prior Associate Director for Administration, Tom O'Leary, that we were able to function effectively). Dina had to recruit new people into the office, train them, initiate and complete the process for submitting the CCSG renewal, and keep the normal functions of the research programs moving forward all at the same time. She is an incredibly quick study, extremely well-organized, with a great balance of insightful creativity and goal-oriented focus...” ~Michael J. Weber, PhD, Director Dina Gould Halme, PhD Associate Director for Research Program Administration University of Virginia Cancer Center

30. Robert DuWors Deputy Director Administration & Finance Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center University of California Los Angeles “Rob DuWors is the consummate professional. He has had a dramatic and lasting impact on the Jonsson Cancer Center, the Broad Stem Cell Center and many other research units at UCLA. Rob has also has a wicked sense of humor.” ~Judith Gasson, PhD, Director

31. Lauren Hackett, MPA Executive Director for Administration NYU Cancer Institute NYU Langone Medical Center “Lauren Hackett is the "compass" of the NYU Cancer Institute. Her insight, dedication and interpersonal skills have had a dramatic impact at a time of enormous growth for the Institute. There is no doubt that we would not be where we are today if it wasn't for Lauren's leadership.” ~William Carroll, MD, Director

32. “The RHLCCC Administrative leaders are the heart and soul of our institution.  Our success reflects their talent and commitment to our worthy mission.  I have great admiration and respect for each member of our team. Their efforts are appreciated by our patients, their families and the community we serve.” ~Steven T. Rosen, MD, Director Tim Volpe Associate Director for Administration Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center Northwestern University

33. Teresa Christenson Associate Director of Administration The University of Kansas Cancer Center “Everyone at The University of Kansas Cancer Center would like to thank Teresa Christenson and Lisa Harlan-Williams for all of their hard work and dedication devoted to our quest to achieve NCI designation for our Cancer Center. Their work ethic, knowledge, and Herculean efforts in this cause are truly an inspiration.”  ~Roy A. Jensen, M.D., Director Lisa Harlan-Williams, PhD Assistant Director of Administration The University of Kansas Cancer Center

34. Jeanine Stiles Associate Director for Administration University of California Davis Cancer Center “NCI Designated Cancer Centers are at the core of our country’s fight against cancer.  At UC Davis, our contribution to this effort revolves around our true leader Jeanine Stiles.” ~Ralph W. de Vere White, MD, Director

35. “The backbone of every NCI designated cancer center is its CCSG administrator and administrative team. Without their dedication, hard work, and attention to detail, much of the important collaborative work at the centers would grind to a halt.  Their work is critical to the advances that we have made and will continue to make against cancers.   The hard work and efforts of our CCSG administrator and all the members of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center's administrative team are as essential to improving the lives of our patients as the many discoveries at the bench, the innovative treatment in the clinic or the compassionate touch of a bedside caregiver.” ~Jennifer Pietenpol, PhD, Director Susan Mills Associate Director for Administration Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

36. Christine Scarcello, MBA Director of Research Operations Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center “It’s very simple, without my administrative team, what we have been able to achieve at Ohio State would simply be a fantastic  - and unrealized -  dream.  They are the critical support structure on which we have and will continue to build into the future…..period!” ~Michael Caligiuri, MD, Director

37. “Ira Goodman has been critical to the success of the Moores UCSD Cancer Center. He helps to plan the grants, manages the budget, and looks out for the staff, allowing me to focus my time on the cancer problem. I confide in Ira, value his advice, and could not lead the institution without him. We are a true team.” ~Dennis Carson, MD, Director Ira Goodman Associate Director for Administration Moores Cancer Center UC San Diego

38. “Ever since she joined Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center from Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina, Andrea took the lead role in assembling an effective administrative team and assisting in the development of a five-year strategic plan.  Andrea’s past experience, dedication, and passion will be crucial in the implementation of our strategic plan and in helping the Medical College Wisconsin Cancer Center to achieve NCI designation in the near future.” ~Ming You, MD, PhD, Director Andrea Brown, MBA Associate Director of Administration Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center

39. RenaeHepler Administrative Director Huntsman Cancer Institute University of Utah “Huntsman Cancer Institute acknowledges Mr. Scott Lloyd and Ms. RenaeHepler: From shared resources to human resources, from grants to compliance, from CVs to site visits, from intraprogrammatic to interprogrammatic, from Summary 1 to Summary 2A to Summary 2B to Summary 3 to Summary 4 to Summary 5, our NCI-designated Cancer Center depends on your expertise, your collaborative style, and your commitment to excellence in all we do. THANK YOU.” ~Mary Beckerle, PhD, Executive Director