Leadership

President – Seasoned development, marketing and operations executive Kimberly Simpson serves as president of the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation. Formerly the chief operating officer for …read more ▼

President –
Seasoned development, marketing and operations executive Kimberly Simpson serves as president of the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation. Formerly the chief operating officer for Susan G. Komen for the Cure from 2007 to 2010, Kimberly sought to return to her passion, the fight against breast cancer. She also served as the chief executive officer for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) based in Irving, Tex.

Kimberly received her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley. She has a Master of Arts in journalism/public relations from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish summa cum laude from The University of Alabama.

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National Spokesperson – Mary Hart, former host of Entertainment Tonight, is our national spokesperson. Mary’s grandmother, a former nurse in the Sioux Valley system, the predecessor to …read more ▼

National Spokesperson –
Mary Hart, former host of Entertainment Tonight, is our national spokesperson. Mary’s grandmother, a former nurse in the Sioux Valley system, the predecessor to Sanford Health’s Sioux Falls hospital, died from breast cancer, and Mary’s mother is a breast cancer survivor. In her own words, Mary says:
“I’ve chosen to be the spokesperson for the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation because it is completely revolutionary. It’s focus is on a bold approach to personalize treatment and advance genetic research to a new level.  It’s a hub for the most brilliant scientific minds of our time to use the most innovative technology and infrastructure in the country.  It’s on a mission to decode genetic make-up to identify cancer risks and to end cancer.  It’s all of these things … it’s so much more…”

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Director, Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Research – Internationally renowned breast cancer researcher and clinician, Brian Leyland-Jones, MB BS, PhD, leads Edith Sanford’s breast cancer …read more ▼

Director, Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Research –
Internationally renowned breast cancer researcher and clinician, Brian Leyland-Jones, MB BS, PhD, leads Edith Sanford’s breast cancer genomic research program.

Dr. Leyland-Jones is known for his leadership in the development of innovative clinical trials and research into how genomics plays a crucial part of advancing individualized cancer therapies in the fight against breast cancer. He plays a vital role as director of Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Research and also a senior scientist in research with Sanford Health.

Dr. Leyland-Jones most recently served as the associate vice president and director of the Emory Winship Cancer Institute. Before joining Emory in November 2006, Dr. Leyland-Jones was the Minda de Gunzberg Chair in Oncology and professor of medicine at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Dr. Leyland-Jones holds biochemistry, medical and doctoral degrees from the University of London. Following residency training at Hammersmith, Brompton, St. Bartholomew’s and London hospitals, he completed a clinical pharmacology fellowship at Cornell University and a medical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He then joined the academic staff at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and New York Hospitals with a special research interest in early clinical evaluation of new anti-cancer compounds. He has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and book contributions, 200 abstracts and 34 patents.

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Vice President, Philanthropic Giving – Chris is vice president of philanthropic giving for the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation. Chris was most recently the chief executive officer …read more ▼

Vice President, Philanthropic Giving –
Chris is vice president of philanthropic giving for the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation. Chris was most recently the chief executive officer of the Oregon and SW Washington affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, where she was one of the leading representatives of Komen’s affiliate network. Her affiliate hosted two Race for the Cure® events in two different media markets with over 50,000 participants annually, and she transformed the events-driven organization into a multi-pronged development operation including annual, major gifts and planned giving programs in addition to the Race events. Prior to joining Komen, Chris held various development positions in Oregon and California.

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Vice President, Marketing – As the vice president of marketing for Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation, Eva primarily focuses on the development of cause-related marketing partnerships. …read more ▼

Vice President, Marketing –
As the vice president of marketing for Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation, Eva primarily focuses on the development of cause-related marketing partnerships. Eva is the former president of Español Marketing & Communications, Inc., an integrated marketing agency focusing on the U.S. Hispanic market. She has more than 25 years of experience in marketing and advertising, having worked with clients such as Procter & Gamble, Kraft General Foods, Corona beer, Coca-Cola Foods, Countrywide, Quaker and Pillsbury. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning and market program development and implementation.

Eva earned her MBA in marketing and finance from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

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Vice President, Branding and Communications – As the vice president of branding and communications, Chris works to position the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation as one of the most …read more ▼

Vice President, Branding and Communications –
As the vice president of branding and communications, Chris works to position the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation as one of the most progressive and responsible breast cancer organizations in the world. Previous national and international leadership roles include being the vice president of marketing and communications at Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), director of brand marketing for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and corporate image manager at the American Heart Association. These opportunities have made her a driving agent in the marketing of major healthcare-related brands. Chris has served on numerous boards and associations and has been an active volunteer in various service organizations.

Chris’ education includes a Master of Liberal Arts from Southern Methodist University and a Bachelors of Fine Arts, with a minor in marketing, from the University of North Texas.

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