Brian Halvorson, Grand Forks Public Schools, was elected Vice Chair at the NDCC Annual Meeting held on May 16, 2023. Mary Sahl, Sanford Health/Roger Maris Cancer Center, Fargo, was elected Secretary.
Congratulations and thank you to these two Coalition members who have committed to serving as an officer to guide the work of the Coalition. Your volunteerism for this important role is much appreciated.
Halvorson and Sahl join Chair, Julie Garden-Robinson, and Treasurer, Maria Schmidt, on the NDCC Executive Team.
Brian, in his own words…
I was diagnosed with Melanoma the summer of 2007 and struggled with the “why me.” Since I am an educator, it made sense that I needed to get into the classroom and talk to as many kids as possible about sun safety. I have been fortunate enough to do my hour-long presentation over 550 times and have talked to over 11,000 kids about the importance of sunscreen and sun safety. I feel this answers the question “why me,” and I would be honored if I could hopefully help out more people by being a contributing member of the executive committee for the North Dakota Cancer Coalition. Thank you for your consideration.
Mary, in her own words…
My name is Mary Sahl. I have been an oncology nurse for nearly 40 years working at the former St. Luke’s/MeritCare and now Sanford Health. Oncology care has changed immensely in the past 40 years. The onset of genetics in the field of oncology has changed the trajectory of certain cancers. Some cancers can now be avoided with early interventions and better outcomes with early and more robust screening guidelines. I have been a nurse educator for the largest part of my life, also working in the acute care setting, infusion center, and research as well. The advent of immunotherapy has changed the landscape of cancer care, but it also has changed the financial burden. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband David, three super kids, Emily, Kariann and Jacob. I have also recently been challenged with a bilateral breast cancer diagnosis in March 2022 and am just completing treatment this June. Life is a blessing!
