About Us
The true essence of humankind is kindness.There are other qualities which come from education or knowledge, but it is essential,if one wishes to be a genuine human being and impart satisfying meaning to one's existence, to have a good heart.
- The 14th dalai lama-
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| Chairwoman Chris Powers, with her horses Prince and Shadow, at Two Sisters Farm. |
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| CHRIS POWERS: CHAIRWOMAN WBC
As Chairwoman of Women Beyond Cancer since November, 2007 Chris has taken WBC to a new level. Rather than just a couple of retreats a year in a couple of locations, the organization has grown to twelve retreats per year in five different states. Her vision of offering retreats based on women's passions has come to fruition. Now women can choose from a drop down menu of retreat offerings such as yoga, horse-back riding, adventure or relaxation. Her dream is to continue expanding retreat locations but with constant attention to quality and not quantity. Having partnered with Dr. Carolyn Kaelin of Brigham and Women's in Boston, and doctors from Mt. Sinai, as well as many other medical professionals Chris has networked to a level where retreats fill as soon as they are posted. Seeing the need for more retreats, she and her Board are working on expanding retreat numbers as well as locations, but with quality always of utmost importance. A graduate from UCLA with a degree in Psychology, Chris resides with her husband Robert Caporale at their two homes, Two Sisters Farm in Aiken, South Carolina and Miami Beach, Florida. She has two grown children, Ryan and Tyler Wuerfel.
Chris founded Two Sisters Farm in 2002 which is a horse farm dedicated in memory of her sister, Jean Powers. Having lost her sister to a 17 year battle with brain cancer she says Jean was her best friend and mentor. She taught Chris the value of enjoying life to the fullest and that laughter is the best medicine.
Chris knows Two Sisters Farm was not meant just for her, but to share with others in all its peaceful tranquility.
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| MARY ANN SMAIL: TREASURER
Mary Ann participated in a WBC retreat in Park City and fell in love with the vision. She is passionate about her belief that these retreats need to be available to women dealing with cancer. You can always find Mary Ann at our Park City retreats willing to do whatever task is at hand to help ensure the retreat runs smoothly. Whether it's running to the store to pick up a last minute item for dinner, or folding laundry, Mary Ann is always lending a helping hand.
She is a fantastic treasurer who accounts for every penny spent with great precision. WBC is lucky to have such a remarkable woman as Mary Ann on our team.
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LISA BOCCARD: RETREAT COORDINATOR - TWO SISTERS FARM
Lisa was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in 1991 @ the age of 29. September of 2003 she was diagnosed with Metastic breast cancer. Lisa attended a retreat at Two Sisters Farm in June 2007 and realized that she needed to be apart of Women Beyond Cancer.
Lisa is the creator of “ The Cure Package”, a photo exhibit consisting of 15 photographs depicting the various stages of breast cancer.
She is a co-founder of the “Florida Breast Cancer Foundation” and was a member of the National Breast Cancer Coalition.She participated in the NBCC’s Campaign ’93 in which she represented the state of Florida in presenting President Clinton 2.6 million signatures at the White House, for federal funding for breast cancer research.
Lisa has served on the American Cancer Society, Survivor’s committee for “Making Strides”.She has been a keynote speaker at various events presented by Ryder Systems,Inc., The Florida Pharmacy Association, Edwards Water College and various hospitals throughout the country.
Her story has been featured in newspapers and magazine such as; The Miami Herald’s Tropic, Coping Magazine, Prevention magazine, Kelly Services Chronicle, and Fountain. Lisa has also made guest appearances on various cable shows, local TV networks, national programs, “Main Floor”/ NBC and “Breast Cancer Update” present by Lee Jeans. Lisa also made an appearance on the Rosie O’Donnell.
Received the “Sears, the WNBA and NABCO” 2000 Miami Breast Health Hero award.
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SHELLY MARSHALL SCHMIDT
Shelly Marshall Schmidt is an internationally acclaimed photographer who has embraced Women Beyond Cancer wholeheartedly. A resident of Aiken, South Carolina, Shelly spends her time documenting the retreats from the minute the ladies arrive until their departure four days later. Her touching photos have turned into a beautiful exhibit titled Celebrating the Journey and can now be found in cancer care centers. These photos offer inspiration, beauty and hope to all who have the opportunity to view.
A survivor herself, Shelly is well aware of the many obstacles women face battling cancer. She has brought so much joy to the women at the retreats by her sheer presence, and as an added bonus she provides photos that document the very powerful time spent together. Shelly's work is currently on permanent display at Aiken Regional Hospital in Aiken, South Carolina as well as at the Comprehensive Cancer Care Center at Mt. Sinai hospital in Miami Beach, FL.
