Board Members Join New Board Leadership Team

in Plan for Growth 

By Chuck Gibson

LOVELAND, OH (August 25, 2021) – Loveland-based CancerFree KIDS (CFK) has appointed three new members to its Board of Trustees. Javier Diaz, Rob Reifsnyder, and Tom Simpson each are recognized leaders in the broader Cincinnati community.

Javier Diaz, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (Provided)

Rob Reifsnyder, Retired CEO United Way Greater Cincinnati (Provided)

Tom Simpson, COO Cincinnati Bell, Inc. (Provided)

  • Javier Diaz, vice president, Cancer & Blood Institute at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
  • Rob Reifsnyder, chief executive officer (retired), United Way of Greater Cincinnati
  • Tom Simpson, chief operating officer, Cincinnati Bell, Inc.

The addition of the three prominent business leaders is intended to establish more relationships with Greater Cincinnati’s business community and expand CFK’s impact in pediatric cancer research. Diaz, Reifsnyder, and Simpson join a board that has also recently seen a change in leadership. Al Early, vice president and principal of consulting services, CBTS, replaces CancerFree KIDS Founder Ellen Flannery as the new board chair.

“We are strategically putting the pieces together to help take CancerFree KIDS to the next level,” said Early. “With Javier, Rob, and Tom, we can stay closely aligned with emerging research opportunities while reaching more of Cincinnati’s business leaders and growing the support for vital pediatric cancer initiatives.”

In addition to Early as new board chair for CFK, Kelly Holden, partner, DBL Law has been named vice-chair and Greg Carroll, director, technical support center office of ground water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been named treasurer.

Javier Diaz, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (Provided)

“CancerFree KIDS is a tremendous partner to Ohio cancer researchers,” said Diaz. “I’m excited to join a team that is so clear in its mission to apply revolutionary research to cure high-risk and relapsed cancer in children. Thanks to CancerFree KIDS and the research it has funded, there are kids who are right now enjoying longer, happy lives. I am grateful for this opportunity to help CancerFree KIDS grow these important efforts.”

Founded in 2002, CancerFree KIDS has invested more than $7 million since its inception to fund high-risk, high-reward research initiatives at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Avondale and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.

The CFK investments fund grants for research to develop and find cures and gentler treatments for children and families facing the pains and challenges of pediatric cancer. In most cases, this research would go unfunded without the support of CancerFree KIDS.

Please visit www.cancerfreekids.org to learn more about the organization’s mission and work to fight childhood cancer.