Board of Directors

Trish Coury serves as President of Lakeview Village Corporation and Jabbel Holdings LLC, a privately held family real estate company where she is responsible for the day-to-day operations and management of over 1,000,000 square feet of retail shopping centers and medical offices.  She sits on the Board of Directors for Stand Up For Kids, is a Leadership Board Member for St. Jude’s Hospital and, from 2010 – 2017, served as the Chair of the St. Jude’s Hospital Annual Gala.

A native of Arizona, Trish currently resides in Newport Beach with her husband Michael Gustafson. She is dedicated to assisting non profit organizations to help make a difference in the community and looking forward to lending her expertise as a member of the Board of Directors at LCFA.

Martin J. Edelman, MD, a nationally renowned expert in the research and treatment of lung cancer, has joined Fox Chase Cancer Center as Chair of the Department of Hematology/Oncology. He also serves as deputy cancer center director for clinical research, leading the effort to integrate discoveries from the Translational Research Initiative into a strong investigator-initiated clinical trials program.

Edelman collaborates with clinical, scientific, and administrative leadership to grow robust therapeutic, clinical research, and translational research programs in hematology and medical oncology while leading the department in evaluating emerging national trends in the delivery of cancer care.

“Dr. Edelman is a visionary in his field, and I am confident he will lead our Department of Hematology/Oncology to even greater heights,” says Richard I. Fisher, MD, president and CEO of Fox Chase. “I am delighted that he has chosen to become a key part of our faculty, and I look forward to what we will all achieve together in the coming years.”

Edelman comes to Fox Chase from the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC), where he served most recently as the head of the section of solid tumor oncology and associate director of the division of hematology/oncology. In addition, he was a professor of medicine and radiation oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

“Fox Chase Cancer Center has a national and international reputation for excellence,” Edelman said. “I look forward to working with leading experts in cancer research and treatment as we continue the institution’s long legacy of progress against cancer.”

After receiving his medical degree from Albany Medical College, Edelman completed residency training in internal medicine and a hematology/oncology fellowship at the Naval Hospital in San Diego. He served for more than 20 years in the United States Navy Reserve, retiring with the rank of Captain. During his active service, Edelman served aboard the USS Duluth (LPD-6) as senior medical officer, providing care for 1,000 Navy and Marine personnel.

Edelman’s achievements in oncology include developing one of the most commonly used regimens for treating advanced lung cancer and working toward the development of new agents and biomarkers to personalize lung cancer therapy. He has a particular interest in approaches that integrate surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy in the management of lung cancer patients.

He serves on the Lung Cancer Committee of the Alliance (previously CALGB), the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, and the Thoracic Malignancies Steering Committee of the National Cancer Institute’s Scientific Review Group. In addition, he is the Medical Oncology Co-chair for the Lung Cancer Committee of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG, NRG).  He has been active within the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and has chaired the lung cancer sections for the scientific and educational committees as well as a past member of the governmental affairs committee.   As a member of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) he has been a chaired of the Career Development and Ethics Committees.

In addition to clinical and leadership achievements, Edelman has been a prolific writer, publishing more than 325 scientific articles, abstracts, and book chapters. He has served on the editorial boards or as an ad-hoc reviewer of numerous academic journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and currently serves as deputy editor of the journal Lung Cancer.

Dr. Figlin is a Senior Investigator in Translational Research with more than 25 years of expertise in designing and conducting clinical trials in lung and kidney cancer. He is the Associate Director of the Academic Development Program and Director of the Division of Hematology/ Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, California. He is also the former Principal Investigator of the City of Hope Clinical Oncology Career Research Development K12 Program, former Co-Principal Investigator of the UCLA Lung Cancer SPORE and directed its Clinical Core. Dr. Figlin has performed clinical investigations as a Principal Investigator in phase I, II, and III trials focusing on cell, immune, genetic, and target based therapy in solid tumor oncology. His major oncologic focus is in the area of thoracic and genitourinary tumors. He is the former Principal Investigator for the UCLA Southwest Oncology Group, served on the Advisory Board of the UCLA K30 Program, as Chairman of the UCLA Medical IRB, and served on the institution’s Human Research Policy Board. He previously acted as Chairman of the General Clinical Research Center advisory board. Dr. Figlin served for 10 years as the Director of the UCLA Hematology/ Oncology Fellowship Program. He has served as a past faculty member of the ASCO/ AACR Methods in Clinical Research Meeting and is on the Scientific Program Committee for the AACR Cancer Biostatistics Workshop, Developing Targeted Agents. He is a Scientific Founder of Agensys, a California biotechnology company focusing on targeted therapy of cancer. He serves as a reviewer on numerous journals, has published over 250 peer reviewed articles, and 40 book chapters. He has been voted, “Best Doctors in America” since 1994.

