We’re honored to work with dedicated leaders, all of whom have professional experience and a strong commitment to helping people affected by sarcoma.
Philip is an appellate attorney and the brother of Suzanne Leider, founder of the Sarcoma Alliance. After graduating with a B.A. in Literature from Yale University, Philip received his M.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of California at Irvine. He went on to receive his J.D. from U.C. Berkeley School of Law, where, among other things, he served as President of the Healthcare Law Society and received the Grace C. Barbee Fellowship in Law & Medical Ethics.
Philip was an inaugural member of the Sarcoma Alliance Board of Directors, and after Suzanne passed away in 2002, Philip took over her duties as the President of the organization for three years. He continued to serve on the Board through 2011, and recently returned to Board service and the Presidency as the Alliance celebrates its 25th year.
Throughout his career, Philip has maintained an interest in the intersections of Law and Medicine, with a special emphasis on sarcoma and HIV/AIDS. He was also proud to work for many years on the litigation and appeals that ultimately resulted in legal recognition of the rights of same-sex couples to marry.
Natasha Serrano is a pharmaceutical industry professional who is also a dedicated patient advocate with a passion for rare diseases. Her work is deeply informed by her personal experience as the parent of a child diagnosed with epithelioid sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer.
Motivated by this journey, Natasha has become a vocal advocate voice for the rare disease community—particularly in addressing the critical gaps adolescents face when navigating care transitions. She is committed to ensuring that no patient or caregiver feels alone, and that everyone has access to clear information, meaningful support, and empowered decision-making.
In her advocacy and volunteer work, Natasha draws on both her industry experience and lived perspective to uplift families and promote equity in care. As a board member of the Sarcoma Alliance, she brings compassion, insight, and a relentless commitment to advancing the Alliance’s mission to guide, educate, and support those affected by sarcoma.
Michael is a finance and operations executive with 25+ years of professional experience leading global, public companies primarily in the technology and enterprise software industry. Most recently Michael served as Vice President of Sales Strategy and Operations for Citrix Systems before retiring in late 2022 to spend more time with his family and help care for his wife Caroline during her treatment for metastatic leiomyosarcoma.
Caroline passed away on November 6, 2024 after a 4 ½ year illness. Michael is now passionate about raising money in Caroline’s honor and memory to help fund much needed sarcoma research, awareness and patient assistance programs.
Michael received his BS in Finance from the University of Virginia and his Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Michael’s interests include travel, tennis, acoustic guitar and spending time with his two sons.
Jeff is a corporate attorney and General Counsel of MediaAlpha, a publicly-traded technology company. He is a longtime friend of the Leider family and supporter of the Sarcoma Alliance. He has over 25 years of experience guiding technology companies and working with boards of directors and executive leadership teams on corporate governance and corporate development matters, risk management and strategic planning and analysis. Jeff received his undergraduate degree in Economics from Duke University and his law degree from the University of Southern California.
specializing in the treatment of both benign and malignant tumors of the musculoskeletal system, with a particular focus on limb salvage and advanced reconstructive techniques. His passion for patient-centered care ensures that each individual understands their disease and treatment options, empowering them to make informed decisions about their health.
Dr. Christ brings a wealth of expertise, having trained at top institutions such as Yale University, the Hospital for Special Surgery, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He practices at UCLA Medical Center and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Dr. Christ brings a wealth of expertise, having trained at top institutions such as Yale University, the Hospital for Special Surgery, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He practices at UCLA Medical Center and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Alexandra is a third-year Medicine-Pediatrics resident at the University of Michigan. She completed undergraduate training at Johns Hopkins University and medical school at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
She is a pediatric bone cancer survivor and above-knee amputee who remains committed to supporting those in the oncology and limb loss communities. She is an advocate for recreational adaptive sports access and support network access for amputees. She frequently publishes articles about the lived experience of being a young adult with limb loss.
