About LBBC

The LBBC Team

Meet our talented staff dedicated to helping women and families live well beyond breast cancer.

Jean Sachs became Living Beyond Breast Cancer's first executive director (now CEO) in 1996. She has significantly expanded the organization's reach and reputation, increasing its annual budget from $100,000 to more than $3 million, expanding staff from two to 16 and increasing membership from 8,000 to more than 40,000.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer is now nationally recognized for the quality of its educational programs and for culturally sensitive publications for African-American and Latina women. Getting Connected: African-Americans Living Beyond Breast Cancer won the H. Winter Griffith Award for Excellence in Patient Education Materials by the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.

Sachs diversified Living Beyond Breast Cancer's donors to include individuals, corporations and foundations. In 2008 she procured a grant of $2.25 million from National Philanthropic Trust as one of only five organizations invited to apply. The funding will help expand education, support and outreach. Sachs also established a gala event that raises more than $500,000 annually and has persuaded national retailers to donate a percentage of sales from "pink" products to the organization.

Charity Navigator has awarded Living Beyond Breast Cancer its highest rating for fiscal responsibility for four years in a row. In 2007 and 2008 the Philadelphia Business Journal named Living Beyond Breast Cancer the top performer among the largest charities in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Sachs has a distinguished record of assisting women and families. In 2008 she was named to the committee that approves grant applications for Pennsylvania's income-tax check-off. In 2007 she was appointed to the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Therapy and Evaluation Program, where she is a reviewer of Phase 3 clinical-trial concepts.

From 1993 to 1995 she was development director of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, opening the group's national office in Washington, D.C. Sachs also worked on the campaign of Pennsylvania State Sen. (now U.S. Rep.) Allyson Y. Schwartz and drafted breast-cancer and women's-health legislation as a legislative aide. She has worked at WOMENS WAY, the oldest fund-raising federation for women in the country.

Sachs has master's degrees in social services and in law and social policy from Bryn Mawr College. She was born and raised in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., and lives in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia with her husband, John, and son, Max.

Lauren Ainsworth coordinates and manages all aspects of LBBC's fundraising events, including Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer and the volunteer thank-you party. She also assists with the execution and management of LBBC's annual gala and manages all third party fundraising events.

Lauren graduated from Union College with a bachelor's degree in anthropology and women's studies. Before coming to LBBC, she worked on the Light The Night Walk for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She has previous work experience in sales, legal recruiting and ski instruction.

Lauren grew up in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, and now lives in Havertown with her husband, Rob, her cats, Maceo and Daisy, and her dog, Maggie. In her spare time, she enjoys skiing, tennis, photography, crossword puzzles and reading.

Lisa Black coordinates, implements and maintains the LBBC Survivors' Helpline--a national, toll-free telephone service staffed by trained volunteers affected by breast cancer--and coordinates volunteers for all office projects, education programs, special and fundraising events. Her responsibilities include developing, planning and facilitating Helpline and volunteer training sessions. She also coordinates travel grants for LBBC conferences.

"I love to work with our volunteers, as they are an instrumental and dynamic part of the organization," Lisa says.

Lisa graduated from the University of Delaware with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a minor in special education. Prior to taking time off to raise her family, Lisa worked in human resources, where she was responsible for technical and college recruiting. Lisa lived in the Washington, DC, area where she returned to work as an elementary school teacher for five years before moving back to the Philadelphia area in 2005.

Lisa was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 2000. She found LBBC when she was going through treatment, and she began volunteering once a week in the fall of 2005 before becoming a staff member in 2006.

Lisa lives in Bryn Mawr with her husband and is the proud mother of four children. She enjoys playing tennis, walking, traveling, the beach, gardening, decorating and volunteering.

As LBBC's education assistant, Courtney takes care of registration and post-event evaluation work for educational programs, fulfills orders for LBBC publications and prepares educational materials for regional and national conferences. She is excited to be working for an organization that is devoted to supporting women affected by breast cancer.

Courtney graduated from Susquehanna University in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and minors in political science and women's studies. Prior to joining LBBC, she worked as an eligibility specialist with the Child Care Information Services of Bucks County, where she processed applications for the subsidized childcare program. Her work experience during college includes a community affairs internship with Planned Parenthood.

