Meet the
Cabinet

Cancer is very personal to me as it is for many people. I lost my mother to lung cancer. While she faced her illness with enormous courage, it was heartbreaking to watch. I want to help end the suffering of those with cancer and I believe fervently that Dana-Farber is the place to do that. That’s why I’m inspired to lead this incredible organization. Nowhere else will you find the most brilliant scientists, most talented, devoted physicians and nurses, and most passionate people, working toward a singular goal to reduce the burden of cancer. This is the place that will change the cancer landscape through new discoveries and new treatments. Together, we will help more people celebrate more milestones and cherish more time with the ones they love.

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My personal commitment to the cancer battle started with a personal story, as it does for so many. I lost my mother to cancer when she was just 45, and I was determined to do what I could to help avoid this kind of loss for other families.

I became involved with Dana-Farber about 30 years ago, working with a team of senior faculty to explore ways to attract commercial funding to support early stage research. That effort led to a partnership between the Institute and the company now called Novartis, that continues today.

Several decades into my engagement with the Institute, I am more confident than ever that this is the right place for me to contribute my energy and resources: I believe Dana-Farber has the deepest research and clinical development expertise, and the most caring and committed people, focused on cancer anywhere in the world.

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I absolutely hate cancer. It creates so much pain and suffering in this world. When I rode the PMC for the first time in 1993, I started learning about how incredible Dana-Farber is. The Institute’s dual goals of providing extraordinary care for patients and pursuing cutting-edge research give Dana-Farber a unique opportunity to focus on both equally, which accelerates our progress against cancer.

Over the past 30+ years, I have continued to learn more and more about Dana-Farber, and that knowledge has inspired me even more. The Dana-Farber doctors and nurses deliver world-class care, and additionally patients so often comment on how incredibly compassionate the people of Dana-Farber are. On top of that, the world-class research is unparalleled.

Our family is only too typical. My mom had breast cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. My dad had colon cancer. My wife’s mom had breast cancer and melanoma. We want to do everything we can to lessen the pain that families experience from cancer. If we all pull together, this campaign will help Dana-Farber to Defy Cancer!

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I have been a member of the Executive Council of the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers since its inception in 2002 and subsequently became a member of the Board of Trustees in 2015. Over the past two decades I have been privileged to gain a deeper understanding of Dana-Farber and the ways in which they are leading life-changing and life-saving research and raising the standards for first-in-class, patient-centered care. Dana-Farber’s leadership and teams of physician-researchers inspire my philanthropy and deepen my confidence in our mission to lead advancements in cancer medicine to prevent cancer and develop cures.

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I don’t know of anyone who has not been touched by cancer. It is a disease that inflicts immense physical and psychological pain on patients, their families, and friends. My mother-in-law bravely fought cancer for many years—breast cancer first, uterine cancer next, ultimately losing her battle to stomach cancer. She is a constant reminder of why I choose to defy cancer.

My association with Dana-Farber began through the Executive Council of the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers—a forum for women committed to finding cures for women’s cancers. I can think of no better cause to support than the brilliant, courageous, and committed team at Dana-Farber who make it their mission every day to eradicate this disease. There is no other institution with this singular focus. The work they do impacts lives not just in Boston, New England, or the U.S. but also around the world!

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My relationship with Dana-Farber began 26 years ago, when I joined the board at the encouragement of Steve Kay. I was the youngest board member at the time, and was attracted to the importance of the mission, along with the dual focus on cutting-edge research and direct patient care. While fortunate so far to have only modest incidence of cancer in my own family, progress here is truly the next frontier, not only for those with an unfair immediate need, but for all of us, as lifespans hopefully continue to extend due to the remarkable success with other health issues.

While scientific breakthroughs and knowledge creation are the key to future success, Dana-Farber is truly unique and special with its emphasis on the human aspects of patient care. This deeply caring mindset has only grown with the success and size of the organization. I am proud and grateful for the opportunity to continue to lead, serve and support Dana-Farber. Moving from Boston to NYC in 1998, I am a bit farther from the buildings but still equally close to the mission.

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I’ve been directly involved with Dana-Farber as a Governing Trustee since 2014 and have chaired the Trustee Science Committee since 2017. I became involved because, as a healthcare investor who follows the development of cutting-edge oncology medicines closely, I see supporting Dana-Farber as a way to make significant progress toward a cure for cancer. Cancer has impacted us all directly and indirectly and pound-for-pound, person-for-person and dollar-for-dollar there is no other cancer research institute that has made as much progress toward a cancer cure as Dana-Farber. I see the incremental impact of Dana-Farber’s research at all of the national cancer research meetings I attend and every time I meet the dedicated researchers at the Institute. Simply put, my goal is to help lead the effort to provide more resources to dramatically accelerate this scientific progress so Dana-Farber's unequaled team of clinicians and scientists can end cancer.

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Living in the Boston area I had heard of Dana-Farber but didn't become involved until 1997 when I was asked to join a committee for the Discovery Ball in Palm Beach. Two years later I chaired the event and two weeks after that my sister was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer.