She appreciates the unique challenges that come with navigating a sarcoma diagnosis and pursuing limb salvage vs amputation. She is excited to join The Sarcoma Alliance to further advocate for patients and families within the sarcoma community.
She is a pediatric bone cancer survivor and above-knee amputee who remains committed to supporting those in the oncology and limb loss communities. She is an advocate for recreational adaptive sports access and support network access for amputees. She frequently publishes articles about the lived experience of being a young adult with limb loss.
She appreciates the unique challenges that come with navigating a sarcoma diagnosis and pursuing limb salvage vs amputation. She is excited to join The Sarcoma Alliance to further advocate for patients and families within the sarcoma community.
Brandi Benson is an Iraqi War Veteran, Ewing Sarcoma survivor, strategic marketing executive (10+ years), and real estate professional whose leadership is rooted in service, resilience, and systems-level thinking.
After serving in Operation Enduring Freedom, Brandi was diagnosed in 2009 with a rare and aggressive cancer (ewing sarcoma). Navigating treatment as a young veteran reshaped her life and clarified her purpose. Experiencing the emotional, physical, and structural gaps patients face during and after treatment gave her a deep understanding of how essential strong support networks are to long-term healing.
Since 2019, Brandi has served on the Board of Directors for the Sarcoma Alliance. In this role, she is focused not only on advocacy, but on identifying unmet needs within the cancer ecosystem — and developing collaborative solutions to bridge those gaps. She is particularly passionate about strengthening survivorship support, expanding patient education, and cultivating partnerships that create shared value across patients, providers, researchers, and advocacy organizations.
Brandi believes meaningful progress happens at the intersection of relationship-building and strategic alignment. She actively works to cultivate synergy between stakeholders, bringing people, ideas, and resources together to build initiatives that are sustainable, measurable, and beneficial to the broader community.
She also serves as a Consumer Advocate on the Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) Programmatic Panel, where she contributes to national funding decisions and ensures that patient voice and military health priorities remain central to research strategy.
Professionally, Brandi brings more than a decade of corporate marketing experience to her work, combining data-driven strategy with disciplined execution. Whether in advocacy, business, or real estate, her mission remains the same: to serve with integrity, build with intention, and help transform survivorship into strength.
Dr. J. Kyri Hamilton fondly know as Dr. Kyri, brings more than 35 years of experience in healthcare compliance, patient-centered leadership, and ethical oversight to her role on the Sarcoma Alliance Board. Her professional background spans regulatory compliance, organizational governance, and community engagement within complex healthcare environments, giving her a deep understanding of both system-level accountability and patient impact.
Dr. Kyri is also a stage IV Ewing Sarcoma thriver, diagnosed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Receiving a life-threatening diagnosis at a time when cancer care was largely overshadowed by the global crisis meant navigating treatment with limited access to in-person support. This experience profoundly shaped her perspective and strengthened her commitment to ensuring that patients and families—particularly those facing rare cancers—are supported with dignity, transparency, and compassion.
In addition to her advocacy for sarcoma and cancer patients, Dr. Kyri applies a trauma-informed lens to her work, recognizing the lasting effects of serious illness, isolation, and major life disruption. She is deeply committed to improving how healthcare systems respond not only to medical needs, but also to the emotional, psychological, and social realities patients face during and after diagnosis.
Throughout her career, Dr. Kyri has worked alongside healthcare organizations and leaders to promote ethical practices, clear communication, and patient-focused decision-making. Her dual perspective—as both a healthcare compliance professional and a survivor—allows her to thoughtfully bridge policy, practice, and lived experience.
As a member of the Sarcoma Alliance Board, Dr. Kyri is honored to serve as a voice for individuals and families affected by sarcoma. She is dedicated to strengthening support structures, advancing equitable access to resources, and helping ensure that patient experiences meaningfully inform advocacy, education, and organizational priorities.
