Our Leaders

Our leaders are fearless, determined and experienced. The fight against cancer is personal for many of them, and that is why they will never stop working on behalf of survivors everywhere.

Our Team

Brenda Leal

Senior Development Manager

I can help with event related questions, including the Livestrong Challenge, sponsorship, corporate teams, and peer-to-peer fundraising.

Brenda Leal

Senior Development Manager

I can help with event related questions, including the Livestrong Challenge, sponsorship, corporate teams, and peer-to-peer fundraising.

Brittney Franks

Senior Operations Manager

I can help with Livestrong Fertility Program, the Livestrong store and workplace giving donations.

Brittney Franks

Senior Operations Manager

I can help with Livestrong Fertility Program, the Livestrong store and workplace giving donations.

Dana Cooper

Senior Accountant

I can help with finance related questions.

Dana Cooper

Senior Accountant

I can help with finance related questions.

Justin Cantu

Development Coordinator

I can help with donations, fundraising campaigns and special events.

Justin Cantu

Development Coordinator

I can help with donations, fundraising campaigns and special events.

Marissa Giannotti

Development Coordinator

I can help with community fundraisers and endurance events such as the Austin Marathon, Berlin Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and RAGBRAI.

Marissa Giannotti

Development Coordinator

I can help with community fundraisers and endurance events such as the Austin Marathon, Berlin Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and RAGBRAI.

Meg Moore

Meg Moore

VP Mission and Programs

I can help with answering questions on Impact Grants and our programs.

As an entrepreneur with a mind for numbers and a heart for service, Meg Moore has spent her career looking for creative solutions to hard problems. A co-founder of several firms, Meg has sought opportunities to increase equity in education, public services, and supportive care. Her two decades of board service have been focused on similar issues.

Meg has been working on cancer projects for six years. She was the initial author of the business plan for the project that has grown into the Central Texas Addressing Cancer Together (CTX-ACT) project that has now been acquired by United Way of Central Texas. This initiative supports cancer care for underserved patients across the metropolitan service area surrounding Austin.

In addition to her work at Livestrong, Meg performs cancer research with the Townsend Laboratory at the Yale School of Public Health, supporting their work to understand the mutations that lead to cancer. She holds a Ph.D. and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and an undergraduate degree from Harvard. She is the proud mother of a young entrepreneur.

Meg Moore

Meg Moore

VP Mission and Programs

I can help with answering questions on Impact Grants and our programs.

Patrick Rastelli

Patrick Rastelli

Director, Information Technology

I can help with technology and data.

Patrick has worked for Livestrong in various roles since 2009. He currently oversees Information Technology.

Patrick brings a wealth of historical knowledge and experience to his work for the Foundation. He’s most proud of streamlining the Foundation’s technology platforms, increasing automation and helping staff become more efficient in their work.

A melanoma survivor since 2001, he works in memory of his father, John, and in honor of his mother, Mary.

Patrick earned a BA in Economics from Brown University and holds a project management professional certification. Beyond his professional career, he enjoys playing soccer and volunteering for the Central Texas Food Bank.

Patrick Rastelli

Patrick Rastelli

Director, Information Technology

I can help with technology and data.

Sarah Jane Farrell

Marketing Manager

I can help with graphic design, social media, and sharing your cancer story.

Sarah Jane Farrell

Marketing Manager

I can help with graphic design, social media, and sharing your cancer story.

Suzanne Stone

Chief Executive Officer

Suzanne Stone

Chief Executive Officer

Willy Snell

Systems Administrator

I can help with our digital systems and technology.

Willy Snell

Systems Administrator

I can help with our digital systems and technology.

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors participate in our events, fundraise, volunteer and fight with us every step of the way. Livestrong is made stronger through their advice and leadership.
Candice Aaron

Candice Aaron

Chair

Candice Aaron, a cancer survivor, has been involved with Livestrong since 2008 when she was the founding Vice Chairperson of the Livestrong Young Leader’s Council. In addition, along with her husband, Brent, Aaron is a member of the Livestrong President’s Circle. Aaron has served on the Livestrong Board of Directors since 2012 and is a member of the Board’s Executive and Audit Committees.

