Board Resolutions

Board Resolutions

The NAACCR Board of Directors greatly appreciates the substantial contributions members give to both NAACCR and the cancer surveillance community. Over the years, certain individuals have been officially recognized by the NAACCR Board of Directors as providing exceptional contributions during their career. This recognition is achieved through the release of an official NAACCR Board Resolution. The individuals listed below have been recognized by the NAACCR Board of Directors and an official document has been sent to each individual for record and future reference.

If you know a person that has made a significant contribution to NAACCR and the cancer surveillance field then let us know. Generally, Board Resolutions are considered when an individual is retiring from the cancer surveillance field and has made an exceptional mark on the NAACCR Community. Submissions should be forwarded approximately 8 weeks or more prior to retirement / departure from the organization. The NAACCR Board of Directors would like to consider Board Resolution suggestions. Click here to suggest an individual for a Board Resolution.

Click on the name to view the full text of the resolution and significant contribution to NAACCR.

Passed by President Winny Roshala, on 06/22/2023


David K. O’Brien, PhD has been an integral part of cancer surveillance in North America since 1998. As the data analyst for Alaska, David has been an indefatigable ​champion of NAACCR. ​He was the first Chair of the NAACCR GIS Committee which has enhanced our understanding of geographic patterns and their impact on cancer outcomes. David has been committed to the unique challenges faced by Alaskan communities, earning him an Alaska Public Health Association award in 2023, in addition to the NAACCR Merit, Achievement, and Leadership Awards.

He has been a collaborative member of numerous NAACCR committees and has been consistently conscientious about sharing feedback, expertise, sharing code, software, and words of encouragement.

Be it resolved that the Board of Directors honors Dr. O’Brien on the occasion of his retirement after 25 years of dedicated service to the Alaska Cancer Registry and thanks him sincerely for all that he has done to support cancer surveillance.

Passed by President Winny Roshala, on 05/17/2023


Mr. Steven Peace has been involved in cancer registration for over 33 years working on the state and national levels as a leader in quality control and education and as a trusted subject matter expert. He has served on over 20 NAACCR work groups, task forces and committees to improve cancer surveillance in North America.

He received the Constance L. Percy award in 2001 and 2023 for his distinguished service to NAACCR and the broader cancer surveillance community and was the recipient of the National Cancer Registrars Association’s (NCRA) Educational Achievement Award. He has developed countless educational materials, study guides, and developed a question bank of over 300 questions to assist cancer registrars in developing a deep understanding of the complex rules for the accurate classification of cancer for surveillance purposes. He played a major role in the development of the Fundamental Learning Collaborative for the Cancer Surveillance Community (FLccSC), and was a lead content contributor to this educational tool used by registries across North America.

Steven has contributed his professional talents and time to the states of Florida and Colorado, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance Epidemiology, and End Results program, Westat Inc., NCRA, and NAACCR. Be it resolved that on his retirement from the Florida Cancer Data System, the Board of Directors recognizes Mr. Steven Peace for his profound impact on cancer surveillance in North America.

Passed by President Winny Roshala, on 05/17/2023


Loria Pollack, MD, MPH, CAPT U.S. Public Health Service Medical Officer is retiring from the Public Health Service after 20 years as a Commissioned Medical Officer. She has served as the Medical Director of the National Program of Cancer Registries since 2015.

She has led initiatives to modernize the National Program of Cancer Registries by improving data collection, improving data quality, and enhancing access to U.S. Cancer Statistics. She has worked to align the American College of Surgeons Cancer Staging System with the National Program of Cancer Registries. She has served as co-chair of the High-Level Strategic Group, leading to the establishment of strategic priorities for the cancer surveillance community.

Dr. Pollack has been a vociferous champion of cancer surveillance and data use; The Board of Directors congratulates Loria Pollack MD, MPH on her retirement from the Public Health Service and commends her on her exemplary service to cancer surveillance and public health.