Courtney lives in Bucks County in Pennsylvania, and likes to walk, watch sports, listen to music and come up with new and creative vegetarian recipes. She enjoys reading works by ancient philosophers (especially Plato) as well as women's studies novels, and she would like to continue her education in philosophy and women's studies in the future.

Elyse S. Caplan joined Living Beyond Breast Cancer in 2000. She oversees LBBC's educational programming for breast cancer information and awareness, including large-scale conferences and teleconferences, the LBBC Survivors' Helpline, written and online publications, networking programs for young women and women of color and workshops and trainings for healthcare professionals.

Elyse represents Living Beyond Breast Cancer at professional and consumer conferences, and she serves as a spokesperson for national and local news media. Since joining LBBC, Elyse has helped expand our educational programming in both size and breadth. She is responsible for structuring and organizing new educational initiatives, including programs for Latina women and families and for women with advanced (metastatic) breast cancer.

Elyse has dedicated her career to assisting women and families affected by breast cancer. Previously, she served as program coordinator for breast cancer clinical trials at Albert Einstein Medical Center, in Philadelphia. She coordinated Einstein's cancer center psychosocial program, where she facilitated support groups, developed and implemented initiatives to enhance quality of life and well-being for patients undergoing cancer treatment and empowered patients to advocate for their health. Elyse has served as a consumer reviewer for the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program several times. In 2002 she was invited to serve as a consumer presenter and mentor for new consumer reviewers. Currently she serves as a consumer advocate resource for the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Breast Cancer Center of Excellence Award, "Targeting Breast Cancer Metastasis," a multi-million dollar project funded by the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. Elyse's most recent appointment as a grant reviewer is for the Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund, which seeks to reach women in need of breast cancer screening and treatment. She is a graduate of the National Breast Cancer Coalition's Project LEAD, a scientific training course.

A 15-year breast cancer survivor, Elyse is well known for her compassion and advocacy on behalf of all women affected by breast cancer. She enjoys spending time with her children, going to the theater, socializing with friends, walking, dancing and baking. She and her husband, David, live in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania. They have three sons, Kevin, Rob and Dan.

Amy Grillo develops and oversees implementation of Living Beyond Breast Cancer's educational programs for breast cancer information and awareness, including teleconferences, physical conferences and networking meetings.

Amy has more than twelve years of experience in administrative work and program coordination for nonprofit organizations. Working for a cause is important to her because she believes that each of us makes a difference in the lives of others every day. She joined LBBC in 2000 because of the organization's commitment to women and families affected by cancer.

Because cancer has touched her life in a very personal way, Amy is committed to empowering women to take charge of their health and well-being. She is active in women's rights issues and would like to continue her education in sociology in the future.

Janine Guglielmino plans and oversees communications and marketing for Living Beyond Breast Cancer. She manages public relations and advertising and oversees all printed and virtual communications.

Janine received her bachelor's degree in history from Haverford College and her master's degree in journalism and public affairs from American University. She worked for four years as associate editor at American Forests, a nonprofit organization in Washington, DC. She also served as a managing editor at the Chronicle of Philanthropy in Washington, DC, before becoming Living Beyond Breast Cancer's communications director in November 2001. Janine is a member of the Public Relations Society of America.

Janine joined LBBC because "everyone seemed friendly, bright and caring." She has a close friend who was treated for breast cancer, and she wanted to understand better what her friend had experienced and use what she had learned to help others.

"My main goal in all my work is to lessen or alleviate feelings of isolation, fear, anxiety and sadness that result from a diagnosis of breast cancer, so all the wonderful women we serve can enjoy their lives for as long as possible," she says.

Janine lives in South Philadelphia with her beautiful white cat, Nanuq, and Tug, a gray tabby with a record-breaking fastball. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, writing, knitting, photography and watching professional baseball and football.

