Meet our Board of Directors
President and CEO | Mindy Mintz Mordecai
Chairman | John C. Lipham, M.D.
Vice Chairman | Blair A. Jobe, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Secretary | Jeanelle Taverni, M.B.A.
Treasurer | William J. Hufnell, C.P.A., C.F.P.
Chairman Emeritus
Bruce D. Greenwald, M.D.
Steve Bende, Ph.D.
Sri Komanduri, M.D., M.S., FASGE, AGAF
Dana C. Deighton
Cheryl K. Middleton
Gary M. Gilbert
Stephen G. Muzzy
Philip O. Katz, M.D., F.A.C.G., A.G.A.F.
Michele Rifkin
Vivek Kaul, M.D., FACG, FASGE, AGAF
Rick Smith, C.P.A.
Stephen C. Yang, M.D.
Meet our Board of Directors
John C. Lipham, MD
John C. Lipham, MD | Chairman
- Chief, Division of Upper GI and General Surgery
- John and Pamela Muzzy Endowed Chair in Upper Gastroenterological Cancer
- Director, Hoag-USC Foregut Cancer Program
- Professor of Surgery
- Department of Surgery
- Keck Medical Center of University of Southern California
- University of Southern California
“I joined ECAN because I saw it as the only organization that was truly trying to make a difference and raise awareness about the link between GERD, Barrett’s and Esophageal Cancer. An alarming number of patients are being diagnosed each year with Esophageal Cancer and almost none of them realize that heartburn is what put them at risk for the development of Esophageal Cancer. The only way to impact this disease is by raising awareness and I am confident that ECAN is the organization that can do this.”
John C. Lipham, M.D. is Chief of the Division of Upper GI and General Surgery and Professor of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Dr. Lipham is also the Director of the USC Digestive Health Center. He serves as the Foregut Cancer Program Director and Chief of USC Affiliated Academic Programs at Hoag Hospital and is the James & Pamela Muzzy Endowed Chair in Upper GI Cancer.
He focuses on benign and malignant diseases of the esophagus and stomach. His clinical interests include the diagnosis and treatment of GERD, hiatal hernias, Barrett’s esophagus, esophageal motility disorders, achalasia, malignant diseases of the esophagus and stomach, and gastroparesis. His current research interests include developing minimally invasive methods of diagnosing and treating gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett’s, Esophageal Cancer and gastric cancer.
Dr. Lipham earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin where he was elected to membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He subsequently completed his internship and residency training in general surgery at USC. During his training at USC, Dr. Lipham had the opportunity to gain further experience in esophageal and gastric surgery by accepting a six-month position as a Senior Surgical Registrar in England. He then went on to complete a thoracic and esophageal surgery fellowship at USC under the direction of Dr. Tom DeMeester. He joined the faculty of USC in 2001.
Blair A. Jobe, MD, FACS
Blair A. Jobe, MD, FACS | Vice Chairman
- Clinical Professor of Surgery
- Temple University School of Medicine
- Director, Esophageal and Lung Institute
- Allegheny Health Network
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
“At this stage in my career, I am most interested in efforts to promote the early detection and prevention of Esophageal Cancer, given the dismal 15 percent survival rate for five years for those diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer. I look forward to working with the ECAN board on activities promoting greater awareness, prevention and advocacy.”
A nationally renowned pioneer in the field of minimally invasive surgery and endoscopic therapy for the treatment of Esophageal Cancer, Barrett’s esophagus, esophageal mobility disorders and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Dr. Jobe is chief of surgery at West Penn Hospital and director of the Institute for the Treatment of Esophageal and Thoracic Diseases at West Penn Allegheny Health Systems.
A prolific medical researcher and international lecturer, Jobe serves as the principal investigator for two NIH grants that focus on improving early detection of Esophageal Cancer, specifically on the development of serum and tissue biomarkers, a precursor to a blood test for the early detection and treatment of Esophageal Cancer.
His numerous honors include being named the 2005 Outstanding Researcher of the Year by the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons and the 2010 Faculty Member of the Year by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery. He also received a Pittsburgh Business Times’ Health Care Heroes award for his discovery of four protein biomarkers in determining the presence of cancer.
