A Message of Thanks and Welcome to Our Board Members!

As we settle into yet another new fiscal year, please help us thank members of the Iowa Cancer Consortium Board of Directors.

Board members bring their experiences, their expertise, and their passions to the (virtual) table to develop and implement priorities, policies, and principles that make the Consortium what it is – a strong, skilled, collaborative network of cancer control advocates and professionals. All board members deserve our thanks and recognition (find a full list of board members here), but today we want to say a special thank you to outgoing members Matt McGarvey and Gabbi DeWitt.

Matt McGarvey, who is the executive director of the Telligen Community Initiative (TCI), served on the board from 2019-2021. He brought a funder’s perspective to the group, along with a deep commitment to, understanding of, and thoughtfulness about making a nonprofit thrive. Matt also helped establish a Nominating Committee that will develop leadership into the future.

Gabbi DeWitt has been an engine within the Consortium for years and served on the board from 2017 through June 2021. Gabbi’s caretaker perspective (see her story in the 2012-2017 Iowa Cancer Plan), passion for getting Iowans the cancer prevention and care they need, commitment to equity, and her own vast network (everyone knows Gabbi!) made her an incredibly important voice on the board.

Matt and Gabbi, you are so appreciated. Thank you for your leadership!

Now we say “Welcome!” to three new board members:

• David Dickens, MD – Clinical Director of Pediatric Cancer Services, University of Iowa Family Children’s Hospital (Iowa City)
• Susannah Friemel, MD – Owner and President, Iowa Cancer Specialists (Davenport)
• Sarah Zeidler, FACHE – Executive Director of Oncology Services, John Stoddard Cancer Center (Des Moines)

Interested in learning more about the entire board of directors? Visit https://canceriowa.org/aboutus/board-of-directors/.