Meet our Board of Directors
President and CEO | Mindy Mintz Mordecai
Chairman | John C. Lipham, M.D.
Vice Chairman | Sri Komanduri, M.D., M.S., F.A.S.G.E., A.G.A.F.A.
Secretary | Stephanie Poole Martinez, Ph.D.
Treasurer | David L. Bogetz
Colleen Calvey
Jeanelle DeSalvo, M.B.A.
Michael E. Hora
Vivek Kaul, M.D., F.A.C.G., F.A.S.G.E., A.G.A.F.
A. Craig Lockhart, M.D., M.H.S.
Stephanie Poole Martinez, Ph.D.
Sarbajit Mukherjee, M.D., M.S.
Anna Pittman
Sachin Wani, M.D., F.A.S.G.E., A.G.A.F.
Richard Ware
Tom Wick
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.
Sri Komanduri, MD, MS, FASGE, AGAF
Sri Komanduri, MD, MS, FASGE, AGAF | Vice Chair
- Medical Director, GI Lab
- Director of Interventional Endoscopy
- 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.
Stephanie Poole Martinez, PhD
Esophageal Cancer Survivor
Stephanie Poole Martinez, PhD
- Esophageal Cancer Survivor
- Professor of Communication
- Austin, Texas
“I joined ECAN several years ago after I was diagnosed with Stage 1B esophageal cancer and went through chemotherapy, radiation, and an esophagectomy. When I was diagnosed, I had no idea acid reflux could cause cancer until I had it. For the last two years I volunteered as a grassroots leader to affect change and inform our leaders here in Texas about esophageal cancer.”
Stephanie Poole Martinez is a 1991 graduate of Kent State who went on to earn her Ph.D. in Speech Communication in 2003 at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. She currently is a professor of communication and basic course director at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. She has led study abroad trips to Angers, France, and to Sevilla, Spain. In 2016, she received a Presidential Excellence Research Grant for her current autoethnographic work on health communication and surviving esophageal cancer. She has a recent chapter in a book of case studies on Sport Communication and a chapter in a book titled “Navigating Midlife.” In her free time, she enjoys the company of her partner, Chris, and her daughter, Anya.
David L. Bogetz
David L. Bogetz | Treasurer
- Business Consultant
- Deerfield, Illinois
“I lost a close family friend to esophageal cancer several years ago. He passed away so quickly after being diagnosed that many of us were confused about why this disease was not diagnosed earlier, and why there was so little hope for a cure. Throughout my business career, I’ve sought and found solutions to nearly any problem. But that’s not true for esophageal cancer, at least not yet. I hope my business skills can bring something of value to ECAN as the organization looks to educate the public about early detection and finding proper treatment in time to save lives.”
David Bogetz has more than 30 years of experience in the financial markets as well as in senior management roles with a number of companies. His financial background includes commercial banking, investment banking, venture capital, and private equity investing.
David has been an active investor and board member for companies in a variety of industries, such as general manufacturing, healthcare, technology, distribution, and retail. In these roles, David has helped his portfolio companies generate accelerated growth, by both investigating opportunities for internal growth, as well as identifying and analyzing potential strategic acquisitions.
He has worked turnarounds of underperforming companies, leading strategies to increase sales, focus product offerings, streamline production, improve quality, and generate additional cash flow.
David started Burnham Capital about 20 years ago to consult with small businesses to help them develop and execute strategies that increase profit and the value of their companies. The Turnaround Management Association has twice named him the Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year. He has served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations over the course of several decades.
He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.S. in Finance from the University of Illinois. In his spare time, David plays pickleball as well as the ukulele, and he enjoys finding new restaurants in the Chicago area.
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 about the fight against Esophageal Cancer in large part because she lost her husband of 14 years to Esophageal Cancer in 2008, when their children were just nine and twelve. Since 2009, Mindy has been ECAN’s top executive leading a movement to end Esophageal Cancer before it starts and providing vital education and support to patients who are diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer and their families.
Mindy was proud to represent ECAN in collaborations that led to the formation of the Deadliest Cancers Coalition and the GI Cancers Alliance. For four years, she has served as a grant reviewer for the Peer-Reviewed Cancer Research Program of the Department of Defense. She served on the GI Cancer Clinical Practice Guidelines expert panel for the Society of Immunotherapy in Cancer (SITC) published in 2023. From 2014 – 2018, she served as a Patient Advocate on the Esophagogastric Research Task Force of the National Cancer Institute.
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 adult children and resides in Baltimore County, Maryland.
Colleen Calvey
Colleen Calvey
“I am dedicated to supporting the research, treatment, and prevention of esophageal cancer. Together, we can increase awareness and early detection through education. I was inspired to join the board in support of my uncle, who was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in the spring of 2018.”
