2025 Meet the Candidates

2025 Meet the Candidates

The 2025 NAACCR Elections will be held January 16 – February 14, 2025. NAACCR recognizes that it is fortunate to have knowledgeable, dedicated, and progressive members who volunteer each year to serve on the Board. The following individuals are running for the NAACCR Board and have submitted information for our annual edition of “Meet the Candidates.”  Thank you to all the individuals below who have been nominated for the 2025 NAACCR Board of Directors election. Ballots will be sent to all voting delegates on January 16, 2025.

Treasurer

 

Sarah Nash, PhD, MPH, CPH

Resume/CV

Organization: University of Iowa

Number of years working in central/regional cancer registry: 10

Current position and a brief description of duties:

I am currently the Director of Research, Analytics and Dissemination at the Iowa Cancer Registry. In this role, I manage a team of folks who are responsible for all things data use and research. This includes overseeing/writing the annual Cancer in Iowa report, shorter data briefs (ICR Spotlight Series), investigating cancer concerns, as well as responding to other data requests and supporting research projects. Before my role at ICR, I was the Director and PI of the SEER Alaska Native Tumor Registry, during which time I oversaw all activities (management, budget, data collection, data use, etc.) for the registry.

 

Thoughts regarding the direction NAACCR should be moving towards and the goals the organization should be striving to attain:

NAACCR has recently completed its Strategic Planning process, which provides a roadmap for the direction of the organization. This roadmap spans each of our four priority areas (Strategic Planning and Alliances, Standardization and Registry Development, Research and Data Use, and Professional Development), and also integrates eight strategic initiatives. Whilst each of these priority areas and initiatives is important for the forward movement of the organization, there are two initiatives that I have personally championed as a current Board Member at Large. First, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect, which needs to be the foundation for all that we do at NAACCR. It is imperative that we embrace these values in order to support all central cancer registry professionals, as well as recruit new members to our family! Second, improving race and ethnicity reporting. As a long-time member of RDU, and a health equity researcher, ensuring that we have the requisite data to understand and address inequity is critical; cancer registry data are at the foundation of all cancer equity work in North America and beyond. Two other initiatives are also of personal interest. I am very interested in communication – this can include many facets, including communicating our data, as well as communicating the value of NAACCR and the cancer surveillance system. This may also tie into the need for advocacy, especially as the U.S. sees a shift in its political leadership over the next year. As a member of the Board, I will support NAACCR and its members to communicate its value to new and existing partners, and (within our bounds) advocate for the cancer surveillance system. Additionally, I am passionate about expanding training for NAACCR members. NAACCR does a phenomenal job supporting training for its ODS members, but more is needed for our non-ODS staff. I have been working with several NAACCR members and staff to think about how we might provide such support. Finally, specifically with regards to fiscal management, it is critical that we maintain NAACCR’s strong fiscal position. As Treasurer, I would work specifically with NAACCR Leadership to towards this goal. This may involve several strategies, including preparing for changes to the federal funding landscape; ensuring that we are both spending and investing wisely; and, considering options for diversifying our funding portfolio whilst ensuring that we maintain the core functions of the association. Thank you for considering my candidacy, I look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve the cancer surveillance community through this role!

 

NAACCR position(s):

  • Chair, Data for AIAN Cancer Surveillance Task Force, 2023 – Present
  • Member at Large, Board of Directors, 2021 – Present
  • Member, Strategic Management Plan Workgroup, 2020-Present
  • Member, Research Application and Review Workgroup, 2019 – Present
  • Member, Research and Data Use Steering Committee, 2018 – Present
  • Chair, Executive Director Transition Task Force, 2023-2024
  • Member and Co-Chair, CiNA Research Network Workgroup, 2020-2023
  • Member, CiNA Editorial Workgroup, 2019-2022
  • Member, Data Security and Confidentiality Workgroup, 2018-2021
  • Member, Nominating Committee, 2017-2019

Representative-at-Large

 

Kashanna Hector-Lebby, MAFM, RHIA, ODS, CPC

Resume/CV

Organization: Connecticut Department of Public Health

Number of years working in central/regional cancer registry: 5

Current position and a brief description of duties:

Medical Records Technician
In my current role, I perform casefinding techniques to identify reportable cancer tumors using pathology reports, HL7, and image reports from various sources. In addition, abstract relevant information to code the cancer data which includes diagnosis, demographics, patient history, extent of disease, and treatment, into SEER DMS, adhering to AJCC TNM, Solid Tumor Rules, COC, and SEER guidelines. Daily quality review, matching and case consolidation. I have also abstracted from death certificates, COVID-19 related and other causes of death into the CT-Vitals Death registration system. Additionally, I handle special projects like clearing SS2000 Edit Failures to meet tight submission schedules and participate in epidemiology research studies for pediatric brain cases. Patterns of Care for prostate and ovarian cancers. I assist in updating the reportable list for cancer registries in Connecticut.

 

Thoughts regarding the direction NAACCR should be moving towards and the goals the organization should be striving to attain:

NAACCR should prioritize increasing public awareness and advocacy for Veterans Affairs (VA) cancer reporting to ensure that veterans receive comprehensive cancer care and that their data is accurately captured. In addition to collaborating with NCRA, NAACCR should seek to establish global partnerships to share knowledge and best practices. Leveraging advanced data analytics (AI) will be crucial in addressing comprehensive cancer trends.
I also recommend NAACCR move towards creating a program where current ODS can learn more about the cancer epidemiology and cancer surveillance/ prevention aspects of data collected done at central registries.

