Board of Directors
Board Chair
Former Caregiver, Secretary
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Survivor
Survivor, Member Emeritus
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Survivor, Member Emeritus
Medical Advisory Board
Dr. Ramaswamy Govindan
Medical Advisor
Ramaswamy Govindan, MD, is the Anheuser Busch Chair of Medical Oncology and Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM). Dr. Govindan received his medical degree from the University of Madras in India, and undertook internship and residency training in internal medicine at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago. He completed his fellowship in hematology-oncology at WUSM and joined the faculty in 1998. He is interested in studying genomic alterations in lung cancer and translating these findings in the clinic. He has led several national and international clinical trials in lung cancer. He is the Principal Investigator for the NCI sponsored ALCHEMIST Trial to study the impact of targeted therapy in early stage lung cancer. He is the co-chair of the lung cancer working group for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project and the Cancer Driver Discovery Project (CDDP) funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) He is also the Principal Investigator of the NCI sponsored Paul Calabresi K12 Oncology Training Program and the R25 STRENGTH program at WUSM both funded by the NCI.
Dr. Bobby Shah
Medical Advisor
Dr. Shah is a board-certified pulmonologist with board certifications in critical care medicine and internal medicine. He has been in practice for six years at St. Luke’s Hospital. He is the Director of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. He completed his training at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago but is a native of St. Louis, MO.
Lesa Moss​
Board Chair
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Lesa is a Treasury Solutions Analyst with over 25 years of banking experience, presently with Bank of America serving public sector banking clients covering the central region housed in St. Louis, Missouri. Lesa currently serves as Bank of America’s volunteer chairperson for the St. Louis Market, the Network Chair for Domestic Violence Awareness and a steering committee member for Susan G. Komen. Lesa was a Global Volunteer Award winner at Bank of America in 2021 and her passion revolves around Lung Cancer Connection.​
After losing her father to lung cancer in 2018 she became a sincere advocate for early detection and prevention around lung cancer. Lesa started volunteering with the LCC in 2019 right before the pandemic but her dedication and devotion to grow the Lung Cancer Connection organization shines through with determination to decrease new lung cancer cases and increase lung cancer survivors.​
Lesa was born and raised in St. Louis, currently residing in Imperial, MO, is a mother to three awesome, adult children, Alex, Elizabeth and Hailey Moss. Her husband Tim works for Caleres Inc., formally Brown Shoe. In her spare time, Lesa loves to volunteer, dance, and read; she and her husband love to travel, they love the St. Louis Cardinals and listening to live music!
Barb Goldberg​
Former Caregiver, Secretary
Barb has been involved with Lung Cancer Connection since 2008. She previously taught at United Hebrew preschool at the time her husband Bruce was diagnosed with lung cancer. She moved into working with severely ill patients and has been a Cancer Education Specialist at Missouri Baptist since 2008. She meets with patients at the infusion center, connects them to resources they need, and works with over 40 volunteers. Her sons, Jeff and Todd, have also both been involved with Lung Cancer Connection for many years.
Maria Baggstrom, MD​
Member
Maria Quintos Baggstrom MD FACP FASCO is board certified in Medical Oncology and Internal Medicine. Dr. Baggstrom is a Professor of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis and specializes in solid tumors originating from the lung and thorax. Her research/clinical interests are in clinical trial methodology and clinical trials of therapeutic agents in lung cancer. She graduated from medical school at the University of Texas at Houston. She completed her Internal Medicine residency and her Hematology and Medical Oncology fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She joined Washington University in 2005.
Joseph Carnduff​
Member
Joe was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois, and currently resides in Glen Carbon, IL. He received his law degree from the Southern Illinois University School of Law in 2017. As an undergraduate at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, he majored in economics and criminal justice.
Currently he is an attorney for Bailey Glasser LLP, and a member of the Mass Tort and Lung Disease legal team. The focus of his legal practice is on representing people harmed by defective products and individuals who have contracted mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other lung diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. From 2018 – 2022, he traveled the United States representing patients and survivors of lung cancer and saw firsthand how devastating a diagnosis of lung cancer can be for someone and their family.
