TULSA, Okla., April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The Tulsa Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has named Christy Southard to the position of Executive Director. Southard becomes the organization’s first Tulsa employee.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060425/DATU052 )
Southard will assist Komen in its mission to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease through research, education, screening and treatment. She will also be responsible for strategic planning, fundraising and relationship-building with corporate sponsors, non-profit grant recipients and other breast cancer stakeholders.
“Christy is joining us at a very exciting time in Komen Tulsa’s development,” said Chris Payne, president of the Tulsa affiliate’s board of directors. “We had a wildly successful Komen Race for the Cure(R) in 2005, exceeding our goal of half-a-million dollars. Not only did this enable us to award $365,000 in local grants to organizations that provide breast cancer services in Tulsa and national research dollars, but we now have the momentum to hire our first paid staff member. Christy’s history with our organization will provide the leverage we need to grow aggressively in Northeastern Oklahoma.”
Southard has a solid record of success with Komen Tulsa, having served in 2003 as co-chair of the Komen Tulsa Race for the Cure(R), increasing contributions 18.3 percent in a single year. From 2003 - 2005, she has served as co-chair of Sponsorships, and in three short years has helped the organization to more than double the proceeds raised by Race for the Cure(R) and other events.
“I can think of no better person to lead us into the future,” said Payne. “I am proud of the progress we have made up to now as a 100-percent volunteer- run organization. But with Christy’s assistance, we will continue on a path of strong growth in Tulsa that will enable us to battle breast cancer on all fronts, through education, research, screening and treatment.”
Southard has previously worked for DENTSPLY Tulsa Dental as a product manager and the Williams Companies as manager of eBusiness Solutions and supervisor of Procurement EDI, Customer Programs. She has also worked for SpaceCom Systems of Tulsa and Texas Instruments in Dallas, Texas.
Southard will be based out of Komen Tulsa’s new office in CityPlex Towers, the site of the Komen Tulsa Race for the Cure(R) 2006 that will take place Saturday, September 16, 2006.
The Komen Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker in memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died of breast cancer at the age of 36. Since then, the Foundation and its Affiliates have raised more than $750 million for breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment. Affiliates fulfill the Foundation’s mission in local communities by raising funds through events such as the Komen Race for the Cure(R). In the nine years it has hosted the Komen Race for the Cure(R), the Tulsa Affiliate has awarded approximately $1.9 million in local and national grants.
Tulsa Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060425/DATU052AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.orgPRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT: Chris Payne, +1-918-669-2236, or chris.payne@dtag.com , for TulsaAffiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