Passed by President Winny Roshala, on 11/16/2022


Dr. Maria J. Schymura has provided invaluable leadership to the cancer surveillance community as Director of the Bureau of Cancer Epidemiology of the New York State Department of Health and Scientific Director of the New York State Cancer Registry, and in numerous capacities to the North American Association of Cancer Registries, and as faculty to the School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany.

Maria has provided mentorship to countless NAACCR members, many students and junior faculty, and the staff at the New York State Cancer Registry. Dr. Schymura has provided scientific guidance, oversight, and analytic expertise to scores of epidemiologic studies, cancer surveillance projects and has authored numerous scientific papers, manuscripts, and reports thereby making substantial contributions to the understanding of the epidemiology of cancer. Maria was honored by NAACCR for her professional achievements by the Calum Muir Award in 2013, “In recognition of an inspiring and exemplary cancer surveillance leader who has advanced the ideals and principles of high-quality cancer registration and steadfastly supported data use and research.” She has served as a guiding light for the Board of Directors of NAACCR for many years in her roles of President, Past- President, Treasurer, Board Member, and confidante; and she also served on the Research and Data Use Steering Committee, the Bylaws Committee, Certification, CiNA Editorial Board, Research Application Review, and Data Assessment Work Groups.

She pioneered interstate linkages to solve the problems of DCOs among ‘snowbirds’ and she has been an important proponent of data sharing, the Virtual Tumor Registry, and the Virtual Pooled Registry. Maria also contributed to international cancer surveillance by serving on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Cancer Registries and by attending many of their conferences world-wide as a presenter and esteemed scientist. Be it resolved that on the occasion of Dr. Schymura’s retirement from the New York State Department of Health, the Board of Directors recognizes Dr. Maria J. Schymura for her profound impact on Cancer Surveillance in North America.

Passed by President Winny Roshala, on 10/9/2022


Dr. Melanie Williams, Director of the Texas Cancer Registry, has served over 20 years as a leader in cancer surveillance and cancer epidemiology.

She served on the NAACCR Board of Directors from 2010-2012, co-authored “Death Clearance Manual: Minimum Requirements and Best Practices for Conducting Death Clearance,” participated on the NAACCR Interstate Data Exchange Task Force, served as host to the NAACCR community at our Annual Conference in Austin in 2013, and served as Chair of the NAACCR Communications Steering Committee.

Melanie has led us all in spirited discussions as a leader of NAACCR’s “Birds of a Feather” and offered sage opinions on complex issues related to cancer surveillance.

She led the first team responsible for publishing the annual United States Cancer Statistics report, featuring cancer data from central cancer registries funded by CDC and NCI.

She has served as a mentor and friend to many in our profession.

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors recognizes her tireless dedication to cancer surveillance on the occasion of her retirement from the Texas Department of Health, and sincerely thanks her for her service to NAACCR and the nation.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Dr. Melanie Williams, and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Winny Roshala, on 8/18/2021


Dr. Hannah K. Weir, PhD, lead of the Epidemiology Team, Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC), retired on July 31st with over 25 years of service at CDC. She has served the national, regional, and state cancer registry community thoughtfully and tirelessly for more than two decades.

She was instrumental in launching the National Program of Cancer Registries-Cancer Surveillance System—a premier surveillance system that receives, evaluates, and disseminates data from population-based cancer registries funded by CDC.

She was also instrumental in establishing NAACCR certification standards for US and Canadian registries. She led the first team responsible for publishing the annual United States Cancer Statistics report, featuring cancer data from central cancer registries funded by CDC and NCI.

She received the Constance L. Percy Award for Distinguished Service in June 2008 to formally acknowledge for her persistence and dedication in negotiating an agreement with the National Death Index on behalf of all US central cancer registries  to link data on new cancer cases with death certificate data at no cost to the registry, and exchange follow-up information among participating registries, resulting in more broadly available survival data for cancer control efforts. For more than two decades, Hannah collaborated with researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and other institutions on the worldwide cancer survival study known as CONCORD and she led CDC’s participation in the international CONCORD Programme.