In 2022, he decided to start volunteering his spare time to non-profit organizations dedicated to helping patients and survivors diagnosed with cancer like Lung Cancer Connection. He also enjoys spending time with his family and playing with his 2-year-old dog named Juice.
Sarah Chavez, PhD​
Member
Sarah Chavez is the Assistant Director of Community Outreach and Engagement, which is also known as the Program to Eliminate Cancer Disparities (PECaD) at Siteman Cancer Center. She works closely with the team at Washington University Division of Public Health to monitor the cancer burden in Missouri and Illinois, and is also active in clinical trials monitoring within Siteman Cancer Center.
A native of St. Louis native and Cor Jesu graduate, Sarah has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Her background includes basic science research in heart disease, virology, and cancer, as well as teaching Biology, Global Health, Genetics, and Cancer Biology at Washington University.
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Lung cancer education and screening are especially important to Sarah, as her father, stepmother, and uncle are all lung cancer survivors.
Jill Fine
Survivor
Jill was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018 and is now a 7-year survivor. She thanks her team at Siteman Cancer Center for her successful treatment. She is excited to join the LCC board to make a difference not just by raising money and awareness but by making the journey for lung cancer patients, caregivers, and survivors easier with information and support.
She is currently the Vice President of Business Development for Liberty Sport. In her spare time, she makes hand-made jewelry and accessories for her company Revolt 144, which she sells online, in local boutiques, and at local vendor fairs. Jill is also an alumni of the St. Louis Big Red Line and Steamheat Dancers. She continues to participate in alumni performances and takes dance classes as well.
Jill loves spending time with friends and has been married to James Griffith for 6 years. They enjoy traveling and spending time with their dog Bailey!
Gary Gianino​
Member
Gary Gianino is AVP, Business Banking, with Enterprise Bank & Trust. He focuses on providing customized banking solutions for privately held, small- and medium-sized businesses. With over 30 years of business experience, he has a broad and diverse background, and has held a variety of leadership roles in business development and operations. Prior to joining Enterprise Bank & Trust, he worked for not-for-profit, for-profit, and joint venture companies in the health care, risk management, and aerospace & defense industries.
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He is active in his community, and serves as an Advisory Director on the Nazareth Living Center Foundation Board, and volunteers with Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis. He has also held a number of positions on the Board of Trustees of Nazareth Living Center, the Board of Managers for the South County YMCA, and the Board of Directors of the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce of St. Louis.
Cherie Summa, P.E.​
Member
As a graduate of the Missouri University of Science and Technology with a degree in Geological Engineering, a Certified General Contractor and a licensed Professional Engineer in four states (including Missouri and Illinois), Cherie brings credentials and skills rarely seen in the radon mitigation industry. Cherie is certified by the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP/AARST), a member of the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technicians (AARST) and currently serves as the Vice President of the Heartland Chapter of AARST. Cherie is also a certified radon measurement and mitigation technician in Illinois under the Illinois Emergency Management Association (IEMA).
Roy Williams, III​
Survivor, Member Emeritus
Roy is a lung cancer survivor; he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2013. Roy has had a 45-year career in the wholesale/retail, real estate, and healthcare industries. He and his wife, Mary, have six children and six grandchildren.​
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Deb Zimmermann​
Survivor, Member Emeritus
Deb brings both personal experience and unwavering dedication to her role on our Board of Directors. Diagnosed with stage 3A non-small cell lung cancer in January 2009, Deb faced a challenging journey with remarkable courage. Deb attended Lung Cancer Connection's inaugural walk in the fall of 2009. Since then, she has been a steadfast supporter and advocate for the organization.
Deb's own journey through survivorship fuels her passion for sharing her story and spreading hope among others facing similar diagnoses. Her commitment to raising awareness and providing support reflects her belief in the possibility of overcoming even the most complex challenges. Deb's dedication and firsthand understanding enhance her contributions to our board, reflecting a deep commitment to improving the lives of those affected by lung cancer.