A survivor of a life-threatening fibrosarcoma cancer that left him with a permanent facial difference at twenty-one years of age, Terry Healey is an author, keynote speaker, and business strategist. Terry is a graduate of UC Berkeley with a thirty-five-year career as a high-tech sales and marketing executive. Terry is an ambassador for the Head & Neck Cancer Alliance and past board member of the Cancer Support Community, continuing as a strategic advisor and speaker for the organization. He has also been a long-time friend and supporter of the Sarcoma Alliance. Terry lives in Santa Cruz, CA with his wife Sue.
Healey is the author of The Resilience Mindset: How Adversity Can Strengthen Individuals, Teams, and Leaders (9/9/2025 – ECW Press/Simon & Schuster), At Face Value: My Triumph Over A Disfiguring Cancer (2nd Edition 1/6/2006 - Caveat Press), and is a contributing author to Open My Eyes, Open My Soul: Celebrating Our Common Humanity, Make Your Own Miracle: Surviving Cancer, an Anthology, and Reading Lips and Other Ways to Overcome a Disability.
His work has appeared in the following publications: CEO World Magazine, Newsweek, Fast Company, The American, Authority Magazine, Psychology Today, Metro UK, The San Francisco Chronicle, Guideposts, NurseWeek, U.S. News and World Report, MarketingProfs, Coping and CURE Today. He has appeared on dozens of national and local TV networks and has been interviewed on more than 150 podcasts and radio stations across the U.S. and Canada.
Healey is the author of The Resilience Mindset: How Adversity Can Strengthen Individuals, Teams, and Leaders (9/9/2025 – ECW Press/Simon & Schuster), At Face Value: My Triumph Over A Disfiguring Cancer (2nd Edition 1/6/2006 - Caveat Press), and is a contributing author to Open My Eyes, Open My Soul: Celebrating Our Common Humanity, Make Your Own Miracle: Surviving Cancer, an Anthology, and Reading Lips and Other Ways to Overcome a Disability.
His work has appeared in the following publications: CEO World Magazine, Newsweek, Fast Company, The American, Authority Magazine, Psychology Today, Metro UK, The San Francisco Chronicle, Guideposts, NurseWeek, U.S. News and World Report, MarketingProfs, Coping and CURE Today. He has appeared on dozens of national and local TV networks and has been interviewed on more than 150 podcasts and radio stations across the U.S. and Canada.
Tim is the founder of Swish BI, a data and analytics solutions provider. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and lives in Madison, WI, with his family.
In March 2024, Tim’s wife, Lindsay, was diagnosed with CIC-DUX4 sarcoma after discovering the tumor during the birth of their son. Her strength through radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy during their son’s first year of life continues to inspire their family and fuels Tim’s commitment to helping others through similar challenges.
Throughout his career, Tim has led various small businesses focused on improving people, process, and technology. He has also contributed to larger healthcare organizations, including Exact Sciences - a leader in cancer diagnostics.
In addition to aiding sarcoma awareness via the Sarcoma Alliance, Tim and Swish BI have developed several technologies, including INDEXALIGN, a platform designed to bring transparency to corporate political contributions and advocate for eliminating the influence of money in politics.
Tim looks forward to drawing on his experience as a caregiver to support others who are helping loved ones through cancer treatment.
Joan’s daughter was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a pediatric sarcoma, in 1996 at the age of 13. She successfully underwent a year of treatment that included twelve rounds of chemotherapy, 28 doses of radiation, and five operations at Omaha Children’s Hospital and at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
Since 2001 she has volunteered for a variety of children’s cancer groups, including the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), ACOR Rhabdo-Kids, and Lincoln Candlelighters.
On the Sarcoma Alliance Board she represents pediatric sarcoma patients, who make up roughly 15% of all sarcoma patients, helps manage the Sarcoma Alliance Facebook news feed, and has served as an Officer of the organization.
Dave Murphy is an active figure in the online sarcoma community, devoting his energy among various lists but especially to the sarcoma list for the Association of Cancer Online Resources (ACOR.org). His wife, Piera, died after a 15 month battle with Leiomyosarcoma, later diagnosed as malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma in 1999. Because of his strong personal belief in supporting this underserved community, he is well-known and loved by the many people who go to these lists seeking information and resources.
