Sheri Biller Named City of Hope's First Woman Board Chair

LOS ANGELES, July 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  Noted philanthropist and community leader Sheri Biller will begin a three-year term as the first ever female chair of the City of Hope Board of Directors on July 1.  Biller joined the board in 2000 and most recently served as vice chair of the board and chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee. She succeeds grocery industry executive Terry Peets, whose terms as chair ends June 30.

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Biller and her husband, Les Biller, are longtime supporters of City of Hope. Through The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, the couple helped establish a groundbreaking supportive care facility at City of Hope, the Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center. The center has piloted revolutionary SupportScreen technology which allows City of Hope's health professionals to provide immediate, individualized care.  Patient navigators and a unique Patient and Family Orientation Class help patients fully utilize City of Hope's services and resources.  The center's vision is to be the national model for integrative supportive care medicine.

"I am honored to serve as chair for an institution that has made a difference in the lives of so many," said Biller. "My passion for City of Hope is very personal. It is a privilege to serve in this capacity and to work with my fellow board members in advancing City of Hope's efforts to help patients everywhere.

"Health care is one of the most critical and rapidly evolving areas of our society and for nearly 100 years, City of Hope has evolved in order to make major strides in the treatment and prevention of cancer and other diseases. I look forward to helping guide City of Hope as it enters into its second century."

"Ms. Biller has been a tireless supporter of City of Hope as evidenced by the establishment of the Biller Patient and Family Resource Center," said Michael A. Friedman, M.D., City of Hope president and chief executive officer and director, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center.  "For nearly a decade, she has committed her time and dedication to our mission. We look forward to Sheri's continued leadership in advancing the lifesaving work of City of Hope."

Biller has played key leadership roles in several charitable organizations. She has served as an advisor on board development, and board member for many non-profit organizations in Los Angeles, including the Kayne Eras Center, The Rape Foundation, Children's Burn Foundation, and Center Theatre Group (CTG).  In 1999, she founded CTG's Corporate Circle, which has raised more than $7 million for the organization's renowned student theatre arts education program and reached more than 315,000 public school students since its inception.

Before moving to Los Angeles, Biller founded and chaired the Ordway Circle of Stars, the volunteer organization of the Ordway Music Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was previously chief executive officer and owner of the Capital Mortgage Company in San Francisco.

About City of Hope

City of Hope is a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest honor bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope's research and treatment protocols advance care throughout the nation. City of Hope is located in Duarte, Calif., just northeast of Los Angeles, and is ranked as one of "America's Best Hospitals" in cancer and urology by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics. For more information, visit www.cityofhope.org.

SOURCE City of Hope