The doctors at Dana-Farber were available to us and her medical team in Richmond, Va., for consultation, ideas and encouragement. My sister did not survive her battle with cancer, but I saw first-hand the brilliant physicians and caring culture that are the hallmark of Dana-Farber.

Since then, many others in my family have been patients with much, much better outcomes. We continue to support Dana-Farber in any way that we can, and we encourage others to join us in the effort. We all need to make sure that Dana-Farber will ALWAYS be the Gold Standard for cancer treatment.

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I am an ardent advocate for Dana-Farber because I have great respect for the doctors—for the care, expertise, and compassion they bring to the work. Serving on the Campaign Cabinet is an honor and a natural continuation of my fundraising and advocacy efforts over the last three decades. Whenever I hear of a friend needing treatment or a second opinion, I send them from all over to Dana-Farber, confident that they will receive the best possible treatment.

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The beginning of our involvement with Dana-Farber started over two decades ago as a patient family when Jonathan’s mother was diagnosed and successfully treated for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It was during this time we witnessed first-hand this incredible work and were deeply inspired by the level of excellence and care surrounding us.

This experience served as a catalyst for our commitment to Dana-Farber. We established the Lavine Family Fund for Preventative Cancer Therapies which is interwoven with our desire to change the course of cancer for future patients. We are invested TO ENSURE Dana-Farber REMAINS at the forefront of cancer care and treatment. To defeat cancer, the Institute’s efforts to detect and treat cancer before it progresses are absolutely critical.

We are energized to further our partnership with Dana-Farber through our cabinet roles. The work at Dana-Farber CAN save lives everywhere, and WE HOPE WE CAN PLAY a small part in making those miracles happen.

About Jeannie & Jonathan Lavine

In addition to their work with Dana-Farber, Jeannie, and Jonathan Lavine have supported various organizations through their philanthropic endeavors.

The couple’s investments have enhanced many programs and developed initiatives across industries like education, professional development, American history, healthcare treatment and research, community engagement, and Jewish heritage and advocacy. Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine’s donations to Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Cycle for Survival launched an initiative for migraine research and supported Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Cancer Center for rare cancer research and treatment.

Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine continue to give back through the Crimson Lion Foundation, a philanthropic organization they founded in 2007 dedicated to improving social issues in public service, community welfare, education, health, and discrimination and poverty.

Jonathan Lavine is Chair of Bain Capital, a global private investment firm, and Jeannie Lavine is a former strategy consultant for the Boston Consulting Group and The Monitor Group.

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My relationship with Dana-Farber began some 30+ years ago as a result of the combination of a general interest in medical research, the involvement of a close friend on the Board, and my family’s friendship with Dr. Robert Mayer. The relationship deepened when, shortly after I became involved, my mother was treated at the Institute, coincidentally by Dr. Mayer.

My respect for and admiration of Dana-Farber has not wavered. I have had the opportunity to get to know the workings of the Institute intimately from several perspectives, including many years as Chair of the Finance Committee and, more recently, as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. The combination of unsurpassed research and compassionate clinical care, factors which attracted me in the first instance, have only become more outstanding over the years.

I am acutely aware of the financial needs confronting the Institute as well as the current opportunities to make inroads against its mission of finding cures for cancers. I know the necessity of periodic capital campaigns to enable Dana-Farber to capitalize on the unbelievable collection of talent which it has on staff. I continue to believe there is no organization more worthy of my time and support.

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Before his passing in April 2024, Larry Lucchino served as Chairman of the Jimmy Fund, Trustee of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and President/CEO Emeritus of the Boston Red Sox.

My connection to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute goes back several decades, through three different cancer diagnoses. I started in October 1985 being treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by Dr. Emil Frei, who quickly brought in to my treatment the redoubtable Dr. Lee Nadler, now an old friend, to whom I will be forever grateful. Through prostate cancer (1999) and kidney cancer (2019), I have always found both the expertise and the friends I needed at Dana-Farber.

But my support and philanthropic activity for Dana-Farber are motivated by more than gratitude and personal experience. Cancer is the health care issue of our time. Our progress is palpable; yet, the road ahead remains long and difficult. Not to be a soldier in this war is to miss out; to ignore the defining health issue of our time is to ignore a key element of our lives. And, this is not a spectator sport.

Please join me, enthusiastically, in supporting The Dana-Farber Campaign to defy cancer.

Thank you.

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I became involved with Dana-Farber in 2013 when I started as the CEO of a major supermarket company that supported the Jimmy Fund. I was immediately impressed by the twin missions of helping individuals fighting cancer and at the same time researching solutions to help us overcome this disease which kills millions of people every year around the globe.

As I have got to know Dana-Farber, I have given more of both my time and philanthropy as I believe that the Dana-Farber team is truly helping to push the bounds of medical research in ways that will enable us to predict, detect, fight, and eventually cure cancers for humankind.

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It’s a parent’s worst nightmare to have doctors enter your room in the ER and tell you that your child has leukemia and must immediately begin treatment. That happened to me 19 years ago and it was my first interaction with Dana-Farber. It was in those moments that my appreciation of the importance of expert care at Dana-Farber began.

