Young Supporters Board Adds New Members

The Young Supporters Board of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center continues to grow and expand as it enters its third year of existence. This volunteer group of young professionals, dedicated to raising awareness of the disease and support for cancer research, recently added nine new members to its roster.            

“I am so excited about the addition of these new board members,” says Edward Partridge, M.D., Cancer Center director. “Each of them brings fresh energy and enthusiasm to an already dynamic group.”

Kelsey Blair is a clinical pharmacist in the Heart and Lung Transplant Intensive Care Unit at UAB Hospital. A native of Montevallo, she received her doctor of pharmacy degree from Auburn University in 2005. She is active in several cancer organizations, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Mrs. Blair previously worked in UAB’s Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, where many leukemia and lymphoma patients are treated. She still works with cancer patients, however. “I value the opportunity to care for these patients and their families during their hospitalizations,” she says. “This has driven me to seek opportunities to raise awareness in the Birmingham community.”

Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Ty Dedmon is a 2001 graduate of Samford University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business management, and a 2004 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law. Today he is an attorney with the law firm of Bradley, Arant, Rose & White, LLP, and is active in Covenant Presbyterian Church and the Young Lawyers Committee of the Birmingham Bar Association. Mr. Dedmon’s grandmother is a breast cancer survivor, and he has been dedicated to raising awareness since a high school friend passed away from sarcoma in 2006.

Madonna de los Reyes is the manager of physician relations and marketing for Children’s Hospital. The Tuscaloosa native received her bachelor’s degree in health information management from UAB in 1999 and her master’s of public policy and management from Birmingham-Southern College in 2005. She is involved in many organizations, including the Young Professionals of Birmingham, the Birmingham Museum of Art, Ronald McDonald House and the American Cancer Society.

Evans Gunn grew up in Birmingham and graduated in 2003 from the University of Mississippi, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a double major in real estate and finance. Mr. Gunn currently works as a commercial real-estate relationship manager for Regions Financial Corporation, and he is active with Briarwood Presbyterian Church, Young Business Leaders and the Ole Miss Alumni Association. Mr. Gunn was motivated to join the Young Supporters Board because several of his family members have been affected by cancer. “Both of my grandfathers died of cancer, and my uncle and cousin are both fighting cancer today,” he says. “I want to be part of an organization that is working to support individuals with cancer and raising money for research.”

Gaines Livingston, a native of Sylacauga, received his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Alabama in 2003. He is employed with Birmingham’s Cadence Bank as vice president of commercial loans. Mr. Livingston has worked with several organizations, including the United Way of Central Alabama, the Salvation Army and the American Cancer Society. “Serving for a cause that has affected nearly every person in society is my motivation for joining the Young Supporters Board,” he says. “I’ve seen firsthand how cancer affects patients, family members and friends.”

Harris Thuston McCloud teaches first grade at Birmingham’s Highlands School. Though the city is her hometown, she received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southern Methodist University in 2004. Mrs. McCloud lost her mother to breast cancer several years ago. “So many doctors and nurses at UAB played such an important part in my life,” she says. “They gave so much to me that this is the perfect opportunity to give back and help the Cancer Center grow. I’m excited about becoming an active member in this organization.”

Allene Parnell Neighbors also is a native of Birmingham and a 2004 graduate in journalism from the University of Georgia. Today she serves as an outreach coordinator for CommuteSmart and is involved with Children’s Hospital and the Exceptional Foundation. Mrs. Neighbors lost her older sister to cancer six years ago. “Her memory motivates me to take an active role in furthering cancer research and awareness,” she says. “Serving on the Young Supporters Board is a way for me to aid in the outstanding efforts and further the mission of an organization that means a great deal to my family and me.”

Pettus Randall is a senior analyst at Harbert Management Corporation. Originally from Tuscaloosa, he received his bachelor’s degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and his master’s degree in history from Oxford University. Mr. Randall lost his father to pancreatic cancer. He also is involved with Rotaract, Impact-Birmingham and the Alabama Ballet.

Jocelyn Steward, of Martinez, Georgia, works as a program support specialist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center while pursuing a Ph.D. at UAB. She received her bachelor’s degree in cellular biology from the University of Georgia in 2002 and a master’s degree in health care management from Troy University in 2003. She volunteers for several organizations in Birmingham including the United Way, American Red Cross, Ronald McDonald House and UAB Hospital. Ms. Steward joined the Young Supporters Board because she “wanted to be a part of a vibrant and progressive organization. The Cancer Center has done wonderful things to advance the science and understanding of cancer.”