FFCancer.org

September 04, 2010

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Officers & Staff Info

President Cindy Ell

Cindy Ell offers leadership for the FFCF from her home base in Wilmington, Delaware. She is a retired fire fighter / paramedic with a background in critical care and emergency communications. Her career experiences are quite diverse and include labor representation, legislative lobbying, public relations, marketing, security, investigative, and paralegal work. She has spent over ten years researching fire fighter cancer trends with recent concentration devoted to exploring a cancer cluster among fire fighters she served with in Maryland. Cindy's mother is a colon cancer survivor of five years. Cancer struck close to home in 2005 when Cindy was diagnosed with melanoma and experienced the cancer process through a series of surgeries. The melanoma reminded her of the importance of a strong support system and the value of an organization to provide resource information. Helping people is something that Cindy has always enjoyed. Her efforts have supported the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation of Maryland and the Baltimore Regional Burn Association with fundraising and outreach projects.

Email:
Phone: 302-420-8348

Vice President

Tracy Koons

Tracy Koons, Vice President of the Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation, is a retired Lieutenant of the Bucyrus City Fire Department. She is an seven year member of the Legislative Committee for the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters. Tracy is an active lobbyist for Presumptive Disease and Cancer Legislation for Fire Fighters in Ohio. Tracy is the former IAFF Local #1120 President and currently serves her fellow members as a Trustee of the organization. Koons has served the Bucyrus Community in various capacities including holding board positions on the Bucyrus Area Day Care Council, the Bucyrus Area Jaycees, and the Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival. She has served her church, Good Hope Lutheran, as an elected board member. Koons, a former Pre-School teacher, has held the position of Majorette and Color Guard advisor for the Bucyrus High School Marching Redmen for the past six years. Fighting cancer has always been a focus of Tracy's life. Both of her grandfathers passed away after battling cancer and her grandmother was a 25 year survivor of breast cancer. While Tracy was attending training to become a Fire Fighter, her brother-in-law was diagnosed with stage 4 oral cancer. He was 33 years old at the time of diagnosis. After several surgeries and treatment at the James Cancer Center at the Ohio State University Hospital, he has been cancer free for over ten years.

Email:
Phone: 419-834-0667

Secretary/Treasurer Joe Don James
Email:
Phone: 940-745-0054

Public Information Officer Deborah Foster
Email:
Phone: 210-207-8492

Community Outreach Specialist Sarah Thoma
Email:

Member Resource Coordinator Dierdre Padilla
Email:

Nursing Care Consultant Pam Poad
Email:
Phone: 302-740-6800

Family Advocate Jennifer K. McNamara, Esq.
Email:
Phone: 631-291-3460

Director of Legal Affairs

Kenneth M. Berman, Attorney at Law

Ken is a founding partner of Berman, Sobin & Gross, LLP. He graduated from the University of Rochester, cum laude. He attended George Washington University Law Center where he was the winner of the Van Vleck Appellate Moot Court Competition. He was legislative aide to United States Congressman Robert Drinan of Massachusetts . He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, Inc., and the District of Columbia Bar and is licensed to practice before all local and state courts, the United States District Court, both in Maryland and in the District of Columbia, the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit and the United States Supreme Court in which he has filed briefs on a workers' compensation appeal. He is a diplomate of the Court Practice Institute for Trial Advocacy and has testified before the state legislature on pending workers' compensation legislation in Annapolis, Maryland. Mr. Berman also appeared before and worked in conjunction with the Governor's Study Commission on Workers' Compensation Legislation in the State of Maryland . He has given numerous seminars and lectures to various organizations, including many firefighters; the International Association of Firefighters' Union; the Fraternal Order of Police, municipal and county; fire, police and sheriffs' departments throughout the state of Maryland ; the Communication Workers' Union; and various other public safety unions and organizations. He has lectured extensively to numerous vocational rehabilitation organizations including the Chesapeake Association of Rehabilitation Practitioners Private Sector. Mr. Berman has been written up in several organization's magazines with respect to various jury verdicts. Mr. Berman has been assigned an A-V Rating in Martindale Hubbell.

Email:
Phone: 800-827-2667

Legislative Director

Armand Nault
Email:
Phone: 561-436-4722

Northeast Director

Mid-Atlantic Director Mary McElroy
Email:
Phone: 410-598-8246

Southeast Director

Vicki Sheppard

Vicki Sheppard is a Division Chief with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue assigned to the Training & Safety Division. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue is the primary fire and emergency medical service provider for unincorporated Palm Beach County serving a population of 690,000 residing within 550 square miles. In addition, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue provides fire rescue emergency services through contract services to 12 municipalities. A workforce of 1,400 members operating out of 43 fire stations responds to over 100,000 emergency incidents. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue also provides specialty services such as: medical staffing of two aeromedical transport units, two Regional Hazardous Materials teams, and one State sponsored USAR Type III team. Vicki started her fire service career as a Firefighter/Paramedic in 1980 and since then has promoted through the ranks of Lieutenant, District Chief, and Battalion Chief. As the Division Chief for the Training & Safety Division, she is responsible for the direct delivery of professional development and continuing education for the existing 1,400 personnel and the 100 new Firefighters hired each year. For the metro fire departments, she serves as the Region IV Co-Chair for TRADE. Her passion is a commitment to the greatest resource of their department, the health and safety of its personnel.

Email:

Midwest Director

John Beavers
Email:
Phone: 330-808-2369

Northwest Director Erica Nelson
Email:

Southwest Director Ruben Cevallos

Ruben is a retired Fire Fighter, having served the city of San Antonio for over 33 years in a variety of job assignments, including, Paramedic, Saving Our Own Instructor, administrative aide to District and Assistant Chiefs. as well as many years in the firefighting division. As a member of IAFF Local 624, Ruben served as a committee member on the various committees, including the Family Assistance Committee as a retiree liaison . He currently is serving on the Board of Directors for the San Antonio Firefighter Benevolent Fund, having held the position of Vice President and currently is the Finance Committee Chairman. Ruben has an extensive background in Business, Church, School and Civic involvement where he has served on several Boards. He is currently employed ( Since 2003) by the Police and Firemen's Insurance Association as a licensed Insurance representative for the San Antonio area. Ruben also holds a securities License as a Financial Advisor and is a Registered Financial Consultant and an Instructor on annuities. Ruben is a cancer survivor and has two other family members who have had cancer. Having seen several brother firefighters struggle and die of cancer has motivated Ruben to become involved in the Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation.

Email:
Phone: 210-861-4578

Federal Director

Todd Lambert

Todd Lambert, Federal District Director of the Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation, is a Captain with Tinker Air Force Base Fire Department (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) and a 17 year veteran of the Federal Fire Service. He holds the elected position of President of IAFF Local F-211 and is the 8th District Vice-President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Oklahoma. Todd is an active lobbyist for Presumptive Disease and Cancer Legislation for Fire Fighters. Todd's passion for championing special causes has brought him to the Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation and feels that his work with the FFCF is just another way to take care of his brother and sister fire fighters.

Email:
Phone: 405-370-0542

Canadian Director Alex Forrest
Email:

Australian Director Steve Bunney
Email:

Trustee Tony Ardis
Email: