Senior Financial Representative, Edward Jones
Ed Lynch is 30-year veteran of the financial services industry, 26 of which have been at Edward Jones where he has served in multiple roles. After entering formal leadership within the organization in 2001 as Regional Leader of Metro Detroit, he accepted a role as a General Partner in the firm in 2004. He progressed to lead Chicago Metro and subsequently the state of Michigan as an Area Leader from 2011 through 2020. In those roles he led hundreds of branch office teams to grow market share, understand firm vision for delivering outstanding service to clients while coaching them to develop outward looking mindsets. He retired from leadership at Edward Jones at the conclusion of 2020 and continues to focus on serving a select group of clients as a financial adviser.
Ed is excited to give back to the community by helping New Day craft and execute its vision to become the primary cancer support charity in the state of Michigan. He and his wife Heather, a long time New Day volunteer, are Rochester residents and along with their adult children Bailey and Ryan, feel so fortunate to engage in efforts to assist this wonderful foundation.
Matt JamisonPresident and Managing Director of PMCF
Matt has 30 years of professional experience advising clients on strategic and financial alternatives, sale and acquisition transactions, divestitures and recapitalizations. His past clients include privately-owned businesses, private equity groups and public corporations across various industries, including business services & technology, consumer, food & retail, plastics & packaging, industrials and healthcare. Matt has significant experience originating and executing deals domestically and internationally and is a board member of Corporate Finance International, the global investment banking affiliate of PMCF. As President of PMCF, Matt provides strategic, operational and financial direction to the firm. In addition, he is responsible for managing
client relationships, leading transaction teams and actively marketing the services of PMCF to potential clients.
Matt is an advisor to the board of Mortarstone, a Christian-based software and services company focused on increasing church giving and engagement. He and his wife Kristen are members of Northridge Church and are active supporters of numerous charities focused on assisting children in the metro Detroit area.
Matt and Kristen are long-time Novi residents who now split their time between Novi and Chicago. They have two adult children, Andrew and Ashley. Matt is honored to join the board of New Day and is extremely excited to assist in furthering the mission of this amazing foundation.
Alicia JeffreysChief Marketing Officer, Detroit Pistons
Alicia has been in marketing and branding with the organization for 19 years and leads a team of 40+ people over different areas including Community in Social Responsibility, Brand Strategy, Marketing Operations, and Content and Creative Production. She is the mother of four wonderful daughters and a cancer survivor who has a strong affinity and understanding for the mission of New Day.
Caron Koteles RihaAssociate Broker at Real Estate One/Max Broock in Rochester
Caron is a leader in the real estate community as consistently the top Associate Broker at Real Estate One/Max Broock in downtown Rochester. While building a strong legal and business career since the early 1990’s, as well as raising her children who have all graduated the local Stoney Creek High School, Caron is proud to have always dedicated herself to the Community. New Day Foundation is a vital part of helping others, which is what Caron loves to do. Whether it is dominating her business, spending quality time with her husband, Keith, and their five grown children and Corgi named Bean, or volunteering to raise awareness in the community, Caron makes time for what is important.
David Kwon, MDInterim Deputy Director-Surgical Oncology Specialties, Henry Ford Cancer Institute, Physician In Charge, Cancer Pavilion, Division Head, Surgical Oncology, Medical Director, Cancer Care Pathways, Clinical Director, Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center
Dr. David Kwon is a board-certified surgeon and fellowship-trained surgical oncologist. He also is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at Wayne State University School of Medicine. He received his undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from Columbia University and earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego. He completed his residency in general surgery at Henry Ford Hospital where he received multiple research and clinical awards. He completed a surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center where he developed clinical expertise in the multidisciplinary care of cancer patients.
As the Clinical Director of the Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center, Dr. Kwon is leading the effort to bring together the world’s best minds to accelerate the pace of discovery in early detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer. His personal research interests are related to identification of radiographic biomarkers indicating early presence of disease, health and healthcare disparities, and surgical outcomes.
Steven MeyerAssistant Dean for Graduate Education and Lifelong Learning for Oakland University
Steve Meyer has been involved with the New Day Foundation as a board member since 2016 and recently accepted the role as board chair. Steve is passionate about helping families battle the financial toxicity of cancer since losing an aunt, uncle, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law to cancer; all whom had children in their home at the time of their passing. Steve holds a doctorate in Education from Oakland University where he has worked since 2006. He has a broad background and experience in budget management, information systems, gift accounting, and advancement services. Steve and his wife of 16 years, Michelle, have three kids (Caden, Declan, and Linden) and reside in Shelby Township. Michelle has been practicing veterinarian in Sterling Heights since 2007.
JoAnne PurtanEmmy Award winning reporter and radio host on WOMC
JoAnne Purtan helps start people’s day with a smile as co-host of “Mornings with Stephen Clark & JoAnne Purtan” on 104.3 WOMC. She joined WOMC Radio in April 2018 after spending 27 years as a broadcast journalist. During that time, she won 4 Emmys for her work, including Best New Anchor. JoAnne’s always been passionate about communicating, and she’s enjoying using her skills in a new way now at a station where her father spent the last 15 years of his iconic career in morning radio.
JoAnne and her family know the struggle of cancer all too well. Not only did she lose her mother-in-law to ovarian cancer, but her own mother battled the disease five times. The entire Purtan family is dedicated to raising awareness about the disease and the money needed for a more effective early detection method.
