OFFICERS
WILLIAM CRANE | PATHWAYS ADVISORY | BOARD CHAIR
Bill is a change and communications leader with 25+ years of experience driving strategic change programs across organizations of all shapes and sizes, equipping him with both deep and broad operational expertise to help organizations drive real change and make true impact. Bill is currently the Chief Operating Officer with the Foundation for Senior Services, an LA-based nonprofit dedicated to providing services, education and resources to help seniors age well and maintain their independence. Bill is excited to join ROW and help drive our mission. He has had several friends and family members impacted by breast cancer. In addition, he understands the power of building community through sports and fitness programs, though his rowing experience is limited to indoor rowing classes!
ALLISON ROMER | ROW MEMBER & VICE CHAIR
Allison was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2016. She joined ROW in November 2017 after completing treatment and having enough hair, so that she was comfortable with ditching her wig! Allison had never been a rower. The last time she participated in team athletics was skiing on the first women’s ski team at Williams College in Massachusetts. She quickly fell in love with rowing and her teammates and coaches. For Allison, the silver lining of having breast cancer is being able to call her teammates sisters, who inspire her to live each day with purpose, courage, and gratitude and refuse to let cancer define or limit them.
Allison’s business career spans senior executive roles in strategic planning, marketing, communications, sales, business and program development, and advocacy at global healthcare companies and non-profit professional associations including Baxter, Cardinal Health, Hollister, American Association of Diabetes Educators, American Medical Association, and American College of Healthcare Executives.
ROW has had a profound impact on Allison’s life and she is passionate about helping patients and survivors get and stay active, while learning a great sport and connecting with an amazing community.
MELODY TODD | NOVO ADVISORS | SECRETARY
Melody was introduced to ROW in 2022 and felt an immediate connection to the organization’s mission. Although she has no rowing experience, as a long-time fitness enthusiast she understands the positive impact that both exercise and community have on total well-being. In her professional life, Melody is the Human Resources Director for Novo Advisors, a premier turnaround consultancy serving middle market firms. In this role, she leads the firm’s people strategy covering the full employee lifecycle. Melody brings over 15 years of strategic and tactical HR experience to ROW. She is thrilled to be a member of the Board and to help advance ROW’s vision.
KATHLEEN BEHNER | ROW MEMBER & TREASURER
Kathleen was introduced to ROW and joined the team in 2009, five years after her cancer diagnosis. As a long-time believer in regular exercise and one who gained great benefit from attending a cancer support group, she was thrilled to find an organization which combined both regular exercise and support from women at various stages of their cancer journey. Her love for the team influenced her decision to join the ROW staff in 2017 as Manager of Operations and Outreach where she worked until 2022, expertly managing the accounting operations and staffing outreach events to encourage women to join the team and stay active in their recovery.
Now retired, Kathleen brings to the board over 40 years of accounting and operations experience from her work in health care and non-profit organizations. She is happy that retirement has afforded her more time to plan active vacations, with her passion being exploring European countries on a bicycle. She loves witnessing women becoming stronger through rowing and hopes for a day when all breast cancer oncologists include regular exercise as part of their standard cancer treatment plans.
DIRECTORS
HEATHER VUNOVICH | MARKETING EXECUTIVE
It was during ROW’s formative years that Heather was introduced to the organization through a family member. She spent many years supporting the cause from the sidelines until recently, at the perfect time, joined the Board. Although she is new to the sport of Rowing, she has a deep passion and vested interest in the fight against Breast Cancer inspired by her mother; a 25+ year survivor.
Heather brings more than 25 years of Marketing, Strategy & Communications experience to ROW. She spent most of her career at WPP in cross functional leadership roles where she championed major automotive brands through transformation. Most recently, Heather is working as a Marketing consultant. Importantly, Heather has a passion for teaching, and mentoring young professionals as they grow in their career.
Heather is looking forward to spending more time with the team at ROW and to introducing her husband and two young daughters to rowing.
DR. SAMMAN SHAHPAR | SHIRLEY RYAN ABILITYLAB
Despite having no rowing experience himself, physiatrist Dr. Samman Shahpar has been a fan of ROW since becoming familiar with the program in 2014, and he has been referring patients to ROW with great enthusiasm. Dr. Shahpar leads the Cancer Rehabilitation Program at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. After completing his training in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) in 2009, Dr. Shahpar moved to Chicago and began developing his expertise in Cancer Rehabilitation. Since then, he has become a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and gained extensive experience in assessing and treating cancer survivors of all diagnoses. His focus is on changing the culture of cancer care to ensure that the functionality and fitness of survivors is not an afterthought.
DR. LISA FLAUM | NORTHWESTEN MEDICINE
Lisa Flaum brings 20+ years of experience as a breast cancer oncologist to the ROW board. Currently practicing at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, she focuses on assessing and treating patients with early-stage and metastatic breast cancer. Many of her patients have embraced the ROW program over the years, and Lisa has witnessed the incredible physical and psychological benefits it brings, inspiring hope and resilience in their journeys.