Married and the father of four children, Jobe graduated from Loyola Marymount University and Creighton University School of Medicine, and later completed fellowships at Legacy Emanuel Hospital and Health Center and Swedish Medical Center.
Jeanelle DeSalvo, MBA
Jeanelle DeSalvo, MBA | Secretary
- Senior Sales Director, East
- Verax Biomedical
- Wyckoff, New Jersey
“My life changed forever in May of 2010 when my boyfriend at the time, Brent Sharpless, was diagnosed with Stage IV Esophageal Cancer. He was a very active and healthy 36-year-old when he first heard the words, “you have Esophageal Cancer.” Like many people, he thought that persistent heartburn was an inconvenience rather than a risk factor for cancer. Brent fought hard to battle his illness and he was an inspiration to those around him – riding his bike to chemo and radiation treatments, cycling 25 miles to raise money for cancer research, and completing a relay triathlon. Despite all of his determination, Brent sadly passed away on June 29, 2011, at age 37 – less than 14 months after his diagnosis.
Brent was determined not only to fight hard for himself, but also to raise awareness and prevent others from going through the perils of fighting Esophageal Cancer. I became aware of ECAN while Brent was ill and I am inspired by all that it has accomplished. ECAN is an outstanding organization and it is an honor to serve on the Board of Directors. I am committed to doing all that I can, including leveraging my sales, marketing, and advocacy experience to further the ECAN mission. I am extremely passionate about seeing Brent’s hope realized and lowering the incidence of Esophageal Cancer through raising awareness of the relationship between heartburn and cancer .”
Jeanelle DeSalvo brings 17 years of healthcare sales and marketing experience to her role as board member of the Esophageal Cancer Action Network. She received her undergraduate degree in Marketing from West Virginia University in 2001 and then completed her MBA at Saint Louis University in 2010. Jeanelle has worked for companies that range in size from small, start-up companies to Fortune 50 companies. Since January 2016, Jeanelle has worked as a Senior Sales Director for Verax Biomedical.
The spirit of volunteerism is a cornerstone of Jeanelle’s beliefs. She has volunteered as committee chairperson for the Saint Louis chapter of Susan G. Komen; Marketing Chairperson for the Missouri/Arkansas chapter of the Leukemia Society’s Team in Training; an MBA Advisor for Saint Louis University; and a docent at the Saint Louis Zoo.
Jeanelle currently resides with her husband, Mike in Wyckoff, NJ. They spend their free time cycling, traveling, and hiking.
William J. Hufnell, CPA, CFP®
William J. Hufnell, CPA, CFP® | Treasurer
- Founder and Principal
- Bay Point Wealth Management
- Annapolis, Maryland
“ECAN’s mission of increasing awareness about the link between heartburn and cancer is critical. There generally seems to be a lack of understanding in the public of the potential seriousness of the long-term effects of living with heartburn. I hope to provide the support at the board level to assure the organization meets its goals.”
William J. Hufnell is founder and principal at Bay Point Wealth Management. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University in accounting and his Master’s degree in finance from Johns Hopkins University. Bill is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with extensive knowledge in federal income tax laws and federal estate tax laws.
He is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, the most highly regarded designation within the financial planning industry. Bill is an active member of the National Association of Professional Financial Advisors, the foremost professional association for fee-only financial advisors, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants.
In addition to his 25 years of extensive wealth management planning experience, Bill was previously employed with a Fortune 100 corporation for 10 years, working in the areas of business planning, corporate retirement plans, employee benefits and compensation, and financial reporting.
Bruce D. Greenwald, MD
Bruce D. Greenwald, MD | Chairman Emeritus
- Chairman Emeritus
- Professor of Medicine
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- University of Maryland School of Medicine
- Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Founding Board Member
“As a gastroenterologist dedicated to fighting esophageal cancer, I fully support ECAN’s efforts in improving awareness of this disease and improving awareness of heartburn as a risk factor.”
