Board & Staff

Melissa is a licensed Benefit Solutions Consultant with more than 15 years of experience assisting employers and HR professionals with comprehensive employee benefit solutions. She is passionate about health and holds a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from the University of Nevada, Reno. She is a graduate of the Washoe County Medical Society’s Mini-Internship Program and the Reno Sparks Chamber Leadership Program. She will also serve as president of the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce in 2022.

Dr. Cohen is a medical oncologist and Medical Director at Renown Institute for Cancer. He was an English major and art history minor as an undergraduate before deciding that wasn’t his path. Instead, Dr. Cohen became a third-generation physician, graduating from Js Weill Medical College, Cornell University, training at Memorial Sloan Kettering, UCSF and Stanford. He has practiced medicine for five decades and says, “My philosophy is that the patient comes first. It’s all about the patient.”
 

Dr. Thummala is a medical oncologist and hematologist focusing on the treatment of all cancer types with a special interest in breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, and hematological malignancies. She is also on the frontlines of clinical research at Comprehensive, where she serves as principal and sub-investigator for many trials, including collaborations with US Oncology Research, UCLA, and Pharma Research. She is vice chair of the Department of Medicine at Summerlin Hospital Medical Center and is a board member for peer review and the nominating committee. At MountainView Hospital, she is chair of the cancer committee and is the sub-specialty director for its graduate medical education program. Dr. Thummala is also an adjunct faculty member at UNLV School of Medicine.

Lisa serves as Executive Vice President of Ancillary Services at Nevada Health Centers, a federally qualified health center, continuing her three decades-long career in health care management. She has been a champion for quality healthcare for all with efforts including improved customer service and more efficient mobile mammography through 3D enhancement and a fully electronic system on the Mammovan.

Debbie is licensed counselor and Director of Behavioral Health Services at Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital in Elko, Nevada. She helps patients from throughout the hospital and their families to deal with crisis. She is also a breast cancer survivor and serves on the board of the Elko Cancer Network. She believes cancer is your opportunity to go out there and tell people that they are worth fighting for.

Stacey spent more than two decades as a broadcast reporter as was well-known in the Las Vegas market when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma. Since her diagnosis she has been on a mission to save lives by educating others about skin cancer. She travels to Washington D.C. to advocate at the national level and was part of the release of the 2014 U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action on Skin Cancer. At the state level she has helped to pass several laws to reduce skin cancer risk and helped NCC to launch Sun Smart Nevada. 

Tom has been involved with NCC since its inception in 2002 and has been a valuable member of the cancer control community by advocating for policies at both the state and national level. He served for more than 12 years as the Government Relations Director for American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network before retiring. He continues to work on a variety of issues related to cancer, chronic disease and palliative care. He received his law degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law and has a BA and MA in Mass Communication and Media Studies.