James Hiter is a retired financial executive and lung cancer survivor whose personal journey has led him to become an advocate for lung cancer awareness and research. A graduate of James Madison University (BS, Communication, 1991), James built a 25-year career in financial services, culminating as Franchise Field Vice President at Ameriprise Financial from 2004 to 2018.

James' life took an unexpected turn when, despite being a lifelong non-smoker, he was diagnosed with lung cancer after doctors discovered a 7 cm cyst and a 3 cm tumor in his right lung. This diagnosis ended his first running streak of 763 consecutive days.

After another major surgery in February 2020 that removed most of his remaining right lung, medical professionals questioned whether he would ever run again.

James began a third running streak seven weeks later on March 25, 2020, which continues to this day.

James has channeled his personal experience into founding "Streak for a Cure," a 501(c)(3) that raises awareness about lung cancer and challenges misconceptions about the disease. Like LCFA, James emphasizes that anyone with lungs can develop lung cancer, regardless of smoking history. His platform aims to increase funding for lung cancer research, promote early detection through radon testing, and support other lung cancer patients and their families.

Marta Kauffman, creator of the Netflix comedy series “Grace and Frankie” also co-created and executive produced the Emmy Award-winning series “Friends.”

Previously, Kauffman co-created and served as executive producer on the critically acclaimed comedy series “Dream On” for which she received an Emmy Award nomination and a CableAce Award. Kauffman also co-created the comedy series “The Powers That Be” for Norman Lear, and “Veronica’s Closet”, as well as serving as executive producer on “Jesse” and the one-hour drama “Related”.

Marta executive produced “Call Me Crazy: A Five Film”, 5 scripted shorts on mental illness which was a follow-up to the 2011 film “Five”, 5 short films focused on breast cancer. Marta also wrote and directed 3 short films entitled “Georgia” for “Watchwigs.com”, the YouTube network for women.

Most recently, Marta served as producer on the documentary film, “Hava Nagila: The Movie”. She also executive produced “Blessed Is The Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh” which was on the 2008 documentary short list for an Academy Award nomination.

A Philadelphia native, Kauffman began her writing career at Brandeis University, which is where she met her then writing partner of over 25 years, David Crane. They began their working relationship in the theatre in New York where they teamed with composer Michael Skloff to write several musicals, including the stage version of the movie “Arthur”. At Brandeis, they also co-wrote the book and lyrics for the widely acclaimed musical “Personals”, which played off-Broadway. “Personals” received an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Drama Desk Award nomination.

Kauffman and Crane also contributed musical and sketch material to the off-Broadway revues “A…My Name is Alice” and “Martin Charnin’s Upstairs at O’Neals”.

Marta lives in Los Angeles.  She has three children: Hannah, Sam and Rose. Ms. Kauffman also serves on the Board of Trustees of Oakwood School, CalArts, Writers Guild Foundation, and former Board Member of Big Sunday.  She was named one of the 25 Most Influential Mothers by Working Mother magazine.

Anna Konkle is an acclaimed actress, writer, and producer best known for co-creating and starring in the Emmy-nominated Hulu series "PEN15." Anna has established herself as a distinctive voice in comedy and drama, bringing authentic storytelling to audiences worldwide.

Anna's connection to Lung Cancer Foundation of America is deeply personal. She lost her father to lung cancer, an experience that profoundly shaped her understanding of the disease's impact on families and loved ones. In reflecting on her father's final days, Anna has spoken movingly about the privilege of being present during his journey and the lasting influence he continues to have on her life.