Bruce D. Greenwald, MD is a cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College and graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine magna cum laude in 1987. He completed Internal Medicine internship and residency training at the University of Virginia Hospital, then returned to the University of Maryland to complete fellowship training in Gastroenterology. After serving as chief medical resident for one year, he joined the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1993. He was promoted to Professor of Medicine in 2009.
Dr. Greenwald’s clinical and research interests focus on cancer and pre-cancerous conditions of the esophagus. Early in his career his research focused on genetic and epigenetic changes in the esophagus in cancer and Barrett’s esophagus. More recently his research has centered around minimally invasive staging methods and endoscopic treatments for esophageal cancer. He has pioneered the use of low pressure liquid nitrogen spray cryotherapy for the treatment of Barrett’s esophagus with high-grade dysplasia and early stage esophageal cancer. He is an active member of the Thoracic Oncology Program of the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center at the University of Maryland.
Dr. Greenwald has authored 57 peer-reviewed publications, 17 non-peer reviewed publications, and 8 book chapters, many focused on esophageal disease. He is active in clinical care and teaching. Bruce served as ECAN’s first Chairman of the Board, a position he held for more than seven years.
Joey Childress
Joey Childress
- Global Sales Director
- Childress Engineering Services
- Richardson, Texas
“Our family has lived through – and been permanently scarred by – the ravages of this horrible disease. Watching both my father and my only brother fight Esophageal Cancer so valiantly and then run out of time within three months of each other is something no family should have to endure. I look forward to helping in any way possible ECAN’s efforts to put this monster out of business forever.”
Joey Childress is the Global Sales Director for Childress Engineering Services, a structural engineering – building envelope consulting firm based in Richardson, Texas. This position involves focus on clients and projects with a global reach.
Previously, he was involved in the ownership and management of mineral-related (coal) processing facilities and construction sites across the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. for more than 25 years.
A native of West Virginia, Joey attended West Virginia University while working in the industry and obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Concord University.
Throughout his adult life, Joey has volunteered for many community organizations. He has served on the Board of the March of Dimes and as Board Chair for both the United Way of Southern West Virginia and Hospice of Southern West Virginia. He resides in Frisco, Texas.
Dana C. Deighton
Dana C. Deighton
- Project Manager
- Inspire
- Esophageal Cancer Survivor
- Alexandria, Virginia
“Having lost my mom to colon cancer, I thought I knew how to protect myself and had already had several cancer screenings. But out of nowhere, at age 43, my life changed instantly when I was diagnosed with Stage IV Esophageal Cancer. A nonsmoker, having always eaten healthy and exercised regularly (with no symptoms of reflux, etc.), I was terrified and really thought my days were numbered. Through perseverance, lots of self-advocacy, and an amazing integrated team of compassionate physicians, I’m living a very healthy, active life — something that was never presented as a possibility. I look forward to sharing my insight and experience with ECAN to help advance awareness, medical care, and hope for others.
Dana is an accomplished and enthusiastic marketing professional with decades of experience in corporate marketing and publishing, membership, and partner/project management. After 25 years at National Geographic, she is now in a new career in the health and wellness arena at Inspire, the leading social network for health, whose mission is to accelerate medical progress through a world of connected patients.
Outside of work, she is also focused on healthcare advocacy and policy. In addition to serving as an Executive Board Member of ECAN, she is a Patient Representative on the Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer Guideline Panel for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and serves on the GastroEsophageal Project Patient Advisory Committee, a project led by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard (a nonprofit academic research institution whose mission is to dramatically accelerate the understanding and treatment of disease).
Dana lives in Alexandria, VA, with her husband and three teenagers, and enjoys travel and walking and running outdoors.
Ms. Deighton is a survivor of Esophageal Cancer and is chair of ECAN’s Marketing Committee.