DR. MARJORIE M. ROSENBAUM | RETIRED, NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE
Marjorie encountered Recovery on Water as a member of the Chicago rowing community, both parent and athlete, and always admired the team’s strength, skill, determination and spirit. Her mother passed away from breast cancer at a time when therapeutic advancements were just beginning to appear. Had it been an option, she feels certain that her mom would have seized the opportunity to regain strength and confidence within the supportive community that ROW provides.
As a physician, she has always sought to improve the quality of life for her patients, and understands the role of exercise in both physical and emotional recovery. Now retired, she seeks to raise awareness of ROW’s benefits among medical colleagues in a wide range of specialties, beyond surgery and oncology, and encourage them to make their breast cancer patients aware of the resource that is ROW.
Marjorie brings her 38 years of experience establishing and running a medical practice to her service on the ROW board. She is excited to advance ROW’s mission and can hardly wait to introduce her grandchildren to rowing!
LAURA McNALLY | U.S. DISTRICT COURT OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS | ROW MEMBER
Laura first joined ROW in early 2016, when she was midway through her chemotherapy regimen and bald as a cue ball. Prior to that first indoor practice, Laura had never been a rower and had not participated in team athletics since playing on the men’s water polo team as an undergraduate at Northwestern. She joined the ROW board in 2018.
Laura is a United States Magistrate Judge in Chicago. She also teaches young lawyers across the country as a faculty member for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. She is the proud mom of two young daughters, who now view all of the ROW team members as their unofficial aunties.
BARBARA GUIDO | RETIRED, NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE
Barb recently retired from nursing practice after a rewarding 44-year career in the Chicago area. Most recently she was a Nurse Practitioner in Breast Surgery at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, IL. In the last phase of her career, Barb specialized in the care of women with breast cancer and coordinated the high-risk breast program which is part of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. She now lives in southern California in the winter and returns to Chicago for the summer. Barb is excited to work with ROW because the organization promotes exercise and connection with others which is a crucial component of breast cancer survivorship.
NICOLE QUIGLEY | RETIRED, SALES LEADERSHIP, MEDICAL DEVICES
Nicole Quigley brings more than 25 years of experience in medical device sales and sales leadership, where she has built a reputation for strategic thinking, relationship building, and driving growth in complex healthcare environments. Throughout her career, she has partnered with clinicians, hospital systems, and healthcare leaders to deliver innovative solutions that improve patient outcomes.
Outside of her professional work, Nicole is a dedicated endurance athlete and advocate for the power of sport, community, and resilience. She is an Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Finisher, having completed all six of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, and has used her athletic pursuits to support charitable causes. On April 16, 2024, Nicole ran the Boston Marathon as part of the Aktiv Against Cancer charity team, raising funds to support cancer research and survivorship initiatives.
Nicole’s passion for athletics and community aligns deeply with the mission of Recovery on Water. She believes strongly in the physical and emotional healing that comes from movement, teamwork, and supportive community, and is proud to support an organization that empowers breast cancer survivors through rowing.
AJAY KRISHNAN | KELLOGG SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT | EX-OFFICIO BOARD FELLOW
Recovery on Water has partnered with the Kellogg School of Management's Golub Capital Board Fellows Program to support Kellogg MBA students in gaining board governance experience, while benefiting from their strategic insights and professional expertise to advance ROW’s mission.
BOARD MEMBER EMERITUS
ASSOCIATE BOARD
CURRENT MEMBERS:• ANN MIKULECKY
• KRISTEN SCHMORLEITZ
• MEL TANGONAN
• KATLYN BAERENSTECHER
• KIM CROUSE
LOOKING TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT?
Join Recovery on Water's Associate Board, a dynamic group of young professionals dedicated to advancing our mission. Our associate board members contribute their time and expertise to help ROW achieve its goals through fundraising, events, volunteering, and more!
We are actively seeking enthusiastic young professionals to join us in shaping ROW's future and gaining valuable experience in board structure and governance. Be part of our journey as we build towards 2025!
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SUE ANN GLASER | ROW MEMBER & CO-FOUNDER
As a Board Member Emeritus, Sue Ann Glaser's legacy continues to inspire. Her journey with Recovery on Water (ROW) began after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2007, when she sought a way to combine fitness with a supportive community. Inspired by the idea of a rowing team for breast cancer survivors, Sue Ann partnered with co-founder Jenn Gibbons to launch ROW, creating a space where survivors could find strength and camaraderie.
Serving as vice president of ROW’s first board, Sue Ann was instrumental in shaping ROW’s mission, recruiting members, and advocating for accessibility. Her dedication to making rowing available to all breast cancer survivors, regardless of financial circumstances, has become a core value of ROW. Though she has stepped back due to physical limitations, Sue Ann’s vision and passion remain at the heart of the organization.