President & CEO
Laurie Fenton Ambrose

Laurie Fenton Ambrose is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) responsible for managing the overall mission and strategic direction of organization.  Hired as LCA’s first President in 2004, Laurie has managed LCA’s relocation, restructuring and realignment from a west coast-based operation to its current headquarters in Washington, DC.  Today, LCA is nationally and internationally recognized as the premier non-profit dedicated solely to patient support and advocacy for those living with or at risk for lung cancer.

Laurie is responsible for overseeing the creation and implementation of LCA’s patient empowerment programs, public health policy agenda and national grassroots and awareness initiatives.  Laurie is also LCA’s primary liaison to community and government leaders, national media, collaborating agencies, health care professionals, and other strategic alliances.

Laurie brings almost two decades of public policy experience to LCA having served in senior management positions in both the legislative and executive branches of government.  Prior to joining LCA, Laurie was tapped to serve as the first Chief of Staff to United States Department of Commerce Secretary Don Evans, where she helped set the strategic and policy direction of the Department in the first years of the Bush Administration. Before serving in the Commerce Department, Laurie worked for 6 years in the United States Senate as Chief of Staff to Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ).  Prior to her work in the Senate, Laurie served 11 years in the House of Representatives, 6 as Chief of Staff to Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), and the remaining as Legislative Assistants to Congressman Amo Houghton (R-NY) and Congressman Edward Madigan (R-IL).  Laurie has also served in the private sector as Federal Relations Director for Honeywell.

Laurie is a graduate of The George Washington University and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Senior Management in Government Executive Program.  Laurie was inspired to join LCA by her friend and associate Sheila Ross, a two time lung cancer survivor.

Special Counsel
Sheila Ross

Sheila Ross, special counsel to The Lung Cancer Alliance, was previously the Washington Representative for its forerunner organization, ALCASE. She worked for 20 years on Capitol Hill as chief of staff in both the House and the Senate for Democrats and Republicans. She was a member of First Lady Hillary Clinton's Health Care Task Force in 1993 and 1994. Prior to moving to Washington DC, she was Director of Public Information for the Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands. She attended the University of Pennsylvania and is a two time lung cancer survivor.

Director of Development
Emily Eyres

Emily Eyres has more than 16 years of fundraising and non-profit management expertise stemming from her work with the world’s largest non-profit environmental organization. She has helped to design, launch and successfully complete several multi-million dollar capital campaigns, as well as lead fundraising, marketing and board development efforts for several state and international programs. Emily was inspired to join the Alliance after experiencing her mother and father-in-law’s courageous battles with lung cancer. She holds a bachelor's degree in Biology from Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia.

Director of Administration and Finance
Edythe Whidden

Edythe Whidden joined the staff of LCA as the Director of Administration and Finance in December 2009.  She has more than 30 years of non-profit experience and has worked with three non-profits to implement systems, improve operations and lead them through substantial financial and organizational growth.

Director of Advocacy Relations
Kay Cofrancesco

Kay Cofrancesco holds a BA in Biology from the University of Delaware.  She joined LCA in November 2004 as Program Specialist and is now the Director of Advocacy Relations.

Kay works with LCA Advocates across the country and remains a point of contact for those interested in becoming involved in advocacy and raising awareness for lung cancer.  She also works with media outlets, communications teams, and other organizations across the country to provide the general public with the most up to date information about lung cancer and LCA.

Director of Community and Support Services
Maureen Rigney

As Director of Community and Support Services, Maureen Rigney oversees LCA's portfolio of support and outreach services. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Maureen has been with LCA since 2005. She received her BS in Psychology from South Dakota University and her Master of Social Work degree from the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Prior to joining LCA, Maureen worked in the field of community mental health, primarily supervising programs designed to help those with serious mental illness in three states and the District of Columbia.

Associate Director of Community and Support Services
Amy Pearson

Amy Pearson joined LCA in 2007. She is currently Associate Director of Community and Support Services. She assists in the management of a variety of support programs, including the toll-free line, Phone Buddy program, and online support community. Prior to her arrival at LCA, she spent seven years working in international health, primarily with community-based health and nutrition programs in Latin America. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from The College of William and Mary and a Master of Public Health from The George Washington University. She has a particular interest in health disparities and is fluent in Spanish.

Manager of Community and Support Services
Miguel Vélez

Miguel Vélez Joined LCA in September, 2009 as the Manager of Community and Support Services. He has a Master's degree from San Diego State University in Latin American Studies with a focus on health disparities of Latino immigrant and Mixteco communities and has over ten years of public health service in national programs focusing on tobacco control, cancer awareness, and HIV prevention. Dedicated to cancer programs after losing his mother to the disease, he brings knowledge and experience to LCA's team.

Development and Advocacy Specialist
Denitra Kitchell