Hannah is a productive researcher, valued collaborator, generous mentor, and inspires others with her dedication to data that matters and her selfless commitment to public service. Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Hannah Weir on this occasion of her retirement, for her excellent leadership and contribution to cancer research and registry data use. She has been an important figure in our field in moving cancer surveillance in the US forward and will be greatly missed. Be if further resolved that a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Dr. Weir, and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Randi Rycroft, on 12/17/2020


Amy Kahn has contributed 30 years of dedicated service to the New York State Cancer Registry (NYSCR); and played a key role in every facet of the Registry’s development and achievements, from improving registry operations and data quality to fostering research. She has mentored numerous staff within and outside the NYSCR and dedicated herself to teaching high school students about cancer and the field of cancer surveillance.

Amy has contributed countless volunteer hours to NAACCR as an integral member of the Uniform Data Standards committee since 2000, participated on the Standardization and Registry Development Steering Committee, was a member of the Implementation Guidelines Task Force for several years and co-chaired the Implementation Guidelines Task Force, to mention a few; and served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Registry Management since 2012.

In recognition of Amy’s selfless dedication and outstanding service, she has been the recipient of the Constance L. Percy Award and the NAACCR Leadership Award.

Be it resolved that the Board of Directors of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries recognizes these outstanding contributions with sincere appreciation and gratitude and send Amy our best wishes on her future endeavors.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Amy Kahn and that a transcript of this Resolution be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Randi Rycroft, on 12/17/2020


Mary Lewis has dedicated 41 years of service to cancer surveillance in North America including 17 years at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where she has been instrumental to improving caner data quality nationwide, and has been a leader in cancer registration education efforts. Mary has advised numerous state cancer registries, helping them become stronger, more efficient, and sources of highly reliable data on cancer. Mary has achieved great respect and appreciation from all of those who have had the privilege of learning from her and working with her.

 

Be it resolved that the Board of Directors of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries recognizes these achievements with sincere appreciation and gratitude and send Mary our best wishes on her future endeavors. Be it further resolved that a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Mary Lewis and that a transcript of this Resolution be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Randi Rycroft, on 06/29/2020


Ms. Lynda Douglas, CTR has been instrumental in the development of cancer registration in North America and has been working in the cancer registry field for 33 years; and She has contributed significantly to the cancer surveillance community; and She is a wealth of knowledge in the cancer registration field, sharing her knowledge and experience freely with others. Lynda has been a cancer registry educator since 1989; a technical administrator for AJCC; President of NCRA; Education and Training Coordinator for NPCR; and one of the original AACCR (now NAACCR) team members.

 

Therefore, be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Ms. Lynda Douglas, on this occasion of her retirement for her leadership and dedication to furthering cancer surveillance in North America. That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Ms. Douglas and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Randi Rycroft, on 02/18/2020


Dr. Bruce Riddle, Manager of the New Hampshire Cancer registry and Instructor in the Department of Epidemiology at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, has served the national, regional, and state cancer registry community thoughtfully and tirelessly for over 20 years. He has contributed to the registry community through publications, NAACCR committee work, and speaking out on the complex issues that impact the registry community from a creative and future forward perspective. He also served on the NAACCR Board as Treasurer as well as the NAACCR Nominations Committee, Clinical Data Work Group, Bylaws Committee, and Death Clearance Workgroup. He has always supported other state registries with technical and process matters and has been fully committed to advancing the use of cancer registry data. He received the Constance L. Percy Award for Distinguished Service in June 2019 to formally acknowledge his exceptional volunteer service to NAACCR.

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Bruce Riddle on this occasion of his retirement, for his excellent leadership and contribution to cancer research and registry data use.

Passed by President Randi Rycroft, on 10/18/2019


Ms. Jennifer Seiffert, CTR has been instrumental in the development of cancer registration in North America and has been working in the cancer registry field for 46 years; and  She has contributed significantly to the cancer surveillance community; and She is a wealth of knowledge in the cancer registration field, sharing her knowledge and experience freely with others; and Jennifer received the 1994 Constance L. Percy Award for Distinguished Service in recognition for her vision and dedication in the development, assimilation, editing and publication of Standards for Cancer Registries, the first such publication of its kind.

