It’s hard to believe it’s already been eight months since I accepted the full-time position of Executive Director for The IBC Network Foundation. Many of you know, however, that my journey with the Foundation began long before that.

For more than 20 years, I owned a digital marketing company. About six years ago, I met Terry Arnold when she was looking for someone to manage the Foundation’s website. What started as a web development project quickly became something much more meaningful. The more I worked alongside Terry and got to know the inflammatory breast cancer community, the more I wanted to be part of the mission.

Eventually, I made the decision to close the business I had built over two decades so I could dedicate my time to helping move this organization forward. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

When I stepped into the Executive Director role, Terry and I had a running list of ideas we’d talked about for years—programs and initiatives we knew could make a difference but simply didn’t have the time or resources to implement. One of the greatest joys of this role has been watching those ideas become reality.

Over the past several months, we’ve strengthened our systems, improved our donor stewardship, and launched several exciting initiatives, including:

• Community Advisory Board – A new volunteer leadership group made up of graduates of the IBC Learning Academy who will help expand our mission through outreach, education, advocacy, and fundraising.
• The Hope Circle – Our new recurring giving program that allows supporters to make a lasting impact through monthly gifts.
• Expanded Online Store – Offering more ways for supporters to show their commitment while helping fund our mission.
• Lunch & Learn Series – A new educational program currently in development, with the first sessions planned for January 2027.
• New Donor Platform – Enhancing how we welcome, communicate with, and care for our supporters.
• Website Redesign – A complete redesign is in the works to better serve patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and donors.

And we’re just getting started. Registration is already underway for this year’s Ultimate IBC Meet Up, our Community Advisory Board is preparing for its inaugural meeting, and we’re laying the groundwork for an exciting end-of-year campaign.

A year ago, many of these initiatives existed only as conversations around a table. Today, they’re becoming reality because of a community that believes inflammatory breast cancer patients deserve better.

Thank you for supporting our work, and helping us build something that will continue making a difference for years to come.