Meet Our Team

Our dedicated Board and staff includes transplant survivors and caregivers who understand first-hand what it is like to undergo a transplant.

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Board of Directors

Deborah Adams, LSW, retired oncology social worker, Cleveland, Ohio

 

Steven Bauer, 38-year bone marrow transplant non-Hodgkin lymphoma disease survivor, Denton, TX

 

Andrea Feldmar, LMHC, oncology mental health provider and parent of a 27-year pediatric bone marrow transplant and acute myeloid leukemia survivor, Sarasota, FL

 

Susan K. Stewart, Executive Director, BMT InfoNet, 36-year bone marrow transplant and acute myeloid leukemia survivor, Highland Park IL

 

Thomas J. Stewart, Senior Quality Manager of Quality Engineering, Honeywell and former BMT caregiver, Highland Park, IL

 

Staff

Susan K. Stewart
Executive Director
Ms. Stewart is responsible for overseeing all operations of BMT InfoNet. A transplant survivor herself, she brings great insight and perspective to her work and is widely considered a vital resource to the entire transplant community. Sue authored Bone Marrow and Blood Stem Cell Transplants: A Guide for Patients; Autologous Stem Cell Transplants: A Handbook for Patients; Graft-versus-Host Disease: What to Know, What to Do; and CAR T-Cell Therapy: What to Expect Before, During and After - all of which are used extensively by transplant centers throughout the U.S. and Canada to educate patients.  She is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in Sociology/Urban Affairs.

 

Marla O'Keefe
Director, Outreach
Marla coordinates BMT InfoNet's online Transplant Center Directory and the annual, national Celebrating a Second Chance at Life Survivorship Symposium. She has a BA in Journalism from Indiana University. Marla was also a stem cell donor for an unrelated patient, an experience she describes as very humbling,

 

Cindy Kessler

Director, Patient Support Services 
Cindy oversees BMT InfoNet's Caring Connections program through which  transplant survivors and their loved ones share their stories and provide emotional support to newly diagnosed patients and their families. As the parent of a child diagnosed with leukemia at a young age, Cindy understands the emotional turmoil families face when a loved one is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease.

 

Lynne Spina​
Director, Development and Marketing
Lynne manages BMT InfoNet's corporate partnership programs. Empathetic to the caregiver experience, Lynne became involved in the vital work of BMT InfoNet after her brother recovered from a stem cell transplant for AML. Lynne received her MBA from Drexel University, Pennsylvania and a BS in Communications and AA in Art Advertising from the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Michala O'Brien
Special Projects
Michala manages BMT InfoNet support groups for patients and caregivers living with graft-versus-host disease. She also coordinates productions of webinars on topics of interest to transplant recipients throughout the year.  She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and enjoys connecting with those in both the patient and medical community. 
 

Margaret Overholt
Office Administrator
Margaret manages orders for BMT InfoNet's patient handbooks and other products and general office needs.  She also applies her creative writing skills to various BMT InfoNet projects. Margaret earned her BA in English from Carthage College.  Her own experience with chronic illness sparked her interest in patient advocacy.

Marsha Seligman
Patience Assistance Fund 
Marsha manages BMT InfoNet’s Patience Assistance Fund (PAF).  The PAF was established to provide support to transplant patients during a time of financial hardship. 
 
Jon Stawowy
Social Media Community Manager
Jon communicates BMT InfoNet's messages and services across the digital communities.  He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has over 20 years of experience in management and customer service.  He is a primary T-cell lymphoma and allogeneic stem cell transplant survivor, living with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).  Jon has experienced relapse, failed treatments, and limited treatment options.  No matter the setback, his motto is "Never Stop Making Plans". 
 
Julia AG Pan Aguilar 
Bilingual Specialist
Julia Pan is a retired Argentinean career diplomat who served as Consul General in Chicago. She later served as Director of Latin American Division at Minnesota International Medicine where she assisted Spanish-speaking BMT patients and families through their medical treatments before, during and after transplants. Julia earned a BA in International Relations and a Master's Degree in Economics from the University of Buenos Aires and the University of the Republic, Montevideo.