Jennifer received the 2009 Calum Muir Award for Lifetime Achievement from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries in recognition for her extensive experience, expertise, and knowledge of cancer surveillance standards and her significant work on their development; and Therefore, be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Ms. Jennifer Seiffert, on this occasion of her retirement for her leadership and dedication to furthering cancer surveillance in North America. That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Ms. Seiffert and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Randi Rycroft, on 10/18/2019


Dr. Martha Linet, Chief of the Radiation Epidemiology Branch within the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at NCI, has served as Principal Investigator for the U.S. Radiologic Technologist Study for over 20 years;

Martha graciously volunteered to pilot test the USRT study with NAACCR’s Virtual Pooled Registry. She and her staff contributed significant time, energy, and expertise which resulted in a more comprehensive, robust system for facilitating linkages between research studies and multiple cancer registries. She has passionately promoted and supported opportunities to collaborate and contribute to the greater good of cancer epidemiology and research. Her commitment, integrity, passion, and wisdom have been an invaluable asset to NAACCR and the Virtual Pooled Registry.

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Martha Linet on this occasion of her retirement, for her excellent leadership and contribution to cancer research and registry data use.

Passed by President Randi Rycroft, on 10/09/2019

Ms. Susan Bolick has been the Division Director of the South Carolina Central Cancer Registry (SCCCR) at DHEC since its inception in 1993. Under Susan’s leadership the registry has consistently received the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Program of Cancer Registries Registry (NPCR) of Distinction award for excellence as well as Gold Certification from North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR). During her tenure, Susan has been nominated for and received several distinguished awards from the cancer surveillance community including NAACCR’s Constance L. Percy Award in 2015.

These awards highlight her as an individual who inspires others through selfless dedication and outstanding service in support of cancer surveillance, prevention, and control. Susan has been involved in numerous NAACCR committees in leadership roles as well as serving on the NAACCR Board of Directors.

Therefore, be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Susan Bolick on this occasion of her retirement for her contributions as an educator, a leader, and a colleague.

Passed by President Antoinette Stroup, PhD on 01/08/2019


Ms. Maureen MacIntyre has dedicated much of her career to improving cancer surveillance in Nova Scotia, in Canada, and beyond; and

Maureen was the first, and thus far, the only Canadian to serve as President of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries from 2011 to 2013. In addition, she served as a member of the Board of Directors from 2002 to 2015; and

Be it resolved that the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc. Board of Directors takes great pride in this recognition.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Maureen MacIntyre and that a transcript of this Resolution be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Jill MacKinnon, PhD on 6/14/2015


Susan Capron has played a critical role in the cancer registry community for more than 20 years.  Her work developing edits and administering the NAACCR Edits Metafile has contributed significantly to the high quality cancer data available today; and

Susan has achieved great respect and appreciation from all of those who have had the privilege of learning from her and working with her; and

Be it resolved that the Board of Directors of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries recognizes these achievements with sincere appreciation and gratitude and send Susan our best wishes on her future endeavors.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Susan Capron and that a transcript of this Resolution be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Jill MacKinnon, PhD on 6/14/2015


Dr. Vivien W. Chen has contributed insight and boundless energy to the worlds of cancer epidemiology and surveillance for over thirty years.  She has been active with organizations at the university, city, state, national, and international levels, including a term as NAACCR Board President and Chair of many Standing Committees as well as an IACR Executive Board member, to improve the quality and expand the utilization of cancer registry data; and

Her life-long focus has been on lessening the burden of cancer, especially by analyzing and documenting the disparities in cancer incidence and quality of care; and

Her sense of humor, analytical insight, willingness to listen and console, strong work ethic, vision as a leader, and dedication have guided the cancer surveillance community to continually expand its goals and its efforts to attain them; and

Dr. Chen is the recipient of the 2005 Calum S. Muir Memorial Award, “for her many and varied contributions to the NAACCR membership and as a champion of advancements in cancer surveillance locally, nationally, and internationally,”and the recipient of the 2998 Constance L. Percy Award for Distinguished Service, “for her leadership in issues of data quality and confidentiality and her active participation on the Board of Directors and multiple committees.”