Gary M. Gilbert
Gary M. Gilbert
- Founding Shareholder
- CGA Law Firm
- Director, The Stewart Companies
- Esophageal Cancer Survivor
- York, Pennsylvania
Gary Gilbert is one of the founding shareholders of CGA Law Firm. He began practicing with the firm, then Laucks & Monroe in 1967. Gary developed a particular expertise for dealing with business matters–based on his education and personal experience. Through his participation in a number of local boards, he developed a keen understanding of how business owners think and how to meet their needs. For more than 40 years he has honed these skills to serve his clients. He believes his success hinges on his ability to become a trusted advisor to his clients.
One particular niche area of practice for Gary is business sales and transfers and succession planning. He has a large number of family-owned and closely-held business clients. He works with these clients to ensure optimum terms for the transfer of business interests to the next generation, including consideration of family dynamics to minimize conflicts. He has considerable experience in general ongoing business counseling and in the transfer of business interests. He is able to counsel his clients on matters pertaining to the purchase and sale of assets, business valuation, transfer of stocks, buy-sell agreements and contractual matters. In addition, Gary draws on the expertise of other resources within CGA Law Firm to ensure his clients receive the expert advice they need on matters such as tax planning, estate planning and administration, family law and bankruptcy. He is experienced in tailoring partnership and operating agreements within IRS guidelines to facilitate tax-advantaged transfers of business interests.
Mr. Gilbert holds a bachelor of arts degree in Economics and Finance as well as a law degree, both from Valparaiso University. He is admitted to the Bar of United States Supreme Court and the State of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Gilbert is a survivor of Esophageal Cancer and is chairman of the ECAN Board Development Committee.
Philip O. Katz, M.D., MACG, AGAF
Philip O. Katz, M.D., MACG, AGAF
- Professor of Medicine
- Director Motility Laboratories
- Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health
- Weill Cornell Medicine
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- New York, New York
“Esophageal cancer is potentially a preventable disease. Heightened awareness of the patient risks so that appropriate screening and surveillance can be done is crucial in saving lives. ECAN is dedicated to prevention and finding a cure for this deadly disease.”
Philip O. Katz, M.D. is Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, and Director of the Motility Laboratories of Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in New York City.
Before joining Cornell, Dr. Katz was Clinical Professor of Medicine at Jefferson Medical College and Chairman of the Division of Gastroenterology at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Katz received his medical degree from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He served his residency and chief residency in internal medicine, followed by a fellowship in gastroenterology at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. He completed a faculty development fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology.
Dr. Katz is a Master of the American College of Gastroenterology and Past President of that organization (2009-2010). He is a fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association and a member of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
A recognized national authority on esophageal disease, Dr. Katz’s research interests include all aspects of gastroesophageal reflux disease, including nocturnal recovery of gastric acid secretion during proton pump inhibitor therapy and esophageal pain perception. Dr. Katz is a practicing clinician with active teaching and editorial positions. In addition to lecturing on many gastroenterology-related topics, Dr. Katz is an editorial reviewer for Annals of Internal Medicine, American Journal of Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology, and Digestive Diseases and Sciences. He has contributed to the publication of over 180 peer-reviewed papers, as well as numerous abstracts, books, book chapters, and monographs.
Vivek Kaul, MD, FACG, FASGE, AGAF
Vivek Kaul, MD, FACG, FASGE, AGAF
“ECAN is a one of a kind patient advocacy and support organization for esophageal cancer at the national level. I am privileged to help with this mission and amazed at the passion and commitment the ECAN team brings to this cause on a daily basis!”
Dr Vivek Kaul is the Segal-Watson Professor of Medicine & Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at the University of Rochester Medical Center. His clinical, research and medical education efforts are focused in Therapeutic Endoscopy, Interventional Endoscopic Ultrasound, advanced ERCP and esophageal endotherapy for Barrett’s & Esophageal Cancer. He has specific expertise in complex interventional endoscopy, especially in the patient with GI-cancer. He co-directs the Developmental Endoscopy lab at URMC which is dedicated to education, training and innovation in endoscopy.
Dr. Kaul serves on several national committees with the ASGE and the ACG and is a past Governor of the ACG. He is Chair of the ACG Innovation & Technology Committee. He is a reviewer for several journals, is a sought after speaker and has authored several publications in the field of interventional endsocopy. He co-directs the national ACG hands-on endoscopy workshops. He also serves on the WGO endoscopy committee and regularly lectures and shares his endoscopy expertise at centers in the USA and around the world.