Colleen is a Chicago-based fundraising professional with over fifteen years of experience in higher education. Her expertise includes major and principal gift fundraising, campaign planning, board management, annual giving, and event management. She enjoys bringing people together to solve big problems.
Colleen is passionate about Jesuit education. She is a triple alumna of Loyola University Chicago (BBA, MBA, MSIMC), where she serves as the Assistant Dean of Development for the Quinlan School of Business. Colleen is personally and professionally motivated by the Magis, a Jesuit value that means ‘the more’. She continually seeks to do more and is grateful for the opportunity to do more for ECAN.
Colleen enjoys painting, yoga, reading, and cooking. She loves Italy and is always looking forward to her next trip!
Jeanelle DeSalvo, MBA
Jeanelle DeSalvo, MBA | Secretary
- Clinical Account Consultant
- Promega Corporation
- 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 a 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. Prior to joining the Promega Corporation as a Clinical Account Consultant, Jeanelle worked for four years 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 DeSalvo serves as Secretary of the ECAN Board of Directors.
Jeanelle currently resides with her husband, Mike in Wyckoff, NJ. They spend their free time cycling, traveling, and hiking.
Michael E. Hora
Michael E. Hora
- Engineer
- Master of Business Administration
- Trustee, Laughing Acres Family Foundation
- Barrett’s Esophagus Patient
- Chicago, Illinois
“20 years ago, I was diagnosed with Barrett’s Esophagus. A skilled doctor has eliminated this as a problem, other than regular monitoring. I believe I probably has Barrett’s for 20 years before it was discovered. It’s clear to me that early discovery is the answer to avoiding this difficult and deadly cancer.”
Michael entered the world very blessed with two, down-to-earth, ordinary people as parents who were not confused about their values. The second of five children, he was the first of his family to attend college, receiving an engineering degree from the University of Illinois. Later, he received his MBA from a high-quality program at Loyola University of Chicago.
Mr. Hora worked in manufacturing, dealing with basic metals and chemicals before joining the global management consulting firm of A.T. Kearney, a perfect fit for him. There he worked with all types of organizations and businesses from around the globe. The work involved helping companies do better with customers, leading employees to higher levels of contribution, and improving profitability. Michael helped clients improve operations from supply chain efficiency to organizational effectiveness to the development and execution of high-level strategies. Eventually, he became one of a handful of individuals who managed the entire firm.
When he retired, Michael continued and increased his involvement with not-for-profit organizations and has worked in at least 20 different kinds of organizations. He has served on every committee of various boards, often as committee chair and executive board member roles. He currently serves with the American Council for International Education, Providence St. Mel School, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Colorado Wildlife Federation, Kosovo American Education Fund, Greenhouse Scholars, the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, and others.
Mr. Hora heads ECAN’s Board Development Committee.
Michael and his wife founded the Laughing Acres Family Foundation and serve as its leaders. The foundation’s mission is to help people improve their self-reliance so they can help others.
Michael likes to run outside, hunt, teach firearms safety to young and old alike, read, work on his property in Colorado, and enjoy the City of Chicago. Michael calls himself the luckiest man alive.
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.
A. Craig Lockhart, MD, MHS
A. Craig Lockhart, MD, MHS
- Professor of Medicine
- Director of the Division of Hematology & Oncology
- Associate Director for Clinical Science at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center
- Medical University of South Carolina
- Hollings Cancer Center
- MUSC School of Medicine
- Charleston, South Carolina
“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 at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). At MUSC, Dr. Lockhart is the Director of the Division of Hematology & Oncology and Associate Director for Clinical Science at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. Prior to joining MUSC, Dr. Lockhart was the Chief of Oncology at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Prior to these roles, Dr. Lockhart served on the faculty and in leadership roles at Washington University in St. Louis/Siteman Cancer Center, and at Vanderbilt University/Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
Dr. Lockhart has been conducting early phase clinical trials for over 20 years and has been a principal investigator on over 100 Phase I/II and III trials. His specific research interests are to develop and conduct Phase I/II clinical trials of novel therapeutics applied to his specialty area of research, gastroesophageal cancers. In treating these cancers, he aims to incorporate novel agents or molecular/genetic-based treatment into therapeutic trials in the pursuit of precision therapy. He has developed and led multi-institutional clinical trials involving the treatment of GI tumors through national cooperative groups as well as investigator-initiated studies and grant-funded research programs.
Dr. Lockhart has also served on several committees for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) including the Scientific and Career Development committees. He has been a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines committee for gastric and esophageal cancers.