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Vivien Chen on this occasion of her retirement for her contributions as an educator, a leader, and a colleague.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Dr. Vivien W. Chen and that a transcript of this Resolution be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Dr. Charles Wiggins, PhD on 1/5/2016


Whereas Ms. Rosemary Dibble has been working with the Utah Cancer Registry for over 46 years, serving as the Director of Operations for more than 28 of these years; and

Rosemary was instrumental in the creation of the Utah Tumor Registrars Association, the National Cancer Registrars Association, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries and has served in many leadership positions in all of these organizations; and

Rosemary served as a Liaison to the American College of Surgeons and served as a Regional Cancer Program Consultant for the Commission on Cancer, has consulted for the National Cancer Institute, the Rocky Mountain Cancer Data System, and was a member of the American College of Surgeons speakers bureau; and

Rosemary has contributed significantly to the development of quality statewide and national cancer surveillance databases, to the standardization of data, and developing certification for registrars and registries; and

Rosemary was a 2003 recipient of the SEER Program Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2010 Calum Muir Award for Lifetime Achievement from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries;

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Ms. Rosemary Dibble on this occasion of her retirement for her leadership and dedication to furthering cancer surveillance in North America.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Ms. Dibble and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Dr. Charles Wiggins, PhD on 12/16/2015


Christie Eheman PhD, has provided vision and leadership for CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) over the past 8 years; and

She contributed to the improvement and recognition of cancer surveillance in the United States by ensuring increased use of complete, timely, and accurate cancer data and enhancements in electronic reporting; and

Christie has strongly advocated for the NPCR grantees by garnering support for Comparative Effectiveness Research and Patient Centered Outcomes Research; and by assuming a leadership role in the Collaborative Stage transition; and

She has made substantive contributions to the scientific literature including authoring the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer.

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Dr. Christie Eheman on this occasion of her retirement for her leadership and dedication to furthering cancer surveillance in North America.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Dr. Eheman and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Jill MacKinnon, PhD on 6/22/2014


David Forman has served as the Head of the Cancer Information Section of the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France since 2010; and

David Forman has had an outstanding career in cancer surveillance at the Cancer Epidemiology Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Oxford, the University of Leeds, the Northern & Yorkshire Cancer Registry & Information Service, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer; and

David Form has contributed significantly to the field of cancer surveillance as a researcher, educator, director, advisor, and leader; and

David Forman has achieved great respect in the international cancer surveillance community for his work and his dedication to improving cancer surveillance worldwide and subsequently reducing the global burden of cancer.

Be it resolved that the Board of Directors of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries recognizes these achievements with sincere appreciation and gratitude and send David our best wishes on his future endeavors.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Dr. Formanand that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by Charles Wiggins, PhD on 1/24/2017


John P. Fulton PhD, Associate Director of the Rhode Island Cancer Registry and Clinical Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University began working in the cancer surveillance community in 1977 and has provided vision and leadership to the NAACCR community since its inception; and

He served on the NAACCR IRB for 15 years, most currently as the Chair; and

He made major contributions to the work of NAACCR in the early years including, but not limited to, early Cancer in North America (CiNA) Monographs, seminal work on national level assessments of cancer burden by level of urbanization, and evaluation of the use of incidence-mortality ratio to estimate completeness which is currently used for NAACCR certification; and

He has made substantive contributions to the scientific literature using cancer surveillance data including, but not limited to, articles using international data (like CONCORD), articles focused on improving cancer surveillance (like quality of race/ethnicity data and completeness of melanoma reporting), and patterns of care articles.

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Dr. John Fulton on this occasion of his

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Dr. Fulton and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Maureen MacIntyre, MHSA on 3/14/2012


In honor and recognition of her significant and lasting contributions to cancer surveillance through a long and meaningful career.  We especially acknowledge her leadership and dedication to the education of hundreds of cancer registrars and her contributions of service and leadership to the NAACCR community. We love you Kay!