Dr. Kaul is charged with updating ECAN’s Guide for Patients (which should be out soon) and is a member of the ECAN Medical Research Committee.
Sri Komanduri, MD, MS, FASGE, AGAF
Sri Komanduri, MD, MS, FASGE, AGAF
- Medical Director, GI Lab
- Director of Interventional Endoscopy
- Associate Professor of Medicine and Surgery
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- Feinberg School of Medicine
- Northwestern University
- Chicago, Illinois
“It is essential that we continue to develop innovative strategies on all fronts to stop the rise in Esophageal Cancer in the United States. Working with visionary organizations such as ECAN to educate the public is critical in reaching this goal.”
A leader in therapeutic endoscopy for the past 14 years with a track record for research in Barrett’s esophagus and Esophageal Cancer, Komanduri is the director of interventional endoscopy and medical director of the GI Lab at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
He also serves as an associate professor of medicine (gastroenterology and hepatology) and surgery (gastrointestinal) at the Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern University, where he received Teaching Attending Physician of the Year honors.
Komanduri received his bachelor’s and medical degrees from the University of Miami, followed by a master’s degree in clinical research from Rush Medical College, where he also completed a fellowship in gastroenterology. Additionally, he completed a fellowship in therapeutic endoscopy at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a residency at Rush University Medical Center,
A fellow in the American Gastroenterological Association and American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Dr. Komanduri most recently was appointed as vice-chair for the AGA’s Center for GI Innovation and Technology. He lives in Downers Grove, Illinois with his wife and children.
A. Craig Lockhart, MD, MHS
A. Craig Lockhart, MD, MHS
- Professor of Medicine
- Chief, Division of Medical Oncology
- Chief of Medical Oncology Service
- University of Miami Hospitals and Clinics
- Associate Director for Regional and Strategic Clinical Research Affiliations
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
- University of Miami
- Miami, Florida
“My support of ECAN is based on my dedication to preventing esophageal cancers and finding the best therapies for those stricken with this malignancy.”
Dr. Lockhart is a Professor of Medicine and the Division Chief for the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Miami – Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. His primary academic mission centers on early clinical drug development in oncology with a focus on upper GI cancers.
Dr. Lockhart earned his medical degree at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and did his residency in Internal Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. He completed fellowship training in Hematology and Oncology as well as a master’s degree in clinical research at Duke University. After completing his training at Duke, Dr. Lockhart was an assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Vanderbilt University. More recently, he served as the director of the Developmental Therapeutics program for the Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University from 2008-17.
Cheryl K. Middleton
Cheryl K. Middleton
- Managing Director
- CKM Associates
- Baltimore, Maryland
“As someone who has lived with GERD for more than 12 years, I understand and appreciate the need for greater awareness of the link between heartburn and cancer. Esophageal Cancer is one of the most easily preventable cancers, but it is growing at an astounding rate. I am pleased to lend my experience to ECAN so that together, we can make Esophageal Cancer a rare diagnosis that has a hopeful outcome.”
Cheryl Middleton is a strategy, innovation and new product development consultant who helps organizations develop and implement processes to take ideas from the ‘fuzzy front end’ through to launching a product and creating a revenue stream. She has been a practitioner and a consultant in the fields of strategy, innovation, and new product development. Cheryl has co-founded two software development firms as VP of Sales and Marketing and was co-founder and Managing Director of an international consulting firm specializing in innovation.
As a consultant, she has conducted innovation, new product development, and strategic planning projects for clients in Europe, South Africa and throughout the United States. Past clients include BMW AG (Munich), Sony Electronics Design USA, Siemens AG (Munich), BorgWarner, EATON Corp., Bank of America, the United States Air Force, and Towers Watson.
She began her career in AT&T’s well-regarded Management Trainee program, went on to work in the banking industry and then co-founded two successful firms that sold ground-breaking technology for software developers at Fortune 500 firms. As a practitioner and also as a consultant, she has taken products to market and developed them into multi-million dollar revenue sources and has worked with other thought leaders in the innovation arena at IBM, Harvard Business School, The Quandt Foundation, and Ernst & Young’s Center for Business Innovation in Cambridge MA.
