American Brain Tumor Association Announces New Board of Directors Chair and Members

CHICAGO, Jan. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Brain Tumor Association announced today the appointment of Carla Varner as Chair of the Board of Directors and newly-elected members Mitchel S. Berger, MD, Berthold and Belle N. Guggenheim professor and University of California, San Francisco Brain Tumor Center director and Danny Monson, CEO of State Logistics Services, Inc. Their terms began on January 1, 2021.

In her new role as Board Chair, Carla Varner is responsible for leading the ABTA's dedicated board members and providing strategic governance for the organization. She will work closely with Ralph DeVitto, president and CEO of the ABTA, to enhance the organization's reputation as a leader in serving brain tumor patients and funding breakthrough brain tumor research.

"As an ABTA board member for the past six years, I am confident in Carla's ability to lead the board through the impact of the pandemic and beyond," DeVitto said.

Varner has served on the ABTA board since 2014 and is the chief legal officer and managing director of Franklin Monroe Administrative Services, LLC, a financial services company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. 

In addition, the ABTA is proud to announce two newly-elected members joining the board in 2021:

Danny Monson

Danny Monson, CEO of States Logistics Services, Inc., has 29 years of experience in the warehouse and transportation industry. Monson's 19-year-old daughter Katie was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM) in 2017. The KM Legacy Foundation was created by Katie in 2017 to raise money for brain cancer awareness and research. She passed away in 2018 from a GBM. Danny, his wife Jennifer, and their two daughters continue to lead the Foundation to advance progress in the fight against brain tumors. Danny and the entire Monson family are strong supporters of the ABTA.

Mitchel S. Berger, MD

Mitchel S. Berger, MD, FACS, FAANS, is the Berthold and Belle N. Guggenheim professor and UCSF's Brain Tumor Center director. He also served as past chair of UCSF's department of Neurological Surgery from 1997-2020.

During his distinguished career, Dr. Berger has served as president of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, president of the Society of Neuro-Oncology and president of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery. He has also been a director of the American Board of Neurological Surgery; a member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons; and a member of the Blue Ribbon Panel for the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative. Dr. Berger has been a longtime volunteer for the ABTA.

The 2021 American Brain Tumor Association Board of Directors:

Carla Varner—Chair; Ram Subramanian—Vice Chair; Bob Kruchten—Treasurer; Brandon Starkoff—Secretary; Jim Reilly—Immediate Past Chair; and members — Mitchel S. Berger, M.D.; Jackie Lemke; Danny Monson and Mindee Plugues.

President & CEO
Ralph A. DeVitto

Co-Founders
Susan Netchin Kramer
Linda Gene Goldstein

About the ABTA 

Founded in 1973, the American Brain Tumor Association provides comprehensive resources to support the complex needs of brain tumor patients and caregivers, across all ages and tumor types, as well as the critical funding of research in the pursuit of breakthroughs in brain tumor diagnoses, treatments and care. To learn more, visit abta.org or call 800-886-ABTA (2282).

SOURCE American Brain Tumor Association