Community Advisory Board

Candace Henley is a tireless advocate for colon cancer prevention and support. She was a single mother who was raising five children who lost her car and home while battling colon cancer. Her own battle and the devastation it left on her life and that of her children inspired her to create The Blue Hat Foundation.

The organization is founded on unconditional support and compassion for people fighting colon cancer. Their mission is to provide education, information, and free screenings for colon cancer in minority and medically underserved communities. The Blue Hat Foundation started as a single event, “Blue Hat Bow Tie Sunday”— at one church in Chicago. The program is now in 15 churches and promotes “education through participation” by asking the congregation to wear blue in honor of someone who is fighting or passed away from colon cancer.

In addition to the Sunday events, The Blue Hat Foundation raises awareness about the disease’s signs, as well as shares stories of personal experience, through speeches, podcasts, articles and community partnerships.

Joanne Glenn is a mentor to many, speaker, and educator. She is always seeking opportunities to serve the communities at risk. She is:

• Co-owner of Comprehensive Quality Care, Inc. Foundation, a Joint Commission Deem Status Home Health Organization 2001
• A past inductee into Wendell Phillips High School, Hall of Fame 2002
• Recognized by National Black Nurses Day, April 2012
• Honored at Black Woman’s Expo, “The Phenomenal Woman Award,” April 2016
• Executive Board Member Friend & Family Health Center, 2016
• Co-Chair of Chicago Cancer Health Equities Collaborative Community (CHEC) Steering Committee 2016
• Black Nurses Rock National Leadership Summit Awardee, New York 2017 & Chicago Chapter President
• A proven and willing community advocate with the focus on quality service without compromise or prejudice

Anoushah Antilles holds an Associate’s degree in international business from MacCormac College now known as Generations College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from National-Louis University in Chicago. A long-time resident of the Austin neighborhood, she works as a Liaison for the West Side Task Force and State Representative La Shawn K. Ford (8th District).  Her ultimate goal is to uplift the West Side of Chicago by providing resources to the community and install economic growth.

Bishop Tyree Beard is the Senior Leader and Establishmentarian of The Movement Church – Chicago. He is also the Apostolic Overseer/Senior Leader for The Movement Network which is a collective of churches with an initiative to impact the world through the Kingdom message of Christ.

He developed a strong foundation in Christ early on at The Holy Trinity Church under the late Pastor Matthew Pettis Jr. On April 26, 2013, he established the “City of David Church” now known as “The Movement Chicago” which is a vital, non-denominational community of believers in the heart of the Chicago suburbs. He now serves on the General Board of Bishops for Pilgrim Assemblies, and is the Prelate for the Western region.

Charles Walton is trying to make a difference in the Chicagoland area. He is the newest executive director of the organization 100 Black Men of Chicago, the nearly 60-year-old organization that has chapters nationwide and connects business leaders and other adult volunteers with African-American males, ages 13 to 18, to provide mentoring, education, health, and wellness and economic empowerment.

He majored in math and minored in business administration at Doane University and earned his MBA at Roosevelt University in Chicago. He worked with Illinois Bell, Amaco, United Airlines and other companies for more than 30 years in information technology before moving into the non-profit management slot. He has worked in Chicago, London and Washington, D.C., and he now lives in Crowne Point, Indiana.

Dan Olas is a Stage 4 colon cancer survivor. He was treated at UI Hospital by talented doctors and wonderful staff.

Throughout his cancer journey, he received and participated in cancer support services through Gilda’s Club Chicago. Upon completion of his treatments, he supported Gilda’s Club as a general board member for many years and as President of the Associate Board for four years. As president, he was responsible for leading a team of 40-50 young professionals to generate operational funding through charitable giving and raise community awareness. He has been privileged to represent Gilda’s Club over the years through print, radio, TV and numerous fundraising events.

Gina Curry, MPH, MBA, is an experienced community engagement specialist with over 15 years in community engaged academic research. She is well versed in community-academic partnership development, program development, training design and delivery, coalition building, and multi-institutional collaborations.

Prior to joining the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, she served as the Community Campus Coordinator for Northwestern University’s Community-Based Participatory Research Program for 11 years. She was instrumental in brokering more than 500 partnerships, resulting in dozens of community engaged research projects and scientific manuscripts, as well as foundation, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.

She is particularly interested in the intersection of faith and health and has been an active member of the American Public Health Association (APHA) for more than a decade, frequently moderating sessions and presenting in their Faith Caucus, Community-Based Public Health Caucus and Cancer Forum.

