About

Cathy is responsible for managing the financial data for Unite for HER. She originally learned about UFH as a parent volunteer for the student programs at Rustin High School. Due to a strong family history of breast cancer, she immediately appreciated the need for, and the value of, the services UFH offers to breast cancer patients. Prior to joining UFH, Cathy spent almost thirty years in various auditing, accounting and project management roles. Cathy received a B.S. in Accounting from Fordham University in New York. She is the mother of three and her family lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Cameron is responsible for the special events of the organization. Her background developing and executing special events was just what Unite for HER needed as we continue to grow. Leading the Students Unite for HER program and coordinating the new events and fundraisers for the organization, Cameron is expanding Unite for HER’s awareness and markets. Cameron received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Drexel University. She currently lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Michele DiCristofaro MS, RD, LDN recently joined the Unite for HER team as a Nutrition Consultant. She left her full-time job in corporate America over six years ago to pursue a career as a registered dietitian. She received a BS in Marketing from York College of Pennsylvania and worked in various production and management positions. Before going back to school, she worked as a Territory Sales Manager with Hallmark Cards for 14 years. Michele obtained her Masters in Clinical Nutrition from Immaculata University in Malvern, PA. Prior to joining UFH, she was the Nutrition Education Coordinator for Devereux Children’s Behavioral Health Services in Malvern, PA where she taught healthy cooking classes for children and adolescents. For UFH she provides nutrition consultation and education via grocery store tours and in-home cooking. She currently resides in West Norriton, PA with her husband and son.

Bernadette has been involved with UFH since 2012, first as part of the Students Unite for HER program at Unionville H.S. where her children attended and then as a breast cancer survivor and alumnus of the UFH programs. She now joins us as a volunteer accountant to lend her accounting and tax expertise. Bernadette is currently Vice President of Tax Research at Vertex, Inc. in King of Prussia, PA. Bernadette’s 30 plus year career also includes the corporate tax departments of Endo Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, DuPont, Syngenta, Tyco Toys and, initially, Ernst & Young. Bernadette is a graduate of Seton Hall University, from which she earned both a B.S. in Accounting and her Juris Doctor. She is a licensed attorney and a CPA. She resides with her husband in West Chester, PA and they have 2 children.

Joining Unite for Her in 2019 after being inspired by all the organization does for women going through their difficult journey of surgeries and treatments, Monica is responsible for helping to grow the Students Unite for HER program in New Jersey. She will also assist with the special events throughout the year, and help with coordinating fundraisers in New Jersey, as well as the Philadelphia area. Monica graduated from The College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Science in Education. She lives in Cinnaminson, NJ with her husband Ryan, their four children, and their dog George.

Joining Unite for HER in July 2014, Gail is responsible for providing administrative and execution support for UFH’s outreach programs. She manages the Wellness Day program and the network of professionals that provide therapy services. Prior to this, she spent 25 years in various business development and management positions in the chemical industry. Gail received a B.S. in Engineering from Drexel University and an MBA from Villanova University. She resides with her husband and two daughters in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

As Development and Major Gifts Manager, Jen oversees fundraising campaigns, strategic relationships, and donor relations at Unite for HER. Prior to joining Unite for HER, she worked at QVC for over 14 years developing and managing national, multi-platform cause marketing campaigns. Jen obtained her Bachelors in Communications from West Chester University and currently resides in West Chester with her family.

Jan is an administrative assistant for the UFH office. She was on the Unite for Her Board for 6 years as the secretary, as well as a volunteer. Her term of office was over in June and she joined the staff in July. In 2015, she retired from Chichester Middle School where she taught for 38 years as a math teacher. Jan met Sue in 2007, where both sons were playing lacrosse at Rustin. Jan graduated from Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania with a BS in mathematics and earned a Masters of Education from West Chester University. She is the mother of four boys and resides in Thornton with her husband Tim and their dog Ravin.

Carol joined Unite for HER in 2018 as a volunteer. She is responsible for coordinating volunteers and their efforts to support fundraising events, wellness programs, the HER care box program and various operational initiatives. Carol is a retired Human Resource professional with over 35 years’ HR experience in healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. She also spent 4 year leading a Finance Shared Services team during a period of acquisitions and functional integration. Carol obtained her bachelor’s in business from Wharton School and holds an MBA from Temple University. Carol resides in West Chester with her husband.