Six months after my daughter’s diagnosis, my father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, so I have deep exposure to both pediatric and adult care at Dana-Farber. As a family, we routinely experienced acts of kindness and generosity from staff throughout Dana-Farber. This recurring theme of graciousness is what truly makes Dana-Farber special. It enables families to approach a cancer diagnosis with dignity and hope. It is why supporting Dana-Farber is critical. Not only to aid in the pursuit of groundbreaking scientific discoveries and treatment, but as importantly, to support the goal of providing the best care with humanity. This is what distinguishes Dana-Farber.

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My deep admiration for Dana-Farber is rooted in my longstanding professional and personal relationship with this remarkable institution. I’ve spent my entire career here, first as an oncology fellow in its superlative training program and then as a faculty member. Although career opportunities elsewhere beckoned, I chose to stay for nearly 40 years because of the extraordinary dedication of every employee to Dana-Farber’s mission to defy cancer. No other hospital has come close to assembling a comparable cohort of brilliant physicians and scientists singularly devoted to conquering this disease. The result has been an endless parade of discoveries that have affected the lives of cancer patients everywhere. I want to keep it going. Meanwhile, my family, like so many others, benefitted from the unparalleled care provided by Dana-Farber’s clinicians. I want to ensure that other families similarly burdened with cancer will always be able to turn to Dana-Farber.

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We became involved with Dana-Farber in 1977, when it was still the Sidney Farber Cancer Institute, when Barbara was diagnosed at the age of 27, with Hodgkins Lymphoma. At that time, the adult and pediatric clinics were on the same floor, in what’s now the Dana Building.

While Barbara was waiting for her blood work one day, we could see the children in the Jimmy Fund Clinic, across the hall, running around, attached to their IV poles, laughing and having fun. Our “aha” moment came when we realized that we were feeling sorry for ourselves for the plight that we were experiencing, while we watched these three- and four-year olds who had just started their lives and were facing a life threatening experience. We vowed at that point, that when, not if, we got past our battle with cancer, that we would do everything in our power to defeat cancer, both in children and adults.

In 1978, Barbara, thankfully, went into remission with the incredible help of Dr. Donald Kufe and others, and we started on our journey to battle cancer. We became involved in the Western Massachusetts Jimmy Fund Council and started a Jimmy Fund golf tournament in 1980, with the help of our Jimmy Fund volunteers, that ran for 40 years, and raised almost $12 million. In addition, Barbara and our council friends started an event at Mt. Tom, in Holyoke, Mass., which transitioned into an incredibly successful Chefs for Jimmy event, which has been running for 30+ years.

Along with our Jimmy Fund volunteer fundraising efforts and plans for supporting Dana-Farber in our estate, we donate money to support the current needs of the Institute, as well. We have seen firsthand, over many years, the results of research and physician training that benefits patients around the globe. We have assisted countless friends and acquaintances to access care at the Dana-Farber over the years. All those people came back with stories about the excellent quality of care and the everyday compassion that the Dana-Farber nurses and doctors deliver to their patients.

Finally, we have both served as Trustees of Dana-Farber for over 20 years and we have been co-chairs of the Dana-Farber Society for ten years.

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My personal connection to Dana-Farber began over 30 years ago when my mother was successfully treated for breast cancer. Grateful for her excellent care, I began supporting the Institute with philanthropy and strived to learn more about the incredible research and breakthrough treatments occurring at Dana-Farber.

Since that initial connection, I have expanded my involvement with Dana-Farber on many levels. I have been a dedicated PMC rider for over 20 years, proudly cheered on my wife as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team and our children as they participated in years of PMC Kids rides and the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk.

Today I am proud to serve as a Trustee and can thank the Institute for not only treating my mother but giving many people I care deeply about the gift of hope, time and life. In a world where there are so many worthy recipients, I am honored to donate my philanthropic dollars, my time and my energy (on and off the bike) to Dana-Farber.

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When I was 23, my mother died from melanoma. She was 49. In the years following, I found myself restless, trying to balance my loss with a sense of purpose. It was while cycling that I found my way. In 1980, to honor my mother’s legacy, and join the fight against cancer, I rallied a group of 35 friends on a 220-mile bike ride across Massachusetts. We raised $10,200 for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. I didn’t know at the time that this would evolve into my life’s work – building the Pan-Mass Challenge. Today, the PMC has raised more than $1 billion for Dana-Farber. It turns out that riding a bike powers the wheels of cancer research funding…and anyone can do it.

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Just over 20 years ago, I attended my first Presidential Symposium session on women's cancers. Over those two days, I was so incredibly impressed by the dedication, passion and commitment of all the clinicians and researchers I met, that I vowed to help them achieve their goals in any way possible. I then created, with two friends, the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers Executive Council to educate women, create advocacy, and raise funds for early stage research. I later joined the board in 2007. During the past 14 years, I have felt privileged to sit on multiple committees as well as chair a board committee. All of these experiences have deepened my resolve to help the senior management team achieve their strategic objectives. Dana-Farber is an extraordinarily unique institution; the teams, dedication to its research mission, and its unique care model, have and will continue to change the trajectory of this disease while providing the best possible holistic patient care.

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