Arin coordinates LBBC's Project Connect initiative, a community-based outreach program providing education and support to women of color affected by or at high risk for developing breast cancer. She partners with regional and national organizations to promote, distribute and evaluate LBBC's culturally sensitive books Getting Connected: African-Americans Living Beyond Breast Cancer and We Celebrate Tomorrow: Latinas Living Beyond Breast Cancer, and she coordinates trainings for healthcare professionals. She also helps administer the Cis B. Golder Quality of Life Grant.

"I am excited to use my background in women's health and community health promotion to advance LBBC's educational programs for underserved women affected by breast cancer," Arin says. "My work at LBBC gives me the opportunity to address health disparities by providing women with supportive, accurate and easy to understand health information, which will empower them to confidently make informed medical decisions and improve their overall quality of life."

Arin received her bachelor's degree in peace and global studies and women's studies from Earlham College and her master's degree in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also a Certified Health Education Specialist. Arin has more than five years of experience developing, implementing, and evaluating community outreach programs, as well as conducing community health assessments in disadvantaged communities. Prior to joining LBBC, she worked as a specialty volunteer coordinator at the American Red Cross. Her work history also includes conducting educational programs for young adults and assisting with health-related research.

Originally from rural Maryland, Arin now lives in the Cedar Park neighborhood of West Philadelphia. She loves cooking for friends and family and is also learning how to garden, but she is currently spending a lot of time battling the neighborhood cats and squirrels that enjoy digging up her seeds.

After graduating from Dickinson College in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in women's studies and English, Mary Alice Hartsock wanted to find a job that combined both areas of study. Since she also believes health education goes hand in hand with women's empowerment, working for Living Beyond Breast Cancer was a perfect fit.

"Women affected by breast cancer should be able to make informed decisions about their bodies, and LBBC offers information to help them choose the best treatments and improve the quality of their lives," she says.

Mary Alice’s responsibilities at LBBC include serving as managing editor of the national newsletter, Insight, coordinating writing projects, serving as our primary medical writer and managing the department schedule. Mary Alice previously worked as an office assistant for the assistant dean for freshmen at Lycoming College. She also did internships with the Pennsylvania Commission for Women and the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce.

Mary Alice plays the flute and enjoys cooking, eating and reading. She is passionate about women's and gender studies and hopes to continue her work in this area in the future.

Kathleen plans and coordinates networking group meetings, Web chats and outreach events, and she helps manage lbbc.org's MP3 library of programs. She also is in charge of expanding and overseeing administration of continuing education units for program participation.

"I have always been heavily involved in volunteer work, and I wanted to continue doing full-time work that would help to better people's lives," Kathleen says.

Kathleen graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in ethics, history and public policy. Prior to joining LBBC, she held a temporary position at the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program. Her work experience during college includes conducting educational programs for Pittsburgh youth, researching and writing for the Heinz Regional History Center and doing nonprofit administrative work.

Kathleen lives in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, and loves all kinds of music, dancing, cooking (and eating) and volunteering. She is also a huge NFL fan (she loves her Eagles and Steelers).

A graduate of Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, Vicki Klopp earned a degree in communications in 1998. Disillusioned with the for-profit world, she joined Living Beyond Breast Cancer in 1999 so she could make a difference in the lives of others.

Among her many responsibilities at LBBC, Vicki helps track donations, registrations and other fundraising data. She is responsible for thanking supporters, assisting at fundraising meetings and helping answer the phone.

Vicki's varied work history includes waitressing, retails sales, and inventory control. She lives in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and enjoys cycling, skiing, tap dancing, swimming, reading, gardening, cooking and playing Pinochle.

Sandy Martin oversees all fundraising activities for Living Beyond Breast Cancer, including planning, direct mail, special events, corporate partnerships and promotions, major gifts, merchandise, memorial and tribute gifts and planned giving.

"LBBC's dedication and commitment to helping women and families affected by breast cancer make it a very exciting and special place to work," she says. "I feel honored to be working with LBBC's committed staff and contributing to such a meaningful cause."

Prior to joining the LBBC team in March 2009, Sandy was an independent fundraising consultant for various nonprofit organizations. With over 20 years of experience in all aspects of nonprofit development, publications and organizational management, she helped her clients improve fundraising potential through direct mail, donor cultivation, events, grant writing and print materials.