Erin Pellegrin RD, LDN joined Unite for HER full-time as the Nutrition Manager after working as a nutrition counselor since 2013. She begins the nutrition discussion at each Wellness Day. She also provides hands-on education with both grocery store tours and in-home cooking, and is a contributor to the UFH blog. Prior to joining UFH, she worked as a clinical dietitian at Hahnemann University Hospital where she worked primarily with the inpatient and outpatient oncology population. She received her nutrition degree from LaSalle University and has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication/Journalism from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. She currently lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

As Digital Communications Associate, Peyton Pflug is involved in both strategic communication and creative projects at Unite for HER. She assists with social media and design work as well as media relations and digital marketing. Peyton graduated from Temple University after studying communication, public relations and Spanish. Shortly after, she joined Unite for HER in 2019. She currently lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

After volunteering with Unite for HER, Nina started her full time career with Unite for HER in 2019 as the Wellness Day Program Manager. She coordinates with our hospital partners and internal staff to deliver the Wellness Day program and events to the women in our program. She received her Master in Public Health with a concentration in Integrative Health from West Chester University in 2013 and lives in Avondale, PA with her husband and children.

As Digital Media & Marketing Manager Corianne develops and manages all marketing and communications strategy, creative and branding, and web development. Corianne is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, where she received degrees in Public Relations and French. She currently resides in Malvern, Pennsylvania, with he husband and their pug, Lewis Hamilton.

When Sue Weldon was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 39, it was her children she thought of first. She wanted to be there to raise them, to see them grow up, and to be strong for them. As she went through surgery and chemotherapy she watched the pounds she didn’t have fall away, lost her hair, her energy, and the color in her face. The conventional treatments that rid her body of cancer—surgery, chemotherapy, and reconstruction—brought a host of mental and physical side effects, including nausea, headaches, fatigue, neuropathy, muscle and joint pain, anxiety and depression. These traumatic symptoms were debilitating, and lasted for a full year after Sue’s treatment was complete. Adding to all of these challenges was the psychological pain of losing both breasts, premature menopause, as well as changes in her body image and sexuality, adding even more stress to a very difficult situation.

When Sue’s treatments were finished, she was told that she was cancer-free. Despite this wonderful news, she hardly recognized the woman she saw in the mirror, a shell of her former vibrant self. Determined to regain some control of her health, Sue discovered that an abundance of research had shown that integrating complementary therapy with mainstream medicine could significantly improve patient well-being during treatment and beyond. She began incorporating acupuncture, massage, yoga, exercise, and nutrition into her recovery plan, and experienced significant reduction in pain, an increase in her energy, and improvement in her overall wellness. She learned that the astounding benefits of complementary therapies are widely accepted within the medical community, but since the treatments generally are not covered by insurance, most patients do not have access to or even know about them. Sue recognized that very few breast cancer patients in active treatment and/or recovery have both the time and the energy to do the research and the financial means to commit to the treatments.

Fueled by the powerful impact that complementary therapies had on her, in 2009, Sue founded Unite for HER (Helping to Empower and Restore) to bridge this gap between the medical and wellness communities and bring complementary therapies to all breast cancer patients, regardless of income. In just over eight years, what started as a small program at Paoli Hospital, has grown to a partnership with 22 hospitals that has served more than 3,500 breast cancer patients in the Philadelphia region. Sue is a respected leader in the community and an effective proponent of integrating traditional and holistic modalities to provide a comprehensive plan to treat the whole woman.

Sue has received numerous awards for her impact on the breast cancer community. She was awarded the “Norma E. Ciccarone Award of Hope” by ‘Cuddle My Kids’ in 2011, was named a Top 23 Power Women Local Game Changers by Main Line Today in 2013, as well as one of the Top 20 Philanthropists Who Care in Main Line Today, April 2016. Last November, she had the honor of being named the 2016 Health Hero by Philadelphia magazine for her work as a wellness advocate, and also received the 2016 award for “Community Breast Cancer Foundation of the Year” from Breast Cancer Wellness magazine.

Sue is a guest speaker at various events throughout the area, inspiring both men and women with her compelling survivorship story and healthy lifestyle tips. Prior to founding UFH, Sue spent 25 years as a coach at AJS Pancott Gymnastics National Training Center, and has served as a Junior Olympic National Team coach. She is a graduate of West Chester University with a degree in Communication which she used in her career in advertising sales for 10 years. Sue and her husband Chip have three children and reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Linna Li graduated with a Bachelor in Arts from University of California, Berkley in 2002 with high honors having a double major in Immunology and Cell Biology and Social Welfare. She went on to graduate from Drexel University College of Medicine in 2006. She did an internship with Drexel University School of Medicine in Internal Medicine and went on to do a radiation oncology residency at Fox Chase Cancer Center, becoming Chief Resident in 2010. She came to Bryn Mawr Hospital as an Attending Radiation Oncologist in 2011. Linna has authored several articles for peer-reviewed journals and presented research at professional oncology meetings, many relating to breast cancer. She has been the recipient of several awards such as; the Women in Excellence award in 2006 and the National Cancer Center Network Fellowship Award in 2008 and the RSNA Roentgen Award in 2010.