"I try to be better, loving like him, funny like him, strange like him, courageous like him," Anna shared, describing how her father's memory guides her daily choices and creative work.

Through her platform and personal experience, Anna brings a unique perspective to LCFA's mission of advancing lung cancer research and supporting families affected by the disease. Her commitment to authentic storytelling and her understanding of loss make her a powerful advocate for raising awareness about lung cancer's impact on patients and their loved ones.
Anna's work in entertainment, combined with her personal journey through lung cancer loss, positions her to help LCFA reach new audiences and share the foundation's message of hope, scientific advancement, and community support.

Paulo J. Machado is a healthcare entrepreneur and impact investor based in Chicago. Paulo founded Health Innovation Inc. in 2008 to help start-ups improve health and well-being. Focused on transforming healthcare through building and scaling innovative startups and advancing emerging health technologies, Paulo has helped >100 healthcare organizations and startups by providing strategic insights and fostering partnerships. Paulo is passionate about empowering consumers and enabling providers to improve care delivery. As a speaker and panelist, Paulo continues to advocate for patient-centered care and the integration of advanced technology in healthcare.

Dr. Susan Mandel is an Internal  Medicine  physician in private practice in Beverly Hills and is on the medical staff of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She is an Associate Clinical Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Her interest in lung cancer began when her younger brother (an Emergency Medicine physician) was diagnosed with stage IIIB lung cancer at the age of 49 in 2006. His startling diagnosis, in an otherwise healthy man who had never smoked, turned life upside down for his wife and children aged 10, 14 and 16. Together with her brother, Dr. Mandel sought involvement in a national effort to raise awareness and change perceptions about lung cancer, and to promote coordination and funding of desperately needed translational research. They found what they were seeking in the mission of LCFA.

Dr. Mandel, has a history of active community involvement. As the first Medical Director of The Los Angeles Free Clinic (currently known as The Saban Community Clinic),  she spent over thirteen years overseeing the development and expansion of the Clinic’s high-quality, free medical services to three clinic locations, providing over 100,000 annual patient visits. Dr. Mandel has served on several not-for-profit boards including Saban Free Clinic, Temple Israel of Hollywood, Los Angeles Regional Family Planning Council. She has also been a member of advisory committees and councils including the Woman’s Health Policy Council of the Office of Women’s Health, Los Angeles County, and the Porrath Foundation for Cancer Patient Advocacy. She has had numerous health-related public speaking engagements including spots on television and radio and has received numerous awards for her outstanding community service including being named the 2002 “Woman of the Year” by the Los Angeles County Commission for Women. She is married to Howard Mandel, MD, FACOG. They have two children, Mallory and Spencer.

A successful management consultant working with c-suite executives to improve their bottom line, Kim entered the world of lung cancer in 1997 when Roy, her 45-year-old husband, was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. They spent the next two years searching for hope. Roy underwent five different lung cancer research clinical trials from chemotherapy to immunotherapy to anti-angiogenesis therapies; he passed away in 1999.

In order to address the disparity between funding for lung cancer and its impact on public health, Kim became a Lung SPORE (Specialized Program of Research Excellence) patient advocate for UCLA, where she met LCFA co-founders David Sturges and Lori Monroe. Kim has combined her skills as a successful consultant with those of a seasoned patient advocate with strong connections to the worlds of research and policy, to become a preeminent lung cancer advocate. In addition to her work as a SPORE advocate, Kim has served as a lung cancer patient advocate representative in various media, including broadcast, print, and social media.

During her years as an advocate for lung cancer research and lung cancer patients, Kim has served on various committees and advisory bodies such as the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, American Association for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, College for American Pathologists, UCLA and various pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Examples of Kim’s various appointments include:

• Served on the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Thoracic Malignancy Steering Committee (TMSC),
• Served as Co-Chair of the NCI’s Patient Advocacy Steering Committee.
• Served on the ASCO Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer Clinical Practice Guideline Steering Committee.
• Serve on the CAP/IASLC/AMP Lung Biomarkers Update Guidelines Advisory Panel
• Serve on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Lung Cancer Screening Guideline Panel.
• Serve on the Lung-MAP Trial Oversight Committee
• Serve on the Stakeholders Advisory Group for the NutriCare Clinical Trial
• Serve on UCLA’s Clinical and Translational Clinical Trial Institute (CTSI) Patient Advisory Board
• Serve on the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Clinical Advisory Board (CAP)

Kim’s work on behalf of lung cancer research has taken her to Capitol Hill to meet with such legislators as Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Jane Harmon (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), among others. Her mission, along with LCFA, is to get lung cancer research the attention and funding it deserves. Although Kim is a Southern California girl at heart, she recently moved to Park City, UT.