Dr. Lockhart graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas in 1993. He completed residency training at Barnes Hospital at Washington University, fellowship training in hematology/oncology at Duke University, and a fellowship in drug development at GlaxoSmithKline in the North Carolina Research Triangle Park. He also earned a masters of health science (MHS) in clinical trials at Duke University. He completed his undergraduate degree, a bachelor’s degree in biology, from Rice University.
Sarbajit Mukherjee, MD, MS
Sarbajit Mukherjee, MD, MS
- Assistant Professor
- Department of Medicine
- Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Clinical Assistant Professor
- Department of Medicine
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
- Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
- University at Buffalo
- The State University of New York (SUNY)
- 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 a gastrointestinal medical oncologist with a clinical and research focus on gastroesophageal cancers (GEC) and neuroendocrine tumors (NET).
Dr. Mukherjee obtained his medical degree in India in 2010. He then moved to the US and subsequently completed a residency in Internal Medicine. He started his fellowship training in Hematology-Oncology at the University of Oklahoma in 2015. He gained additional experience in translational research and clinical trial design through a master’s degree in clinical and translational science. He has received multiple peer-reviewed grants from national organizations like National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society.
Dr. Mukherjee’s work has resulted in several national/international presentations including poster and oral presentations at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, and peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals like Nature Medicine. He has served on several national/international guideline committees like NCCN and ASCO. Dr. Mukherjee has served as peer-reviewer for multiple scientific journals. He has mentored many medical students, residents, and fellows.
Dr. Mukherjee has received several awards including a merit award from ASCO for his research on cancer immunotherapy and memberships in Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society and Gold Humanism Honor Society. Dr. Mukherjee’s current work involves understanding the biology of GEC and NET as well as designing novel clinical trials to improve patient outcomes. He is also interested in studying mechanisms of immune dysfunction in obese cancer patients and the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumors.
Richard Ware
Esophageal Cancer Survivor
Richard Ware
- Esophageal Cancer Survivor
- Retired Manufacturing Executive
- Mentor and Advisor
- MacLean, Virginia
“Being diagnosed with esophageal cancer at age 57 came as a complete shock. Thanks to the truly world-class care I received from Johns Hopkins Hospital, I am happy to call myself a Survivor. The more I have learned about this terrible disease, the more passionate I have become about telling my story. By driving awareness and lobbying tirelessly I believe we have the opportunity to dramatically improve detection and survival rates of this silent and unknown killer. The fightback starts here.”
Richard Ware spent more than 35 years with Mars, Incorporated, the family-owned global consumer products company. With a degree in Physics and a post-graduate qualification in Nuclear Physics, he spent his formative years in the nuclear and defense industries. Richard subsequently joined Mars in the UK in 1988, and during the course of his career lived in six countries and worked in countless others, serving in a variety of positions in Supply Chain, R&D, and Procurement across all of Mars business segments. He is proud to be a dual national, holding both UK and US passports.
In 2017 Richard was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Thanks to the truly wonderful care he received at Johns Hopkins, he is thrilled to be able to call himself “survivor”. Richard has recently retired and is looking forward to spending more time with his Swedish wife Helena and their three wonderful children. He expects to have much more opportunity to invest time and energy into the areas that he finds most important, and hopefully still find time to indulge in his two passions: rooting for disappointing sports teams and owning slow racehorses.
Having spent most of his career nurturing world-class talent and building world-class teams, Richard remains fascinated by the world at large and is passionately committed to “making a difference”.
Tom Wick
Tom Wick
- Senior Counsel for TWB Fundraising
- Chicago, Illinois
“When my father was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer, it was a surprise. My family and I didn’t
understand the factors that triggered this type of cancer, and we were surprised to learn that chronic
heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD are common causes. While my father passed away about two years
after this diagnosis, he prompted my brother and me to take action to reduce our risk of experiencing
the same fate as my father. Given what I’ve learned, I’m determined to help ECAN raise awareness of
the risk of Esophageal Cancer among more people.”
Tom Wick has spent over 37 years in philanthropy working in the higher education, human services, and
medical sectors. Before arriving at TWB Fundraising, Tom had been Vice President, Individual Giving, Rush University System for Health since 2018. Prior to that, Wick worked at the YMCA of Metro Chicago, The University of Chicago, Macalester College, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education in positions that ranged from Director of Development, Associate Vice President of Development, Dean of Development, and Vice President. In each role, Wick has worked closely with trustees, the president, volunteers, and colleagues to raise the funds, including transformational level gifts, to support the priorities each institution needed to fulfill its mission even more effectively. Wick is also the founding facilitator of a professional development program – The Management Fellows.