Cheryl has extensive experience working in leadership roles with non-profit organizations, including serving on the Board and as President of the Maryland Chapter of the Product Development Management Association and The Homeland Association.
Cheryl served as ECAN Secretary for five years.
Sarbajit Muhkerjee, MD, MS
Sarbajit Muhkerjee, MD, MS
- Assistant Professor
- Department of Medicine
- Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Buffalo, New York
“Esophageal Cancer claims nearly 400,000 lives annually across the globe and affects the lives of many more patients and their family members. ECAN is doing a phenomenal job in increasing the awareness about this deadly disease as well as providing support to the patients and their caregivers. As a medical oncologist taking care of Esophageal Cancer patients, I am honored to be a part of ECAN’s mission”.
Dr. Sarbajit Mukherjee is an Assistant Professor of Oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center where he takes care of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies including Esophageal Cancer.
Dr. Mukherjee completed his clinical training in adult hematology-oncology at the University of Oklahoma and his research training at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. He also completed a Masters level training in Clinical and Translational science at the University of Oklahoma.
Dr. Mukherjee has published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and presented at several national/international conferences. He has received awards and grants for his work.
Dr. Mukherjee served as a member of the Trainee Council Working Group, Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee and the Professional Development Committee at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). He has professional memberships at several other organizations.
Dr. Mukherjee is currently involved in both laboratory based and clinical research with a special interest in cancer immunotherapy.
Stephen G. Muzzy
Stephen G. Muzzy
Steve Muzzy is a Director with MF Partners, an investment partnership that focuses on late-stage private equity and real estate investment opportunities.
Steve also serves as an Independent Director for Strategic Student and Senior Housing Trust, a public-non-traded student and senior housing real estate investment trust; as a member of the Board of Advisors at the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Arizona; and as Principal of MZ Advisors, a full-service advisory firm providing consultant services to private foundations, schools, churches, and other non-profit organizations.
Prior to his current endeavors, Steve was a banker. He began his banking career with Wells Fargo in 1994, working seven years within Wells Fargo’s Community Bank where he managed various branch offices throughout southern California. In 2001, Steve took on new responsibilities as he moved into Wells Fargo’s commercial banking group. Steve spent time at Commerce National Bank, JPMorgan Chase and, most recently, with OneWest Bank’s middle market banking group.
Steve earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University. He is also an alum of the Social Enterprise Executive Education program at Harvard Business School.
A strong supporter of the community, Steve is currently serving as a board member for Casa Teresa, The Orange Catholic Foundation, ECAN (The Esophageal Cancer Action Network), and the Hoag Hospital Foundation. He also has served as a board member at several other non-profit organizations including the Mission Hospital Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank and Team Kids. Steve supports causes that focus on protecting life, Catholic education, and serving the under-privileged and marginalized within Orange County. He resides in Coto de Caza with his wife and their three children.
Michele Rifkin
Michele Rifkin
- Customer Service
- Trader Joe’s
- Esophageal Cancer Survivor
- Fox Point, Wisconsin
“You have to have a passion in life. It woke me up when I was told I had Stage III Esophageal Cancer. I thought to myself, ‘This is it.’ I am committed to turn the negative of what happened to me into a positive, to tell the world that this could happen to you.”
Michele Rifkin is an Esophageal Cancer survivor who has set a goal of “paying it forward.” Before her formal participation with ECAN, Michele reached out to create the opportunity for several media interviews and speaking appearances, telling her story and spreading ECAN’s message that heartburn can cause cancer.
Since 2007, Michele has worked as Customer Service Manager at Trader Joe’s near her home in Fox Point, Wisconsin, in suburban Milwaukee. There, she serves as “the eyes of the store” in ensuring a superb customer shopping experience and reaching out to make sure customers are satisfied. Her passion for her work is the same passion she brings to ECAN’s mission and her role as friend and mentor to those who know her. The mother of four lives in suburban Milwaukee with her husband Lorry.