Read Kim's publications.

Michelle Sayer is a Southern Californian who is an experienced executive and seasoned in-house attorney.

She was the General Counsel at Panasonic Avionics and a Vice President, Deputy General Counsel at Broadcom Corporation, where she played a key, strategic role in the successful sale of Broadcom to Avago Technologies Limited for $37 billion.

During her more than 20-year career, Michelle has been a trusted advisor, decision-maker, and proven strategic leader. She has significant background in the tech space, and she has institutional knowledge and deep expertise in a broad range of areas, including, complex mergers and acquisitions, corporate/technology/licensing, regulatory, governance, and risk management.  She received a B.S. from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from Loyola Law School.

She is passionate about service and giving back to the community.  She is excited to support LCFA’s mission and impactful work.

Zach Shefska is an entrepreneur and creator best known for CarEdge, an online car shopping app and the car-focused YouTube channel of the same name that he co-runs with his father, Ray Shefska.

Zach’s mother, Suzanne Shefska, passed away from lung cancer in 2017. Since then, Zach has advocated for lung cancer awareness and worked with LCFA to raise funds for research grants, educational materials and more.

“No family should have to experience what ours did. I am committed to doing whatever I can to raise awareness and increase survivorship,” he wrote during his 2017 fundraising campaign on behalf of LCFA and in honor of his late mother.

Zach hopes to use his wide-ranging audience to inform even more people about the necessity of lung cancer awareness, education, and research.

An attorney and lung cancer survivor, David was diagnosed 22 years after he quit smoking and a little over one year after he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. He underwent surgery for removal of two lobes of his right lung. Like many people, after his diagnosis, David became acutely aware that lung cancer lung cancer does not receive the research funding commensurate with its toll on public health. As a result, David became a fervent patient advocate, originally as the Lung SPORE representative at UCLA, where he met LCFA co-founders Kim Norris and Lori Monroe. David was then invited to serve on the United States Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs’ Integration Panel, and was the sole patient advocate at the table for the groundbreaking National Lung Screening Trial’s Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). David has also petitioned lawmakers in Washington, DC, in order to increase funding for lung cancer research. David lives in Minnesota.

A registered nurse and mother of three daughters, Lori was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in September, 2001, at age 42. Nobody suspected lung cancer because Lori had quit smoking at age 28. While the diagnosis was shocking and devastating, the prognosis was horrifying. Lori sought a second, third, and even a fourth opinion. Using her own medical knowledge and tenacity, Lori began to advocate for herself in a way that few lung cancer patients could. Her ability to speak the language of medicine was combined with her empathy for all patients. Not only did she push for her own treatment, but she recognized the importance of medical research in the development of new options for lung cancer patients.

In order to ensure the development of new therapies, Lori became involved as a pioneering patient advocate with the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Lung SPORE initiative, Advocacy Steering Committee, and Thoracic Malignancies Steering Committee; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG); the United States Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs’ Integration Panel; and the Lung Cancer Action Network (LungCAN).

Lori developed an insider’s knowledge of the key institutions, projects, and personnel in the world of lung cancer research. She leveraged this knowledge, combined with her considerable Southern charm, to address the lack of funding for lung cancer research, along with the stigma endlessly encountered by lung cancer patients. Lori founded Lung Cancer Foundation of America with Kim Norris, a lung cancer widow, and David Sturges, another survivor, in 2007. LCFA’s mission is the dramatic improvement in survivorship of lung cancer patients through the funding of transformative science, with the ultimate goal of curing the disease.

Twelve years after her diagnosis, Lori lost her battle with lung cancer on November 30, 2013. Her spirit, passion, commitment, and values continue to drive our organization in all we do.