Dave joined the Sarcoma Alliance Board of Directors in October of 2002 and in 2020 was given the title of Honorary Board Emeritus. He has represented the Sarcoma Alliance at conferences like American Association of Cancer Research, Oncology Nursing Society, Society of Gynecologic Oncology and the Connective Tissue Oncology Society.
Dave is a retired Computer Lab Specialist from El Camino Community College in Torrance, California where he was in charge of nearly 400 computers in 9 computer labs on campus. He is conversant in Italian, French, and Spanish.
Plottner is a graphic designer in the San Francisco Bay area. He graduated from Tulane University with an Architecture degree in 1984.
In 1998 he created the original Sarcoma Alliance web site when his wife, Wendy, a sarcoma patient, and Suzanne Leider, first conceived the idea of a sarcoma support organization. He is the creator of our original logo seen on the “Our Founders” page and the artwork for Sage Cuisine. Today he helps maintain the Alliance web site and oversees the production of our newsletter and various printed materials for the organization.
In 1998 he created the original Sarcoma Alliance web site when his wife, Wendy, a sarcoma patient, and Suzanne Leider, first conceived the idea of a sarcoma support organization. He is the creator of our original logo seen on the “Our Founders” page and the artwork for Sage Cuisine. Today he helps maintain the Alliance web site and oversees the production of our newsletter and various printed materials for the organization.
Suzie, who was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma in 2002, served on the Alliance board 2008-2013. Cancer cut short her 18-year career as a newspaper reporter and editor in Little Rock, New Orleans and Tampa. Now she treats sarcoma as if it were her beat.
She wrote for the Alliance’s website, newsletters, blog, press releases and survivor profiles. She continues to write on her WordPress site, Twitter and Facebook. Suzie has represented the Alliance at meetings of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association for Cancer Research, Society of Gynecologic Oncology and Association of Oncology Social Work.
She became a peer volunteer for MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2004 and added Imerman Angels and Friend for Life along the way. She was a founding board member of Moffitt Cancer Center’s Patient and Family Advisory Program.
Suzie has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a master’s in women’s studies from the University of South Florida. She received National Press Foundation fellowships to study Spanish and multiculturalism. Her poetry has been published online and in Rolling Stone and various literary journals.
Suzanne is the aunt of a childhood sarcoma survivor. A lawyer by training, she retired from the Federal government after 30 years with the Environmental Protection Agency, helping to protect our nation’s waters, including wetlands, coastal waters, and oceans.
While working, she volunteered as a literacy tutor and a mentor for junior staff. She also supported a colleague during his battle with carcinoma, attending doctors’ visits with him and researching the disease and its treatments. After retirement, Suzanne has been volunteering with the Sarcoma Alliance, as well as with another nonprofit organization, the Medical Musician Initiative, which is dedicated to providing healing music to critical care patients. She also volunteers at a local school where she assists a kindergarten class with reading, and is a member of a local charitable organization that supports local schools, students, food banks, and other causes.
In her spare time she enjoys going to concerts, spending time with family and friends, and hanging out with her German Shepherd dog, Leica.
Marites met Suzanne Leider, founder of the Sarcoma Alliance, early in their respective nursing careers at the University of California, San Francisco where they formed a lifetime friendship and commitment to helping the community of people affected by sarcoma.
Marites earned her BS in Nursing from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1992 and her Master’s degree in Nursing from UCLA in 2006. She is Board certified in Acute Care and Palliative Care and has over 25 years of nursing experience with hospitalized patients in various settings. She is currently a Nurse Practitioner at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, a county facility which provides health care to the uninsured, indigent and medically underserved population of Los Angeles.
As a founding board member, Marites remains dedicated to advancing the mission of the Alliance in honor of Suzanne and all those affected by sarcoma.