Aaron is based in Dallas and is currently Vice President, Corporate Compliance of the Charles Schwab Corporation. After ten years as a corporate governance and litigation attorney in private practice, Aaron held several Legal and Compliance roles at BMO Harris Bank and GE Capital. Aaron graduated from the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Dallas Pets Alive, Inc.

Candice Aaron

Candice Aaron

Chair

Joe Aragona Livestrong Board Member

Joseph C. Aragona

Vice Chair

Joe Aragona is a founder and General Partner of Austin Ventures. AV has over $3 billion under management and is the most active venture and growth equity firm in Texas and among the most established in the nation. Since joining AV in 1982, Joe has focused on information technology and growth equity investing and has worked with software, communications, semiconductor and service companies. Prior to joining Austin Ventures, Joe earned both his MBA and bachelor's degree from Harvard University and worked in the Merchant Banking Group of the Bank of Boston and Chemical Bank.

Joe was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) from 1999 - 2006, chaired its Research Committee, and served as Chairman of the Board. Joe is also a member of the Board of Directors of Casa Montessori, an early childhood development center.

Joe Aragona Livestrong Board Member

Joseph C. Aragona

Vice Chair

Scott Joy

Scott Joy’s career spans more than thirty years as a business technology professional with Liberty Mutual Insurance, a global property and casualty insurer ranked 68 in the Fortune 500. His work has included technology research and innovation, enterprise architecture community and practices, software development, and end-user infrastructure management.

A testicular cancer survivor since 2003, Scott is a steadfast Livestrong advocate and volunteer whose connection to the cause grew even stronger when he lost his wife, Judy, to multiple myeloma in 2013. During Scott’s recovery and Judy’s cancer treatment, their family drew hope, guidance, and support from Livestrong’s community and services. Scott has participated in Ride for the Roses each year since 2004 and completed 30 Team Livestrong rides in Austin, Philadelphia, Seattle, New York City, and Iowa — usually as a member of Cyclists Combating Cancer. He has volunteered with the Livestrong Leaders program since inception, joined One Voice Against Cancer on Capitol Hill repeatedly, and accompanied Livestrong staff in a White House meeting on the National Cancer Moonshot.

Scott is a longtime resident of the New Hampshire seacoast. He has four children, two grown daughters and fraternal twin sons in college. He sings tenor with and serves as Vice President of the chamber chorus Amare Cantare. Scott holds an Sc.B. degree in Electrical Engineering from Brown University and an MBA from the University of New Hampshire.

Scott Joy

Michelle Milford Morse

Michelle has worked on global health and development issues with a range of UN, private sector, and civil society partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Livestrong, UNICEF USA, Sesame Workshop, the UBS Optimus Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, mothers2mothers, amFAR, ICRW, and The University of Texas. Michelle also served as the press secretary and communications director for U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett.

She was the Director of Public Affairs & Communication for Livestrong, where she worked to raise awareness of cancer survivors’ issues, including helping launch the famous WEARYELLOW wristband campaign with Nike. Michelle earned a Master of International Affairs and a Master of Public Health at Columbia University, and pursued her graduate research at the Rakai Health Sciences Program in Kalisizo, Uganda. She is a proud graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.

Michelle lives in Austin, Texas, where she is the United Nations Foundation’s Vice President for Girls and Women Strategy. She leads the Foundation’s efforts to promote gender equality and the rights and agency of all girls and women, working in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) and its partners. She is also the chair of the board of the Ann Richards School Foundation.

Michelle Milford Morse

John Owens

John Owens retired in 2023 after 45 years in the family HVAC business, Owens Companies. Founded by this late father, Bob Owens 66 years ago, Owens Companies is a leader in the commercial and residential service and energy management business. The company was recently recognized by the Minnesota Keystone program for 40 years of giving 5% of profits to charitable organizations.