Passed by President Jill MacKinnon, PhD on 6/22/2014


Joanne Harris, Chief of Cancer Surveillance, at the SEER Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance System retired on October 3, 2013; and

She contributed 50 years of dedicated service to cancer registration in Detroit and nationally; and

She began her cancer registration career in 1962 as a medical secretary in the local cancer registry program; and

She retired as SEER Chief of Cancer Surveillance, Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance System; and

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Joanne Harris for her outstanding leadership as a cancer surveillance professional and her dedication to furthering cancer surveillance in North America.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Ms. Harris and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Jill MacKinnon, PhD on 4/16/2014


Tom Kean provided visionary guidance during the establishment of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries as a non-profit association dedicated to reducing the burden of cancer in North America and this guidance continues to represent the core values of our governance principles.

Tom Kean has earned the respect and trust of cancer control and public health professionals throughout North America for his clarity of thought, focus on the objectives, and tireless leadership.

Tom Kean has demonstrated unyielding passion and dedication to conquering cancer throughout his extensive career.

Be it resolved that the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries express their deepest gratitude for his selfless contributions to eliminating cancer as a major health problem.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Mr. Kean and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Antoinette Stroup, PhD on 8/15/2018


Ms. Kathleen McKeen has been working in the cancer registry field for 59 years, serving as the Director of the Iowa Cancer Registry for more than 36 of these years; and

Kathleen was instrumental in the creation of the Iowa Cancer Registrars Association, the National Cancer Registrars Association, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries and has served in many leadership positions in all of these organizations; and

She has contributed significantly to the development of quality statewide and national cancer surveillance databases, to the standardization of data, and developing certification for registrars and registries; and

Kathleen was a recipient of the SEER Program Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 and 2009 and the University of Iowa David J Skorton Staff Excellence Award for Public Service in 2010; and

Kathleen received the 2001 Calum Muir Award for Lifetime Achievement from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries in recognition of an outstanding career distinguished by personal excellence and by serving as a mentor for others in the field of cancer registration; and

She has been a resource and mentor for new registrars and registries throughout the years, by sharing her knowledge and experience freely and eagerly with others;She is a wealth of knowledge and history in the cancer registration field;

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Ms. Kathleen McKeen, on this occasion of her retirement for her leadership and dedication to furthering cancer surveillance in North America.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Ms. McKeen and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Maureen MacIntyre, MHSA on 6/9/2013


Herman R. Menck recognized the need for education and training specific to central cancer registry directors and realized the wealth of knowledge in NAACCR members who could serve as mentors; and

Herman R. Menck recognized the need for education and training specific to central cancer registry directors and realized the wealth of knowledge in NAACCR members who could serve as mentors; and

He conceived of a unique and concentrated educational opportunity affectionately known as the NAACCR Short Course; and

This Short Course has been given for nearly 25 years and trained hundreds of leaders in cancer registration and cancer surveillance from the United States, Canada, and around the world; and

This has truly been a labor of love; and

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Herman Menck for his outstanding leadership as an educator and his dedication to furthering cancer surveillance in North America.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Herman R. Menck and that a transcript of this Resolution be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Jill MacKinnon, PhD on 6/14/2015


Robin Otto has contributed her registry operations expertise to the cancer surveillance community for over 30 years; and

Robin volunteered her time, expertise, and wisdom to NAACCR in many ways including serving on NAACCR’s Board of Directors, co-chairing the Registry Operations Committee and serving on the Registry Operations Advisory Group, and Cancer Registration Steering Committee; and

Robin authored two major NAACCR publications on death clearance which have substantively improved cancer surveillance in North America; and

She earned the Constance Percy Award for distinguished service on two separate occasions; and

Robin’s commitment, organizational skills, and dedication to cancer surveillance have been an incredible asset to NAACCR and the entire cancer surveillance community.

