Capital Region Action Against Breast Cancer :: Craab!

Breast cancer survivor. She is the author of She Who Dreams (her healing journey) as well as numerous articles on the healing power in dreams. In the 1990’s, Wanda was a volunteer for the Cancer hot-line and the H&R Bloch Foundation as well as a “Wish Grantor” for the Make-A-Wish Foundation which is a continuing interest. She is a member of the Speaker’s Bureau and has participated in the National Cancer Survivor Day Foundation since 2004. Wanda has presented workshops both nationally and internationally, including the Adirondack Arts and Healing Retreat from 2003 to the present and the CRAAB! workshops on guided imagery/creative visualization which is ongoing.

Francine Frank:
Professor Emeriti of Linguistics and Women’s Studies and is a former Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at the University at Albany, SUNY. She too is a survivor of breast cancer. She participates in numerous organizations in and around the Capital District. Currently, she is the secretary/treasurer of the Millay Colony for the Arts and is a past president of the Torch Club of Albany. Besides sitting on the board of CRAAB!, Francine is a board member of the Capital Repertory Co., the Capital Region Center for Arts in Education, the Capital Chamber Artists, and the Neighborhood Resource Council. For CRAAB!, Francine helps edit the newsletter and assists in writing grant proposals. She makes it a point to attend NYSBCN Advocacy Days with other CRAAB! members.

Brenda Ginardi:
Another member of the current CRAAB! board who has had breast cancer. She is a retired high school English teacher. About half of her weekdays are devoted to babysitting for three of her grandchildren, but she finds time to volunteer at her church as secretary of the ARC (Amity Reformed Church) Angels and is a member of an organized book club. As a member of the board, Brenda has written articles for the newsletter as well as help edit the newsletter. She has staffed CRAAB ‘s information tables at events and has participated in fund raisers for the organization.

Another former teacher on the CRAAB! board who is retired from a lengthy
career as an elementary school teacher. She is a volunteer for the Albany affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. When in Albany, Nancy attends St Peter’s Episcopal Church. She is also an active member of the Mary Washington Alumni Association and the South Colonie Retired Teachers Association. When Nancy is in residence in Vail, CO, she volunteers at the Vail Medical Center and for Bravo. Nancy helps write and edit the CRAAB! newsletter as well as brochures and informational flyers. She participates in fund-raising walks, health fairs and CRAAB! educational programs and events.

Also a retired elementary school teacher and has served as the president of the South Colonie Retired Teachers Association for the past several years. An avid reader, Janet organized a book club after she retired and is the club’s facilitator. Janet has written and edited brochures, pamphlets and educational materials for CRAAB!. Janet was personally touched by cancer when she was a primary care giver for a family member who eventually succumbed to the illness.

Michele Keleher:
A founding member of CRAAB and is the owner/operator of Delmar Physical Therapy whose clients include many breast cancer survivors. She is certified in the treatment of lymphedema and its attendant health problems. She was trained by the Doctor Vodder Training Center in Austria, and the Bruno Chikly lymphatic mapping program. Michelle is also a certified lymphedema therapist. Michelle is a member of the International Association of Health Care Providers and has participated in many NYSBCN breast cancer Advocacy Days. Michelle is most interested in quality care, lymphedema support and alternative therapies.

Retired from a long career as a child care specialist. It’s a good thing, because she is the grandmother of twelve and devotes considerable time to helping care for her grandchildren. She is a fund-raising volunteer for Catholic Charities of Saratoga County and is a former member of the Parish Council of St Edward the Confessor Church where she was also a religious education instructor. Claudia helps staff CRAAB! information tables at health fairs and frequently assists in fund-raising activities. She has also attended many NYSBCN Advocacy Days with other board members.

A breast cancer survivor who has been involved with breast cancer and environmental advocacy groups for more than a decade. She and a fellow survivor started one of the first breast cancer support and advocacy groups in the Capital District. She also worked with a small group of environmentally conscious citizens in her hometown of Bethlehem to enact legislation phasing out pesticide use on Town owned and operated property, and helped the local school district develop a written pesticide use policy that included parental notification before such notification was required by NYS law. Cay holds a B.S. degree in Accounting and retired in 2003 as an analyst with the NYS Dormitory Authority. She serves as the breast cancer activist member of the Albany County Pest Management Committee, which approves emergency–only pesticide applications on County-owned or operated property. She is particularly interested in promoting awareness of the relationships between cancer and the environment.

Shannon O'Neill:
Has a doctorate in Social Psychology from SUNY Albany and is currently the Director of the Sister Thea Bowman Center for Women at Siena College. She has been instrumental in organizing CRAAB!’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness Night in conjunction with the Siena women’s basketball team as a part of her effort to promote breast cancer education/awareness programs for college students. Together with Siena students, Shannon attends the Breast Cancer Advocacy Day. In 2005, Shannon initiated a CRAAB! project to assemble and distribute gift baskets of helpful items to Capital Region women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

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Co-President: Joan Sheehan
As a breast cancer survivor, Joan Sheehan has been involved in advocacy, education and support since 1986. She was among the founding members of CRAAB! As Co-President, she serves as liaison to the office staff and manages operations. She also conducts a peer telephone support hotline for Lymphedema patients, is CRAAB’s representative to the Albany/Rensselaer County Healthy Living Partnerships, and is active in numerous community organizations.

Bonnie Spanier, Ph.D., was a founding member of CRAAB! She is an Associate Professor in the Women’s Studies Department at the University of Albany. Her doctorate from Harvard University was in Microbiology and Molecular Genomics, and she has done research on the molecular biology of viruses that infect animals. Bonnie has attended the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s Project LEAD training and Advocacy Training, and the Department of Defense Era of Hope Conference.

Michelle Ray is a Child Welfare Education Specialist in the Professional Development Program at Rockefeller College (University at Albany). She has been an active CRAAB! member since 1997, and one of her main concerns is environmental links to cancer. She is a member of Colonie Pesticide Watch, and has participated in the New York State Breast Cancer Advocacy Day, Earth Day Lobby Day and other environmental conferences.

Cara Anaam brings over 30 years experience as a writer and editor to her position as CRAAB!'s newsletter editor. She says, "My interest in and passion for envisioning the environment as a healthy place for us to live and raise our children and grandchildren finds expression in newsletter articles on environmental issues. We're highlighting personal and societal behaviors that promote good health as well as ways to protect ourselves from factors implicated by research in the development of breast cancer."

Debbie Marchesini has a B.S. degree in Engineering Technology from Kansas State University and a Master’s degree in Business from The University at Albany. Her involvement with breast cancer began when her grandmother was diagnosed with the disease in the late 1970’s. In recent years, a number of her friends have been diagnosed with breast cancer at various stages of the disease. Her work with CRAAB! enables her to share information about breast cancer treatments, options and most important, prevention, with other women of her age group.

Program Coordinator: Margaret Roberts
Margaret Roberts has a master of Fine Arts degree. She is president of Pen & Palette, a non-profit organization that uses the arts to raise awareness of cancer care issues and foster personal expression of cancer survivors. Margaret was also one of CRAAB’s founding members and its Director for two years. She became involved in cancer awareness and advocacy after both of her sisters died from different forms of cancer; one sister (a non-smoker) had lung cancer, and her other sister, Susan, had breast cancer. As her sister Susan’s primary caregiver, Margaret became intimately aware of the complexities of breast cancer. She has devoted herself and her artistic talents to helping survivors “cope through creativity.” In 2003-2005 participants in the art workshop program created a play, “Alive, Alive, Oh!” Margaret has received numerous grants and awards to advance her work.

Board of Directors: