The Board of Directors of the Northern Indiana Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® announces the hire of their first Executive Director.
Sheri Miller Story, an (almost) 4-year survivor of inflammatory breast cancer, active former volunteer and Komen Board member and native of Northern Indiana, brings over 20 years of experience in non-profit, government and campaign work to the Affiliate.
“I am thrilled to be the first Executive Director for Komen in Northern Indiana,” said Miller Story.” I have been volunteering for Komen for over 20 years because I believe in the mission to find a cure for this disease and after beating breast cancer myself in 2008/09 my commitment to the organization grew even stronger.”
“We are excited for Sheri to be our Executive Director,” said Board President Pam Jarrett. “Her experience, commitment, and passion made her the perfect candidate for the job. If we want to continue to expand our impact in Northern Indiana, we had to hire someone to help us do that full-time.”
In August 2006, a group of activists and local survivors worked to make Susan G. Komen for the Cure |Northern Indiana one of the newest of the 122-affiliates in the Komen organization. The Komen Northern Indiana Affiliate serves 27 counties in Northern Indiana and its affiliate area stretches from east to west bordered by Ohio and Illinois respectively, Michigan serves as the north border and the southern border zigzags along the southern borders of Benton, White, Carroll, Cass, Miami, Wabash, Huntington, Wells and Adams counties.
Since its inception, Komen Northern Indiana has dispensed over $600,000 to organizations throughout northern Indiana through the Komen Affiliate Community Health Grants program. These Komen Grants have provided funding for mammograms in medical offices, as well as in mobile medical units, counseling for new breast cancer patients, diagnostic services, mammograms for women under 40, bilingual education and awareness materials and helped to service over 47,000 people.
“For six years, we have been working with a committed volunteer Board, event volunteers and one part-time staff person to get our message out, hiring an Executive Director is absolutely the right next step for us to take to grow Komen in northern Indiana and make sure we are doing all that we can to help those that are fighting breast cancer and educate others on the importance of pre-screening, healthy living choices, and self-breast exams,” said Jarrett.
“Not everyone gets to do what they love and get paid for it; I am blessed that I do,” Miller Story said. “I get to work every day in northern Indiana with individuals and organizations that are doing all they can to educate the public and make life more comfortable for those fighting breast cancer; and through our efforts locally, I also get to try to help find a cure for breast cancer by being part of a global organization that has invested more than $685 million in research. It doesn’t get much better than that!”
As Executive Director, Miller Story will be responsible for directing Komen’s mission in Northern Indiana: A promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures. She will represent the Affiliate to the public, policy makers and community organizations, lead organizational development and strategic planning, provide guidance to volunteers and committees, provide direction in event development, optimize financial performance, build donor relationships, oversee personnel and impact public policy.
Komen Northern Indiana’s largest fund raising event is its annual Race for the Cure, which raised over $150,000 in 2012. Of every dollar raised in the Northern Indiana Affiliate area, $.75 stays here to help fund local programs and the other $.25 goes directly to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Grants program to fund research.
Komen Northern Indiana also hosts three annual Survivor Luncheons in Merrillville, South Bend and Fort Wayne. These luncheons are complimentary for survivors and their guest and are an opportunity for breast cancer survivors to celebrate life and honor those who are no longer with us.
For more information on Komen Northern Indiana or Susan G. Komen for the Cure® or to become involved, visit www.komennorthernindiana.org or call the office at 574.289.9828 in the South Bend area or 877.456.6636 outside of South Bend.