The WYCC Steering Committee is responsible for making key operational decisions in conjunction with the coalition to guide cancer prevention and control efforts and accomplish the mission set forth in the Wyoming Cancer Control Plan. They focus efforts on developing priorities and increasing the visibility of the coalition and monitoring and evaluating the plan for progress on outcomes. They support the implementation of practices to help sustain WYCC efforts and monitor the progress of the WYCC, ensuring timely action on issues raised during meetings. The committee is also responsible for attending steering committee meetings as well as coalition meetings, recruit new members and organizations, appoint committees, as necessary, and communicate the mission and vision of the coalition.
Steering committee members meet at least quarterly, with two face-to-face meetings held in conjunction with the bi-annual WYCC meetings and two conference calls. Additional meetings or calls may be scheduled based on work projects. Members are also asked to serve a two-year term, which may be renewed.
WYCC Steering Committee Members
Lisa Eades
Co-Founder, Volunteer President/CEO
Jason’s Friends Foundation
Lisa Eades is a co-founder and volunteer President/CEO of Jason’s Friends Foundation – a non-profit that provides financial resources for Wyoming families who have children suffering from life-threatening brain or spinal tumors and other childhood cancers. Jason’s Friends was established in 1996.
In addition to her work with Jason’s Friends Foundation, Lisa co-chairs the Wyoming Cancer Coalition. She has a passion for cancer prevention and control, especially childhood cancers. Lisa helped establish Camp Courage Wyoming in 2012 – Wyoming’s only childhood cancer camp. She serves on the Wyoming Department of Health’s Institutional Review Board. Lisa also serves on the Wyoming Palliative Care Advisory Council, appointed by Governor Mead.
Lisa is part of the Wyoming Cancer Coalition’s Childhood Cancer workgroup. Five year goals are to expand resources for patients and families, including palliative care and end of life care and to provide hands on training for healthcare providers related to childhood cancer and post survivorship needs.
Lisa and her husband Rocky are Jason’s parents as well. Tragically, Jason lost his battle with a brain tumor at the age of nine, in 1995. Jason’s Friends Foundation was created in Jason’s name to help Wyoming families who have children with cancer. Jason’s Friends currently has 145 families enrolled and has provided nearly $6 million in financial assistance.
Joe Grandpre, Phd, MPH
Chronic Disease and Maternal Child Health Epidemiology
Wyoming Department of Health
Joe became interested in cancer prevention and control because cancer is the second leading cause of death in Wyoming and because it sucks. He joined the WYCC because Chris Thomas asked him to join in 2002. Joe would tell individuals interested in joining the WYCC that while there have been many strides in treating cancer in the last decades we still need to work on prevention. We will never prevent all cancers but delaying cancer as long as possible is a worthwhile and noble goal for all of us.
R.J. Ours
Colorado & Wyoming Government Relations Director
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
R.J. Ours is the Colorado & Wyoming Government Relations Director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and has been with ACS CAN and the American Cancer Society since 2004.
Before coming to the Cancer Society, R.J. worked previously as a Research Analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures, as Director of Special Projects to former Colorado Lt. Governor Mike Callihan, as an appointive aide to former Denver City Council Members Polly Flobeck and Ramona Martinez, and as Director of Public & Intragovernmental Relations to former Denver City Auditor Don Mares.
As an undergraduate, R.J. attended the Washington Semester Program at American University in Washington, D.C. in 1980, where he served as a congressional intern in the office of former Colorado Third District Congressman Ray Kogovsek.
A 54-year Colorado resident, R.J. grew up in Chaffee County, graduating from Salida High School in 1977, and the College of Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the spring of 1981. R.J. resides in Denver with his wife, Tammy, and their children; Jake, 25, and Audrey, 24.
John van Doorninck, MD
Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist
Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children
Amy Womack
Executive Director
Wyoming Foundation for Cancer Care
Amy Womack is the Executive Director of Wyoming Foundation for Cancer Care (WFCC) and serves on its board of directors. As a breast cancer survivor, she is looking forward to helping the residents of Wyoming with their financial burden which will allow them to focus on completing their cancer treatment.
When she joined WFCC, Amy had more than 30 years working with numerous business and community leaders across Wyoming. During those years, she achieved election outcomes, performed community outreach, and managed public perception results. She has experience working with an extensive network of influencers including government, political, and marketing connections.
As Vice President of her family’s rental business, she was in charge of quality control for all the tenants. Amy worked closely with the Casper Housing Authority and the US Housing and Urban Development Agency to ensure low-income families and seniors had the best possible living spaces.
Amy served as the Government and Public Relations Manager for Uranium One Americas, Inc., supervising and directing the Corporate Social Responsibility Program. She was instrumental in positioning Uranium One with key regulators, stakeholders, and the public. One of her favorite parts of the job was planning, managing, and conducting tours of their facilities for the Board of Directors and other US and international dignitaries.
Some of her hobbies have included traveling to war-torn areas of the world to deliver needed supplies, helping prepare meals for the AIDS community, and volunteering countless hours helping the homeless.
Amy has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Wyoming and an Associates of Arts from Casper College. She lives in Casper with her two teenagers, Emma and Preston.