John became involved in Livestrong after his brother Jim was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in 1998. Jim passed away in 2009 but John gives much credit for his 10-year survival to the inspiration and support of Livestrong.

He has been an active and one of the top Challenge fundraisers for over 20 years. He has been a Livestrong Leader and advocate as a part of One Voice Against Cancer for several years.

John is a lifelong Minnesotan and he and his wife of 37 years, Pat Strong, have three grown daughters and two grandchildren. He has always been active in the community and is the current Board Chair of the Minnesota North Dakota Better Business Bureau, the first chapter in the country going back over 100 years.

John Owens

Gagan Sahni, MD

Gagan Sahni MD, FACC, FACP, FIC-OS is a Professor of Medicine and Cardiovascular diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, NY. She is also the Director of the Cardio- Oncology program and is one of the few physicians in the world that has been awarded the distinction of Fellow of IC-OS [International Cardio-Oncology Society] in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the field of cardiovascular care in cancer patients.

Dr. Sahni consults patients nationwide and internationally for her special expertise in Cardio-oncology i.e. treating heart disease specifically in cancer patients and cancer survivors. She has been widely published in high-impact medical journals like Journal of Clinical Oncology, has written 6 book chapters on Cardio-Oncology related topics, is an active clinical researcher in the field of Cancer and Heart disease and actively teaches and mentors several young physicians in the field. She has been featured in Time Magazine, Cardiology Today, New York Magazine and New York Times as an expert in Cardio-Oncology and has helped develop institution wide protocols for early detection and monitoring of cardiotoxicity due to various cancer treatments including chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immunotherapy.

The Cardio-Oncology Program at The Mount Sinai Hospital, under the directorship of Gagan Sahni, MD, was granted the highest certification of “Gold Center of Excellence“ in 2022, which has so far been awarded to a mere 22 programs nationwide and the first ever in NY state, by the International Cardio-Oncology Society (IC-OS).

Dr. Gagan Sahni has also been recognized by Castle Connolly as one of "America's Top Doctors” in 2018-2023 in the field of Cardiovascular diseases, awarded the title of Exceptional Women In Medicine: 2019-2023 and also included in the List of Top AAPI (Asian American & Pacific Islander) Doctors 2023.

Dr. Sahni’s expertise and empathy in the care of cancer patients and survivors, her personal and professional experience in understanding the challenges of survivorship makes her an invaluable member of the Board of Directors and for the mission of Livestrong Foundation.

Gagan Sahni, MD

Board Emeritus

  • Lance Armstrong
  • Cathy Bonner
  • Susan Bruno
  • Jerry Carlson
  • J. Dennis Cavner
  • Howard Chalmers
  • Bruce Christensen
  • Julian Day
  • Morris Denton
  • Larry Einhorn, MD
  • Harold P. Freeman, MD
  • Jeffery C. Garvey
  • R. James George, Jr.
  • Scott Gidley
  • Sanjay Gupta, MD
  • Karl Haussmann
  • James Hodge, III
  • Dena Jansen
  • David Johnson, MD
  • Roger Kintzel
  • Bart Knaggs
  • Sandy Knapp
  • Mark McKinnon
  • Craig Nichols, MD
  • Larry O’Reilly
  • Blaine Rollins
  • Lawrence Shulman, MD
  • Kozo Shimano
  • Francie Larrieu Smith
  • Nav Sooch
  • Bill Stapleton
  • Mitchell Stoller
  • E. Lee Walker
  • Kirk Watson
  • Robert J. Werner
  • Steve Whisnant
  • Andrew S. White
  • Steven N. Wolff, MD

In Memoriam

We mourn the loss and celebrate the life of the following members of the Livestrong Board of Directors. Their leadership, guidance and support made us better public servants and this world a better place for people affected by cancer now. We will always be grateful for the incredible impact they made and the life they filled with purpose and generosity.

  • Karen Strauss Cook
  • Hamilton Jordan
  • Jeremiah B. Robins
  • Mike Sherwin
  • Cindy Sweeting