Josef Ben Levi, EdD, is a scholar of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy, Classical African Civilizations, Education, Curriculum and Disability Studies. He is a scholar of Biblical, Ancient Egyptian, Nubian and Gnostic Literature. His language facilities include Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, Mdw Ntr (ancient Egyptian language, Ancient Egyptian history, African and African-American History and Literature), European Renassiance History, and Moorish Spain. His research activity also includes current studies in ancient Gnosticism and the Meroitic language of ancient Nubia, which he has been pursuing since the 1970s. He is also interested in the works of Niccolo Machiavelli, Frederick Nietzsche, and African, African-American, pre-Socratic as well as Socratic philosophers. He has traveled and lectured widely on a variety of topics related to antiquity. His current research interest is in translating Meroitic and Kemetic inscriptions. He currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at Northeastern Illinois University.

Karen Sharer, MPH, has 16 years of experience in public health, quality improvement, project management, health education, and program planning and analysis. She is currently Associate Director of Cancer Center partnerships for the American Cancer Society (ACS), partnering with academic, safety net and community hospitals in Chicago to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families. Additionally, she serves as Lead for the ACS VOICES of Black Women study recruitment in Illinois. The focus of the study is to better understand cancer and other health conditions among Black women. She is a proud graduate of the UIC School of Public Health, where she received her MPH in 2010. She is also a wife, assistant pastor, and mother to two children.

Mark Klaisner, PhD is an Executive Director of West40 ISC which serves 38 districts, three co-ops, 152 schools, and 100,000+ students in West Cook County which has positively impacted students YOY for over five years (currently at 2,500+ students in FY 22). This includes a state-recognized Alternative School, unique turnkey solutions such as a remote school for medically fragile youth, and professional development services to help educators address school safety, threat assessment, mental health, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. He Influenced and ushered a spotlight program in conjunction with Department of Human Services (DHS), Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

Paula Yates is the Chief Impact and Strategy officer at Loretto Hospital, and Executive Director of the Loretto Hospital Foundation.  A seasoned strategist, she has spent more than 20 years absorbing the intersection of education, government affairs and healthcare with marketing and public relations. She is recognized for her keen ability to bridge authentic partnerships while identifying critical business and social impact drivers that build valuable alliances, fuel stakeholder engagement and equitable deployment of resources.  She defines ‘professional ministry’ as being the engineer of collaborations that champion community wellness and advocate for accessibility – ensuring healthcare dignity and justice.

Currently serving in the Illinois House of Representatives, Marcus C. Evans, Jr. chairs the Committee on Labor and Commerce where he looks to lead the advancement of legislation and ideas to improve our state’s workforce and overall economy. He also serves on the following committees: Health Care Availability and Access, Ethics and Elections, Appropriations: Human Services, Executive, Revenue and Finance. Additionally, he serves on four Illinois boards, the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council (SPAC), the Legislative Audit Commission, the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB), and Illinois High School Association (IHSA).

He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University. Outside of public service, he works as a licensed real estate appraiser and an Illinois High School Association licensed basketball official.

Walidah G. Bennett, is the founder and Director of the Multi-Faith Veterans Initiative (MVI), housed in DePaul University’s Egan Office for Urban Education & Community Partnerships. The initiative works citywide to integrate mental and behavioral health with faith institutions in developing community circles of support by linking veterans and their families to local services and resources available within the community. She has worked with numerous non-profits and faith-based organizations and has served as a mental health consultant at the local, state and national levels.  In addition to her work with MVI, she is on faculty in the Social and Behavioral Science Department at South Suburban College.​​​​

Carmen Navarro Gercone, the Executive Clerk for Court Operations and Administration for the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, is a management and public safety expert with 26 years of experience in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. As a graduate of the prestigious Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy, she trained with experts from around the world in public safety and violence reduction strategies.

Committed to public service, she draws from her unique personal experiences to bridge the divide between the criminal justice system and the communities of Cook County. Growing up in West Humboldt Park, losing a brother to gang violence, being a young mother on public aid, and having an ethnically diverse family, have all shaped her motivation to help others through empathy, kindness and compassion.

Nilda Duenas, MBA, is Director of Adult Services at the Chinese American Service League (CASL). She is a seasoned and innovative leader with more than 18 years of extensive experience in program management within the education and workforce development sectors. Her dedication to championing diversity, equity and accessibility align perfectly with CASL’s core values. Her collaborative approach, coupled with her commitment to excellence and innovation, positions her as an asset in advancing CASL’s mission of empowering individuals and families for more than 45 years.

Juanita Arroyo is a Community Health Leader at The Resurrection Project in Chicago. A 16-year breast cancer survivor, she has been a member of ELLAS, a support group that is an initiative of The Resurrection Project, for the last 10 years. Having to go through cancer treatment changed her outlook on life and how she gives back to the community. She obtained certification as a Community Health Worker through the City Colleges of Chicago to work in the community and help educate people on different areas of health. She enjoys educating the community and helping others to advocate for their health needs and concerns.