While JoAnne knows how devastating cancer alone can be, she has a heart for those faced with the added burden of financial distress. That’s why she is so passionate about her role on the Board of Directors for the New Day Foundation. She looks forward to making a difference in people’s lives as they face such a heartbreaking time. JoAnne and her husband Eric are proud Spartans, both graduates of Michigan State University. They have two children, Lauren and Adam.
Geralyn Roobol, LMSW, BS, RN, CMACDirector of Cancer Services at Corewell Health – West Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion in Grand Rapids, Michigan
She has been with the cancer center since the pavilion opened in 2008. She has over 40 years of healthcare experience. She was recruited to the Spectrum Health Cancer program to develop their oncology nurse navigator program. Today the program employs 11 nurse navigators as disease-site specific navigators. Geralyn’s strengths lie in all aspects of program development and building high functioning multidisciplinary teams.
Geralyn is also responsible for the oversight of all ambulatory oncology clinics of the hospital at the pavilion including ten disease-site multispecialty clinics; acupuncture, lymphedema, and genetics clinics, and head and neck oncology surgical practice. Geralyn has been successful over the years in obtaining grants through Susan G. Komen, Livestrong and the Spectrum Health Foundations to support the start-up of supportive services for oncology patients. Programs which she has started and continues to have oversight for at Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion include: art, music and massage therapy, yoga, nurse navigation, oncology social work, financial navigation and a number of support groups.
Amy WhippleBusiness Development Director for BDO
In November 2019, Amy joined the premier global Accounting/Tax/Advisory firm, BDO, as the Business Development Director. Amy has over 20 years of business development, marketing, event-planning, fundraising, recruiting and consulting experience. Prior to joining BDO, Amy co-founded Purple Squirrel Advisors, a Detroit-based boutique executive search firm. While at Purple Squirrel Advisors, Amy led or supported hundreds of executive level searches, in a broad range of industries, for privately-held, PE-backed and family-owned businesses. The vast majority of the search engagements were for executive-level finance/accounting roles. Amy prides herself on building strong relationships and providing caring and trusting guidance to clients, peers and strategic partners. She is passionate about positively impacting companies and truly loves being an integral player on a winning team. Amy genuinely enjoys networking (she prefers the “NetGiving” approach), leading peer-to-peer groups, and attending events for professional development. She considers herself to be a lifelong and curious learner, which has proven beneficial in her role as a trusted advisor.
Amy is passionate about bringing together like-minded people and steering funding to local non-profits. In 2013, she and two friends co-founded 100 Women Who Care, Greater Rochester Area. As of November 2019, this group of 240+ members has steered over $540,000 to 26 different non-profits. Amy has also provided support and guidance to other groups around the country who have replicated the crowd-funding giving model including: 100 Millennials Who Care, 100 Mayors Who Care, 100 Faithful Friends, 100 Men Club and 100 Women Who Care groups in: Forsyth & St. Simons, Georgia; Treasure Coast & Sarasota, Florida; and groups in North Macomb, Owosso, Grosse Pointe, Troy and Durand, Michigan. In January 2017, Amy and her co-founders, replicated the model for the business community and launched 100 Businesses Who Care. To date, the group has gifted over $250,000 to six Southeast Michigan non-profits. Amy finds it incredibly rewarding to bring together people and businesses to positively impact the organizations, communities and people who need our help.
In 2011, Amy lost her 29-year old cousin, Janet O’Connor, to colon cancer. That same year, Amy’s 29-year old sister-in-law, Nicole Cooper, was diagnosed with AML Leukemia. Both Janet and Nicole passed away from their courageous battles with cancer in December 2011. Amy is passionate about the impact she is able to make on local non-profits.
Gina Kell SpehnCo-Founder and President, New Day Foundation for Families
Co-Founder, New Day Foundation for Families; Financial Representative
In 2007, motivated by their personal experiences, Michael and Gina started New Day at the kitchen table with no nonprofit experience, but with a deep desire to help families cope with the financial and emotional burdens of cancer. The legacies of their first spouses, Matt Kell and Cathy Spehn, are the heart and soul of New Day Foundation for Families. The origins of New Day are told in the Spehn’s New York Times bestselling memoir, “The Color of Rain”, which also became a Hallmark Original movie in 2014.
Together they have a blended family with five fun-loving young adults. They have been featured on The Today Show, Huckabee and ABC World News, and have been national speakers and radio talk show hosts, sharing their message of faith, hope and love. Gina currently serves as President of New Day Foundation and is on the Advisory Board for Camp Kesem MSU. Michael is a Financial Representative with Equitable. The legacies of their late spouses and their faith in Jesus Christ are what guide their lives and commitment to the cancer community.
Dana Zakalik, MDCorporate Director of the Nancy and James Grosfeld Cancer Genetics Center and a Professor in the Oakland University William Beaumont Medical School. She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Oncology.
Dr. Zakalik completed her undergraduate and Medical School studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she went on to do her residency and Chief Residency in Internal Medicine. She completed a Fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco, where she became faculty and conducted NIH funded research in the area of gene regulation in cancer development. Dr.Zakalik was instrumental in developing a Cancer Genetics Program at Beaumont at a time when the understanding of Cancer Genetics was coming into the forefront of Oncology.
Dr. Zakalik came to Beaumont 17 years ago and is a core faculty member in the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program. She is a member of the OUWB Medical School Admissions committee, and teaches in the Cancer Genetics curriculum . She serves on the Board of the Michigan Cancer Consortium where she has chaired the Cancer Genomics Committee and the Cancer Prevention Committee.