“Seek first to understand rather than be understood” is advice John heard from a friend. It is advice which he subscribes to on a daily basis but admits “I still need a lot of practicing”. We, on the other hand feel differently. John joined the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation Board in 2018. Prior to 2018, he was an avid participant in Race For Research for 11 years. John tells us, “The reason I joined the SBTF Board of Directors was to help advocate for the need to raise money and awareness about a brain tumor diagnosis, but more importantly “I wanted to give to SBTF a resource more valuable than money, I wanted to give my time.”
John believes his Board participation gives him a voice among my family, friends and business colleagues and that voice has brought an awareness about brain cancer that might not have otherwise been known. My SBTF Board participation “also allowed me the opportunity to help and have empathy for, friends and colleagues when they have been faced with a brain cancer diagnosis”. John has served at large as a Director and more recently as SBTF Secretary in 2020. When I asked John what it means to be elected as SBTF Vice President, he humbly tells me: “I feel with each new role it allows me to become involved with SBTF in ways that are specific to each role. Being VP this next year will further that experience and as part of the Executive committee allow me to function at a new level of responsibility. We have so much work yet to do to find a cure for this devastating disease. My goals for this next year are to continue to bring awareness to allow for more research funding, as well as expand SBTF’s involvement and cooperation with other organizations that share our same goal.
His late wife Karen made a final request of John and the family to “work with SBTF to find a cure”. It is the hope of John and his entire family that Karen is looking down upon them all and is proud of the work they have done thus far, and continue to do every day. “I also believe my family, including my three adult children and Karen’s sisters are also proud of the work that has been done and will continue to be done in her memory” says John.
As he serves as your SBTF Vice President this year he is inspired by a famous quote from the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr- “Life’s most persistent and urgent questions is, what are you doing for others?”
Read more about the Foundation’s 2021 Board of Directions.