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SOPHIE LEAL: BEAUTY CONSULTANT - FULL TIME TWO SISTERS FARM VOLUNTEER
Sophie is a professional hairdresser from Washington, D.C. Sophie has been a fulltime volunteer at our Two Sisters Farm retreat location and has been vital to the success of the retreats we hold there. She offers her services to the ladies at the retreat should they request a makeover and the results have been wonderful. For women dealing with their hair growing back after chemotherapy, they are thrilled to have Sophie give them a great short style. She also does beautiful make-up applications upon request. She also is a great fundraiser for the organization, being the top seller of our necklaces.
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| Riven Murphy |
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| RIVIEN MURPHY
Rivien is an invaluable addition to the Two Sisters Farm retreat team. A graduate of the Cordon Bleu Culinary School, Rivien creates unforgettable meals for the ladies such as grilled salmon on cedar planks. But her value is not just in the kitchen at our retreats as she is a lovely woman inside and out and is always available to the ladies to just sit and listen or for long walks in the woods. We are truly blessed to have such a beautiful person on our team. Rivien resides in Miami, Florida with her husband Fred. She also serves on the Board of Dress For Success.
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| ROBERT CAPORALE, CHAIRMAN GAME PLAN LLC |
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ROBERT L. CAPORALE
Robert L. Caporale is Co-Founder and Chairman of Game Plan LLC, which provides investment banking and consulting services for the acquisition, sale and financing of professional sports teams, facilities and leagues. He founded Game Plan LLC with Randy Vataha in 1994. Prior to that he was an Attorney practicing Sports and Entertainment Law and represented teams, including the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Celtics and Florida Marlins. He also represented Stadium Realty Trust the entity which constructed and operated the original stadium in Foxboro, Mass as the home of the New England Patriots. He represented the owner of the Boston Garden in the financing and development of the Fleetcenter which replaced the Boston Garden.
He was President and part owner of the Boston Breakers, one of the original franchises in the United States Football League and served as chairman of Boston Soccer, Inc, the nonprofit venue bid committee which submitted a successful bid to host World Cup Soccer matches at Foxboro Stadium in 1994. He is graduate of Boston Latin School, Tufts University and Boston College Law School.
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| Dr.Christina Pozo-Kaderman, PH.D |
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DR. CHRISTINA POZO-KADERMAN, PH.D
Dr. Pozo is Co-Director of Psychosocial / Pain Management at Mt.Sinai Medical Center / Comprehensive Cancer Center located in Miami Beach, FL.
Faculty Positions held by Dr.Pozo; University of Miami, Sylvester Cancer Center, Research Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Psychology and Coordinator of Psycho-Oncology in 1992 - 1993.
Dr.Pozo is Board Certified in Clinical Psychology, a Certified Sex Therapist and also certified with the American Academy of Clinical Sexologist.
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| Dr.Judith Samuels, M.D. |
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DR. JUDITH SAMUELS, M.D.
Dr. Samuels is a Radiation Oncologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center / Comprehensive Cancer Center located in
Miami Beach, FL.
Dr.Samuels also held positions at; Staff Radiation Oncologist at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland,Ohio and Staff Radiation Oncologist at University of Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio.Dr.Samuels Academic Appointments include; Instructor in Therapeutic Radiology from Yale University School of Medicine, Assistant Professor of Radiology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio and Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio.
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TESSIE PALCZYNSKI: WEST COAST RETREAT & VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Tessie is a post high school instructor at the Park City Learning Center. She has been volunteering at WBC retreats ever since her best friend, Mar Harmer, attended one of our retreats and has been lead volunteer for many of them. Tessie is a selfless, giving humanitarian who had the honor of carrying the torch during the Winter Olympics in Park City. Many friends joke with her that she should run for Mayor of Park City as she is recognized everywhere she goes and is such an outstanding ambassador to her region.
Tessie is a fierce triathlete and competitor. She doesn't allow her own health issues of having numerous tumors removed throughout her body trip her up for too long; Doctors and nurses stand in awe of her staunch determination to move on and get beyond what others may see as huge obstacles ...Tessie just looks at them as hurdles. Spend time with her, and you'll know why everyone loves Tessie.
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| NATHALIE PEPITO
Nathalie Pepito was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in December of 2002. Her sister Michelle heard about an organization that held retreats for cancer survivors. Nathalie attended the retreat in Park City and has been involved ever since. "My life completely changed for the better after attending my retreat. Undergoing 6 months of chemotherapy and 2 months of radiation, I was so focused on getting better, that after my treatments were finished, I was lost. I didn't know how to handle life anymore. "The retreat helped give me strength and focus and I have been a volunteer and am now on the Board of Directors."
Nathalie is President and Owner of The Kids Cabin, an hourly daycare facility located inside Silver Mountain Spa at Kimball Junction. Nat loves to train for 1/2 marathons and enjoys mountain biking, skiing, and running. If you like to ski Park City Mountain Resort be sure to look for Nathalie on Sundays as she serves as a Safety Host for the mountain
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MICHELLE CANADA
I became involved with Women Beyond Cancer after my sister had finished her treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It was a very difficult time in her life and through her experience with the Women Beyond Cancer Retreat, post-treatment, I watched her life change in such a positive way that I wanted to be a part of this amazing organization.