Amy is Director of Sales at Independence Blue Cross where she leads Mid-Market Account Management teams responsible for customer and broker relations, customer retention and growth. Since joining Independence Blue Cross in 1993, she has held various leadership roles including New Sales and Account Management in both the Small and Mid-Market segments. In addition to her Sales experience, she is responsible for strategic planning and business development and has served in a leadership capacity for corporate strategic initiatives throughout her career.

Amy holds a B.S. Degree from Villanova University and an M.B.A. from St. Joseph’s University with a concentration in Healthcare Administration. Amy is a breast cancer survivor and an advocate for those affected by this disease. Amy and her husband Frank live in Glen Mills with their twins, Abby & Matthew.

After earning a Bachelors of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Scranton, Cathy has enjoyed a 25+ year career in the finance and consulting industries, holding leadership positions at Deloitte, IBM, AT&T, The Siegfried Group and Crane Co. Cathy’s expertise is in creating high performing teams, leading strategic and business planning processes, project management, and process improvement. Cathy is active with a number of community-based non-profits, including Students Unite for HER and Chester County Food Bank. Cathy and her husband, Sean, live in West Chester with their two children.

Connie has spent the last 20+ years working for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals in Finance, Commercial, Sales, and Business Strategy leadership positions. Her passion for improving healthcare through life sciences has taken her all over the globe, including a 4 year assignment in London, England to lead merger and acquisitions for the company’s 2 nd largest therapeutic area. She started her career as a Certified Public Accountant working for KPMG, auditing non-profit organizations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Minnesota and a Masters of Business Administration
from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She is active in the community, serving on several boards and committees. She is a breast cancer survivor. She resides in Malvern, Pennsylvania, with her husband and 3 children.

Parker has spent the last 30 years in the software industry working in sales management and executive positions . He is a graduate of Lehigh University where he received a B.S. in Marketing. He and his family have been volunteers and supporters of Unite for HER from its beginning. Parker and his wife, Mary, live in West Chester, PA and have 3 children.

Meghan McVety, is a Principal and Co-Founder of Capacity for Change, LLC, a consulting group dedicated to inspiring greater community impacts through smart strategy consulting. Meghan has expertise in strategic and business planning, organizational development, facilitation, and philanthropy, and she works with nonprofits and foundations throughout the Philadelphia region and at the national level. Meghan previously served on the Boards of Directors of the Chester County Community Foundation and Coatesville Youth Initiative, and currently serves on committees with Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia and Volunteer English Program. She earned her Master of Public Administration from the University of San Francisco. Meghan lives with her husband and two sons in West Chester, PA.

Chief, Clinical Gynecologic Oncology
Director, Hanjani Institute for Gynecologic Oncology Deputy Director, Asplundh Cancer Pavilion and Oncology Service Line Leader
Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University Abington Health Physicians

Mark Shahram Shahin, MD, graduated Summa Cum Laude at Syracuse University where he was a member of the National Engineering Honor Society. While at Syracuse University, Dr. Shahin received distinct awards, including the George M. Berry Award for Best All-Around Senior and Bioengineering

Award for Outstanding Achievement by a senior. After earning his medical degree, Dr. Shahin completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology where he continued to receive awards and honors such as Outstanding Obstetrics and Gynecology Resident and Outstanding Northwestern Resident Teacher Award. He completed two fellowships in advanced gynecologic surgery and gynecologic oncology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and clinics. During this time his research focused on p53 genetic mutations in ovarian malignancies as well as phase II and III p53 gene replacement therapy in ovarian cancer. He was recently appointed chief of the Hanjani Institute for Gynecologic Oncology.

The Hanjani Institute for Gynecologic Oncology offers the expertise of a teaching and clinical research institution and the personal involvement and accessibility of a community hospital. The gynecologic oncology program at Abington Hospital is highly ranked among 49 full members of the Gynecologic Oncology Group in terms of number of patients treated and quality of research data.

Dr. Shahin has published several manuscripts on treatments of gynecologic cancers. He has made multiple appearances and presentations on a local and national level. He serves as the co- principal investigator for gynecologic oncology group clinical trials. He is a fellow of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and American College of surgeons. He is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology. He is appointed as the associate director of Obstetrics and Gynecology residency program at Abington since 2006. He is an active member of Society of Gynecologic Oncology and American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from West Chester University. After graduating from college, Jeff went to work in the textile industry and had a 30 year career in the business. In 2013, he sold the textile manufacturing company that he owned for 24 years. He fulfilled his obligation to work for the new company for a year and a half and then retired. He is a past board member of Foundation for Learning In Tredyffrin/Easttown. His hobbies and interests include golf, cars, motorcycles and travel. Jeff and his wife, Maureen, live in Berwyn, PA and have three boys.