 

NAACCR position(s):

  • NAACCR Recruitment and Retention Workgroup 2022-2023
  • NAACCR Central Registry Mentor 2023 – Present
  • NAACCR Communications Workgroup 2024 – Present

 

Joshua Mazuryk

Resume/CV

Organization: Ontario Health

Number of years working in central/regional cancer registry: 15

Current position and a brief description of duties:

My name is Joshua Mazuryk and I am the cancer pathology standards advisor at Ontario Health, formerly Cancer Care Ontario. In my current position, I support the Ontario Cancer Registry (OCR) by managing the pathology source record, from our ePath system as well as acting as a liaison with our Provincial Pathology lead, Regional Pathology leads, Laboratory Pathology leads and other Clinical Advisors. In my time with the OCR, I had the pleasure of working on a multi-year, CS integration/synoptic pathology reporting and change-management project, which has resulted in me leading the analytic and informatic operations of the first successful implementation of a provincial/state level synoptic cancer pathology reporting repository in North America.

 

Thoughts regarding the direction NAACCR should be moving towards and the goals the organization should be striving to attain:

Information on cancer continues to increase in content and complexity, as healthcare research and technology continues to grow and expand our knowledge of the disease. In order to respond to current and future data gathering requirements in a timely manner, I believe centralized registries will need to be more adaptable and less rigid. This will require understanding and employing new technology to existing and new healthcare data sources. Many of NAACCR current strategic management goals point to this fact. In order to improve data gathering needs, NAACCR will need to create new and utilize existing partnerships, in order to develop standards, best practices and implementation guides for future data requirements in areas like familial and molecular genetics.
Much of this data already exists somewhere in the healthcare system, but are generally buried in unstructured text or in regionalized structured data fields. Guidance and support in interoperability and future technology, such as AI and other digital solutions, will be required in order to properly extract necessary data for future reporting requirements. Concurrently with work to improve data collection in the centralized cancer registries, NAACCR can begin development of an organizational digital solution to better automate and collate the data it received faster and more accurately.

 

NAACCR position(s):

  • BOD Representative at Large
  • S&RD BOD Liaison
    Co-chair:
  • Electronic pathology reporting WG (formerly known as Volume V)
  • Certification, Evaluation and Recommendations Taskforce (CERT)

 

Iris Zachary, PhD, MS, FAMIA, ODS-C

Resume/CV

Organization: University of Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center

Number of years working in central/regional cancer registry: 25

Current position and a brief description of duties:

As the Director of the Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center (MCR), I oversee statewide cancer surveillance initiatives, ensuring compliance with NAACCR standards and enhancing data quality for Missouri cancer surveillance and public health cancer control efforts. In this role, I lead efforts to advance data modernization projects, mentor students, and foster collaborations that integrate informatics solutions for public health surveillance, with a specific focus on cancer informatics practices. I work on the development of cancer data management and informatics solutions, utilizing interdisciplinary approaches to address the needs of the cancer registry, cancer surveillance, and cancer control community to address gaps in cancer care.

With over two decades of experience in cancer surveillance, I bring expertise in public health informatics, cancer registration, and translational science. My work focuses on health disparities and access to care. My contributions to integrating informatics into public health have been recognized by organizations such as the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) and the American Public Health Association Health Informatics and Information Technology (APHA HIIT) Section. In addition to my technical and research expertise, I have successfully led interdisciplinary teams and mentored and trained professionals and students across multiple sectors, fostering collaboration and innovation to advance the field of cancer surveillance.

 

Thoughts regarding the direction NAACCR should be moving towards and the goals the organization should be striving to attain:

I believe NAACCR is uniquely positioned to lead advancements in cancer surveillance and data utilization. To further its goals and success, I see five key areas where NAACCR should focus its efforts:

1. Data Modernization and Integration:
NAACCR should prioritize leveraging informatics technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data visualization to improve cancer surveillance systems. By modernizing data processes, the quality, accuracy, and accessibility of data can be enhanced, enabling informed decisions.

2. Advancing Equity in Cancer Research:
By utilizing registry data, gaps in care, outcomes, and survivorship can be identified. This can inform enhanced race and ethnicity reporting and public health interventions that promote equity and improve outcomes.

3. Collaboration and Innovation:
Strengthening partnerships with national and international cancer registries and organizations is essential to foster knowledge exchange and innovation. NAACCR can play a leading role in collaborative efforts that enhance cancer surveillance, develop new methodologies, and contribute to national and international cancer control initiatives.

4. Professional Development:
As the field of cancer registration evolves, NAACCR can make a significant impact by investing in the development of the next generation of cancer registry professionals. By creating robust training programs and offering resources to support professional growth for existing members.

5. Member Engagement:
Empowering members to actively participate in NAACCR’s initiatives is critical to foster innovation and inclusivity. NAACCR can expand forums, platforms, and opportunities for members to contribute their expertise and help shape NAACCR’s future direction and success.

 

NAACCR position(s):

  • NAACCR CIAG
  • NAACCR CERT Certification Evaluation and Recommendation Task Force
  • NAACCR Certification and IRB Board Member
  • NAACCR Semantic Data Workgroup
  • NAACCR Certification and Training Contributor and Presenter

Follow Us



Submit Blog for NAACCReview

Funding for this web site content was made possible in part by a contract with Federal funds from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health and Department of Health & Human Services under Contract number 75N91021D00018 / 75N91021F00001. Additionally, funding for this web site content was made possible in part by a cooperative agreement with Federal funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cooperative Agreement number 1NU58DP007575. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NCI and CDC.

Copyright © 2018 NAACCR, Inc. All Rights Reserved | naaccr-swoosh-only See NAACCR Partners and Sponsors