Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Board Elects New Officers & Directors

New volunteer leadership elected to advance Cancer Center’s mission

  (Baton Rouge, La.) Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is pleased to announce that the following volunteer leaders were elected to serve as officers and directors to help further the organization’s mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer. Art E. Favre was elected to serve as board chair. Favre has served on the board since 2010. Other elected officers include Thomas J. Adamek, vice chair; Cordell H. Haymon, secretary-treasurer; and Bill O’Quin, immediate past chair. Board members newly elected include Vanessa O. Graham and Mawuena “Mawe” Takyi. Graham is the owner of VGraham, LLC and is actively involved in the community, including serving on the boards of Thrive Charter School, First United Methodist Church, Rotary Club International and the Louisiana Tech Park. Takyi is a Financial Advisor & Financial Planner with Dent Asset Management. He is the vice president of the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge and serves on the board of Family Road of Greater Baton Rouge and Hope Academy. Other board members include: John C. Boyce; Ronnie Daigle; Mark K. Dearman; Kevin Gardner; Catherine “Cathy” S. Giering; Gerald T. Goss; Alice D. Greer; J. Gerard Jolly; Matthew L. Mullins; Anthony O’Connor; Cynthia B. Peterson, PhD; H.N. “Hank” Saurage IV; John F. Smith; Todd D. Stevens; Collis B. Temple, III; and Charles G. Wood, M.D. Brett P. Furr and G. Lee Griffin were recognized for their significant contributions to Mary Bird Perkins with an appointment to the honorary position of Director Emeritus. Furr served on the board from 2007-2019, serving as board chair from 2015-2017. Griffin served on the board from 2009-2019. He also served on the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Foundation board and was elected chair in 2007. “Volunteer leadership is vital to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. The organization greatly benefits from the perspectives and areas of expertise all board members contribute to the mission,” said Todd Stevens, president and CEO of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “With their leadership and support, we are advancing the fight against cancer across the Gulf South.”   About Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is a regional cancer care organization that has been fighting cancer for more than 40 years. With six centers in Baton Rouge, Covington, Hammond, Houma, Gonzales, and Natchez, MS, its service area encompasses 18 parishes across southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi.  For more information, please visit www.marybird.org.