Michele is a survivor of Esophageal Cancer and chair of ECAN’s Resource Development Committee.
Stephen C. Yang, MD
Stephen C. Yang, MD
- The Arthur and Patricia Modell
- Professor of Thoracic Surgery
- Professor of Surgery and Oncology
- Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Founding Board Member
Stephen C. Yang, M.D. is The Arthur B. and Patricia B. Modell Professor of Thoracic Surgery and Professor of Surgery and Oncology at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. He serves as the medical student Surgical Clerkship and Curriculum Director, Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program, and Associate Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency. Completing his undergraduate studies at Duke University and medical degree at the Medical College of Virginia, his training included a general surgical residency at the University of Texas Health Science in Houston, a 3-year thoracic surgical research fellowship at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, and a cardiothoracic surgical fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia.
He is the recipient of the 2006 Thoracic Surgery Directors Association Mentor Award, and the 2008 Johns Hopkins Deans Faculty Award for Clinical Teaching. He chairs the Institutional effort in faculty development and educating all faculty in developing their own personal educators’ portfolio. He serves on numerous national and international committees including the Taskforce Chair on the “Looking to the Future” Residency Scholarships for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the Chair-elect of the Surgery Clerkship Directors Association. He is the Thoracic Surgery Section Editor for The Annals of Surgical Oncology, co-editor of the book “Current Therapy in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery”, and book series editor-in-chief of “The Early Diagnosis of Cancer.”
His laboratory research interests include using molecular techniques for lung cancer screening and predicting recurrence following surgical resection. His clinical practice and research covers the breadth of general thoracic surgery in pulmonary and esophageal surgery, video-assisted and robotic thoracic surgery, mediastinal and pleural diseases, lung volume reduction surgery for emphysema, and work in the areas of patient safety and geriatric thoracic surgery. Dr. Yang is chair of ECAN’s medical research committee.
Dr. Yang is chair of ECAN’s medical research committee.
Mindy Mintz Mordecai, JD
Mindy Mintz Mordecai, JD | President & CEO
- Widow of Esophageal Cancer patient
“This effort was borne out of my frustration that a disease that could have been cured if found at an early stage stole our family’s happily ever after. Few things are more important to me than working to make sure other families do not suffer the pain Esophageal Cancer has caused my loved ones.”
ECAN’s founder, President and Chief Executive Officer Mindy Mintz Mordecai is passionate the fight against Esophageal Cancer in large part because she lost her husband of 14 years to Esophageal Cancer in 2008, when their daughters were just nine and twelve. From 2014 – 2018, she served as a Patient Advocate on the Esophagogastric Research Task Force of the National Cancer Institute. Mindy was proud to represent ECAN in collaborations that led to formation of the Deadliest Cancers Coalition and the GI Cancer Allliance.
Before launching ECAN, she was an experienced, award-winning media professional and attorney with a proven track record for leadership of nonprofit organizations that achieve positive change on issues of public importance.
In 1989, she graduated with honor from the University of Maryland School of Law and upon graduation became a litigator at Smith, Somerville & Case in Baltimore. In 1991, Ms. Mordecai was recruited to develop and lead an education advocacy project for Advocates for Children and Youth where her work resulted in better educational opportunities for Baltimore City Public School students. She later served as director of Public Safety Policy for the Greater Baltimore Committee where she spearheaded an effort to increase public funding of drug treatment and raised more than $2,000,000 from corporate and foundation sources to establish a community court in downtown Baltimore.
Mindy was an award-winning television reporter and anchor for two decades, working for ten years as a reporter and host for Maryland Public Television where her work received several Emmy nominations. She consistently garnered top journalistic honors while reporting and anchoring at commercial television stations in Indiana and Illinois prior to moving to Baltimore to report and anchor for WBAL-TV in 1986. Mindy also worked in public radio for several years, selected in 1998 as Baltimore City Paper’s Best Radio Talk Show Host.
Ms. Mordecai is the mother of two daughters and resides in Baltimore County, Maryland.