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Robin Otto on this occasion of her retirement, for her excellent leadership and dedication to cancer surveillance in North America.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Robin Otto and that a transcript of this Resolution be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Jill MacKinnon, PhD on 6/22/2014


Isabelle Savage has supported the International Association of Cancer Registries at the International Association for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France since 2006; and

Isabelle has faithfully provided technical and administrative support to the Executive Secretary of the International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR) and provided technical and administrative support to the publication of Cancer in Five Continents; and

Isabelle Savage has organized successful and memorable IACR Annual Meetings on every continent including Goiana Brazil, Ljbuljana Slovenia, New Orleans Louisiana, Yokohama Japan, The Republic of Mauritius, Cork Ireland, and Ottawa Canada; and

Isabelle Savage has contributed her kindness, energy, and enthusiasm to ensure that all delegates feel welcome and appreciated;

Be it resolved that the Board of Directors of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries recognizes these achievements with sincere appreciation and gratitude and send Isabelle our best wishes on her future endeavors.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Ms. Savage and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Maureen MacIntyre, MHSA on 6/9/2013


Nancy C. Schlag has dedicated her entire career to the cancer registry community through her exemplary service as a cancer registrar, manager and volunteer, who clearly recognized the fundamental need for data standards and quality management principles in cancer registration practices; and

She has contributed to the growth of the cancer registrar profession for over thirty years; mentoring and training colleagues, proudly maintaining her Certified Tumor Registrar credentials for that entire period and actively participated in state and national associations; and

Her participation in the NAACCR organization as an active volunteer has continued since 1997, including committee assignments with uniform data standards, stage data collection and registry operations, and most recently the NAAACR Board; and

Her quiet, thoughtful and respectful presence will be missed; and

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Nancy Schlag on this occasion of her retirement, for her enduring commitment to ensuring high quality cancer registry data collection during her career; and

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Ms. Schlag and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Jill MacKinnon, PhD on 6/14/2015


Shannon has been a leader in the central cancer registry community since the early 1990’s. Early in her career she recognized the need for education and training among cancer registrars in order to maintain the high data standards that she championed; and

Shannon has authored an enormous library of training materials and presented countless webinars.  She is a sought after speaker and has presented at numerous state and national events.  Her outspoken, sophisticated, and welcoming presence will be missed; and

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and NAACCR community recognize Shannon Vann on this occasion of her retirement, for her enduring commitment to ensuring high quality cancer registry data collection during her career.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Shannon Vann and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Jill MacKinnon, PhD on 6/14/2015


Dee W. West, PhD, Executive Director and Principal Investigator (PI) at the Cancer Registry of Greater California (CRGC) a SEER registry, which includes 48 of California’s 58 counties and approximately 20 million residents; and

He began his involvement wiht the SEER program in 1979, and has served the last 4 years at CRGC.  After having spent over 36 years in cancer registration, surveillance and research, Dee will retire at the end of June 2015; and

Dee has also served as the Principal Investigator on SEER registries in the San Francisco Bay area and Utah; and

He has also held academic positions at the University of Utah and the Stanford University School of Medicine where he is an Emeritus Professor of Epidemiology, and

He served as NAACCR President, from 1995 – 1997, and on the Executive Board of the International Association of Cancer Registries; He serves as Chair of the National Coordination Council for Cancer Surveillance and is the Recipient of the 1998 Calum S. Muir Memorial Award, “in tribute to a career of substantive and outstanding contributions in the field of cancer registration.”

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Dr. Dee West for his outstanding leadership as a visionary, educator, and his dedication to furthering cancer surveillance in North America;

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Dr. West and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

Passed by President Maureen MacIntyre, MHSA on 6/9/2013


Dr. John Young recognized the need for a coordinated population-based cancer surveillance strategy in the early 1970’s sufficient to address research questions at a population level; and

He directed the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program to develop and implement these strategies; and

He dedicated his professional career to the education of cancer surveillance professionals; and

He was one of the founding members of what is now called the North American Association of Central Caner Registries; and

He has been a mentor to most of the cancer surveillance professionals in the United States and around the world;

Be it resolved that the NAACCR Board of Directors and the NAACCR community recognize Dr. John Young for his outstanding leadership as a visionary, an educator and his dedication to furthering cancer surveillance in North America.

That a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted to Dr. Young and that a transcript of this be incorporated into the official records of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, Inc.

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