Before establishing Martin Consulting, Sandy was the vice president of development with People's Emergency Center-one of Philadelphia largest social service agencies-where she oversaw government applications, contracts, volunteers, contract compliance and all aspects of development. She created a series of annual fundraising events and increased corporate support by 50 percent through event sponsorships. She also oversaw the design of a new corporate image through the development of new print materials.

Sandy has three children and lives less than a mile from the office with her husband, Dave, and their youngest daughter, Hayley.

Anna Shaffer joined Living Beyond Breast Cancer in 2005 to combine her experience in the nonprofit world with her passion for communicating messages of hope to those who need them most.

As LBBC's communications manager, Anna is the managing editor of LBBC's website and oversees the marketing, writing, growth and enhancement of lbbc.org. She is also the editor of LBBC's regional newsletter, the LBBC Community Connection. Her other responsibilities include writing and editing medical and quality-of-life articles, educational brochures, public relations and marketing materials; strategic oversight of publications and events; assisting with the communications budget and managing staff and consultants.

A native of the rainy Pacific Northwest, Anna graduated cum laude from Western Washington University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, a concentration in environmental studies and a minor in French. In 2004, she received a certificate in public relations from the University of Washington. Her work history includes chapter manager for the National Alliance for Autism Research and development manager for the American Cancer Society. She has also done some freelance writing, editing, proofreading and public relations consulting.

Anna moved from the heart of Seattle to live in the heart of Philadelphia. She sings with Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia and loves traveling, food and wine, cultural events, history, music, sports, animals and the great outdoors.

Celeste oversees the coordination and administration of all financial and business-related activities for LBBC, including financial accounting and forecasting, human resources, contractual agreements and facility management.

"I wanted to work at LBBC so that I could grow professionally and personally by working at an organization that provides a wealth of knowledge and compassion to women who are facing very serious health issues," Celeste says. "My oldest sister was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 48 years old. She has been cancer-free for ten years, but it has left her with continuing health issues. This experience has only deepened my commitment to LBBC."

Celeste received her bachelor's degree from Loyola College in Maryland and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1982. She worked for 20 years as auditor, budget analyst, assistant finance officer and finance officer for the Maryland State Government. She also served as director of finance for the Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County before joining LBBC's staff in 2008.

Celeste is the youngest of six children and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. She now lives in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Gary, and her cat, Sammy. They have a daughter, Erica, and a son, Gregory. In her spare time, Celeste enjoys crossword puzzles and spending time with family and friends.

As LBBC's "tech goddess," Christine's job is to oversee the database at LBBC, to make sure the computers are up and running, and to manage the tool we use to send out emails and register people for events.

Christine joined LBBC because she wanted to work for an organization that makes a difference in the world. "Several of my friends have been diagnosed with breast cancer, as well as my mother, who was diagnosed in 2000 and is currently cancer-free," Christine says. "I am hoping that my background in e-communications can help improve our ability to serve our constituency and, hopefully, reach out and connect with more survivors."

Christine received her undergraduate degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania and her Masters in Counseling Psychology (MEd) from Temple University. After working as a psychotherapist and having her own private practice for more than 10 years, she earned a certificate in computer programming from The Chubb Institute and got the position of fundraising operations manager at WXPN, a local public radio station in Philadelphia. At XPN she managed the database and online fundraising and e-marketing tools, among other things.

Christine loves music and is a big supporter of the local Philadelphia music scene. She loves to travel and is a big fan of public art (murals, statues, etc.), authentic ethnic restaurants (which are abundant in the Philadelphia area) and good coffee (she grinds the beans herself every morning).

After graduating from Gordon College in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in communication arts, Michelle wanted to find a job that would combine her passion for writing and women's health issues.

"I wanted to work for an organization whose mission and values I personally support," she says.

Michelle's responsibilities at LBBC include writing brochures, calendar listings, press releases, postcards and newsletter stories; supporting public relations and marketing outreach for programs and events; coordinating with designers and printers and providing administrative support.

Michelle lives in Lansdale, Pennsylvania and enjoys reading, writing, Sudoku puzzles, spending time with friends and trips to the beach.

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