Former MADD CEO Debbie Weir Joins Ex-Today Show Correspondent, Kristen Dahlgren to Transform Cancer Treatment

Cancer Vaccine Coalition appoints veteran nonprofit executive who helped shift public attitudes on drunk driving to help advance cutting edge immune treatments.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cancer Vaccine Coalition (CVC), the only national nonprofit exclusively focused on advancing therapeutic cancer vaccines, today announced the appointment of nationally recognized leader Debbie Weir as Chief Impact Officer. 

Weir brings a proven track record of catalyzing cultural transformation through strategic nonprofit leadership. She served as National CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), where she helped reduce drunk driving deaths by 50% and played a pivotal role in transforming public attitudes toward impaired driving. She also served as Chief Mission Officer at Everytown for Gun Safety and most recently as CEO of the Cancer Support Community, overseeing psychosocial support services for cancer patients and caregivers across more than 175 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

Cancer vaccines are emerging as the next frontier in treating cancer and preventing recurrence—and Debbie Weir's decision to join the Cancer Vaccine Coalition underscores the growing urgency and momentum behind these immune-based approaches. The role represents both a major step in her professional journey and a deeply personal mission for Weir, who has witnessed cancer's impact on her own family.

"I've seen firsthand how cancer changes lives—for patients, for families, for entire communities. That's why I'm committed to this next chapter: helping make cancer vaccines a reality. We have promising research and data showing cancer vaccines work to train the immune system to find and destroy cancer cells. Now we need the urgency, the funding, and the coalition to get us to that cancer-free future," says Debbie Weir, Chief Impact Office at Cancer Vaccine Coalition.

In her new position, Weir will lead national strategy, stakeholder engagement, and impact initiatives to accelerate cancer vaccine research and clinical trial funding from her base in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. She joins Kristen Dahlgren, a breast cancer survivor and former NBC Nightly News and Today Show correspondent who founded CVC in 2024 after learning promising cancer vaccine science was stalled by insufficient funding and lack of public awareness.

"Debbie doesn't just lead organizations—she builds movements that change the way we think, act, and respond to some of society's toughest challenges. With Debbie's leadership we can help get targeted, less toxic treatments to patients. We all deserve better, and we shouldn't have to wait," says Dahlgren, adding "Other countries are embracing large scale cancer vaccine development as we speak, the U.S can't afford to be left behind with two million Americans expected to be diagnosed this year and another 18.6 million survivors facing a risk of recurrence."

Since its founding, the Cancer Vaccine Coalition has raised more than $2 million in philanthropic funding and works with strategic partners like the V Foundation for Cancer Research and leading cancer researchers from institutions including Cleveland Clinic, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Penn Medicine and UW Medicine's Cancer Vaccine Institute.

 Weir joins the Cancer Vaccine Coalition at a time when therapeutic cancer vaccines are gaining momentum in clinical trials around the world, offering unprecedented hope for more effective treatment options and recurrence prevention. With 1 in 3 people expected to develop cancer in their lifetime, the need for new approaches has never been more urgent. Cancer vaccines represent a paradigm shift—toward treatments that activate the body's own immune system to recognize and fight cancer. To donate please visit www.cancervaccinecoalition.org

About Cancer Vaccine Coalition
Cancer Vaccine Coalition (CVC) is a 501c3 nonprofit, public charity founded in 2024 as a collaboration between survivors, researchers, industry, and those impacted by cancer to help move the science forward, faster. CVC is the only nonprofit laser-focused on funding clinical trials for cancer vaccines and building awareness for vaccine research. Guided by a Scientific Advisory Board that is at the forefront of cancer vaccine research, CVC advocates and fundraises to accelerate the development and approval of cancer vaccines. To learn more visit www.cancervaccinecoalition.org.

Name: Aliza Friedlander   
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 443.858.0098

SOURCE Cancer Vaccine Coalition