I am a Registered Nurse and Realtor in Park City, Utah and have chaired and now vice-chair the Board of Women Beyond Cancer. I love to spend as much time as possible with my 2 daughters, friends, and family in the beautiful outdoors here in Park City, WBC offers this experience for its retreat attendees. Women Beyond Cancer has been something that I devote my volunteer time to, in hopes of improving the lives of other women struggling with cancer. Empowerment and renewal is a goal for these strong women who attend at retreat.”
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DR. ROSELYN SMITH
Roselyn G. Smith,
Ph.D. / Licensed
Psycholgist
Roselyn Smith, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in
Miami-Dade County, Florida with offices in South Miami and Homestead. She has
spent over 10 years in cancer-related research and clinical practice. Her
research has addressed issues such as age-related differences in distress and
coping associated with the cancer experience, stress management and relaxation
for cancer patients, long-term survivorship, recurrence, and palliative care.
Dr. Smith has co-authored many cancer-related publications and collaborated on
Michael Antoni’s, Ph.D., Stress Management Training for Women with Breast
Cancer, APA, (2004).
During 2006 Dr. Smith applied her years of stress management
training and research in resiliency and stress management training to several
hundred disaster responders including public health, Medical Reserve Corps,
military, fire, police, mental health, nursing, and administrative personnel
throughout Florida. She was an invited speaker at the State of Rhode Island
Disaster Behavioral Health training, conducted workshops with responders and
providers at the request of the Greater New Orleans Resiliency and Mental
Health Task Force, and was an invited speaker for the South Florida Association
of Contingency Planners. She is an advisor to the City of Coral Gables for
disaster-related issues and is a member of the Medical Reserve Corps of Monroe
County and The Florida Keys.
In 2007 Dr. Smith co-founded Prehab Life Enhancement
(Preventive Habits and Behaviors), an inter-disciplinary life balancing program
aimed at maximizing physical, emotional, and spiritual coping resources to
prevent burn-out and improve health. In addition to her private practice, she
conducts corporate and public sector training and is frequently invited to
present keynote addresses to diverse associations and organizations.
When accepting the invitation to join the Women Beyond Cancer National
Advisory Board, Dr. Smith stated, “I have great respect for the work of WBC and
the important mission they fill, helping women reclaim their lives during and
after the cancer experience. It is my honor to be associated with Women Beyond
Cancer and I look forward to the opportunity to be of service to them and their
program participants.”
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MAR HARMER
A past retreat guest, Mar has been with WBC for several years now as a retreat leader. She volunteers countless hours for our cause and promotes WBC wherever she goes. Mar is an Outdoor Recreation Coach at Salt Lake City College and competes in triathalons throughout the country. She is dedicated to serving women dealing with cancer and the adventure retreats she hosts with friend Tessie Palczynski are out of this world. A fantastic sense of humor, combined with her commitment to serve others makes her an invaluable asset to our organization.
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RHONDA M. SMITH
Rhonda Smith is President and Founder of Rhegal Consulting, and has extensive experience and a highly successful track record through her career creating and implementing learning and development solutions for multi-million to multi-billion
dollar companies. With over 20 years of experience that includes sales and marketing management, in addition to learning and development consulting,Rhonda has developed an expertise in marketing and sales force effectiveness. As President of Rhegal Consulting, Rhonda is responsible for overseeing client
Rhonda earned her M.B.A. in Marketing and Operations Management from the Colgate Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and her B.S. Degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech. She is a Leadership Charlotte
Alumnus, the current Chair of the Board of The Women’s Fund of Miami, and past Chair of the Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce Women’s Business Council. Rhonda is also a member of the American Marketing Association, the ASTD, and is a CEO Forum member of The Commonwealth Institute of South Florida. She also served on the 2007 NFL Super Bowl Special Events Committee, and has been honored as one of South Florida’s “25 Most Prominent and Influential African American Women”.
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Our retreats rock! We are a group of loving, caring individuals who want nothing more than to serve you.There is no charge to attend one of our retreats. Our current retreat locations are based in Park City, Utah and Aiken, South Carolina. Whether you live in that area or not, we invite you to come visit us and participate in what may become a life altering experience.
Our volunteers, of which there are many, are committed to ensure that your retreat experience is one of a kind. Many of our volunteers are also cancer survivors as well as having experienced a retreat themselves as a participant.Dealing with cancer can be frightening and there are many issues that appear that are difficult to deal with alone. Our team is here to listen and embrace your needs, seen and unseen.
Please consider joining us at one of our retreats.
Sincerely,
The Board of Directors of Women Beyond Cancer
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