Julia Wooding
President, Treasurer
Julia joined the Board of Directors in 2021 to fill the role of Treasurer. She took on the role of President in September 2023. After modeling in the 2014 Stepping Out gala, Julia worked on and led the Stepping Out Invitation and Program Committee since 2015. She also enjoyed participating in the Grants Review Committee several years ago.
Thirty years ago, Julia moved to California for a position at Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO). For many years, Julia worked as a FICO® Score Expert, helping to teach lenders and audiences around the world about credit scoring and FICO® Scores. Julia’s strengths include being extremely organized and detail-oriented, with an analytical focus. Early in 2023, Julia retired from FICO, after working there for nearly thirty years.
Julia learned about To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation after going through breast cancer treatment in 2013. After enjoying the incredibly positive experience of modeling in the Stepping Out gala, she was eager to contribute to the organization. Julia is naturally driven to help others. She continues to participate by volunteering as a Stepping Out committee lead, Treasurer and President, as she believes so strongly in the good that we can do as an organization to help others on their breast cancer journey.
Julia and her husband Curt Wise live in Novato; she enjoys cooking, traveling, reading, making jewelry and spending time with friends.
Fiona Booker
Recording Secretary
Fiona has been an enthusiastic supporter of To Celebrate Life since 2018 when she became the Foundation’s social media manager. Additionally, Fiona has assisted the Communications Chair and President with various projects including the annual report and updating board documents. With a desire to further contribute her administrative experience and skills, Fiona was pleased to join the board as Recording Secretary in 2022. She has a passion for assisting others in an administrative capacity and brings her broad experience and skills in administration, accountancy, recruitment, and organization to the board.
Friends in San Francisco introduced Fiona to the organization in 2018, initially to assist with social media and since then Fiona has looked for other ways to support, accepting the role of Recording Secretary is an exciting opportunity to further contribute to the Foundation.
As Executive Assistant and Office Manager, Fiona has supported the CEO and two directors at Colliers, a commercial property company for over 15 years. She also has her own business, Anywhere Virtually, which provides administrative support to small businesses. Fiona received an Associate Diploma in Accountancy from TAFE, South Australia.
Fiona lives in Adelaide, South Australia. When not working, Fiona can be found travelling (pre-COVID) or planning her next trip, reading, gardening, walking, watching AFL (Australian Rules Football) and spending time with the people she loves.
Kristen Bennett
Grants Chair / Past President
After previously serving on the Board of Directors, Kristen rejoined the board in 2022 as Grants Chair/Past President. In 2015 she first joined the board as Community Events Chair and Grants Committee Co-Chair. Kristen served as Board President for four years and in 2020, was honored to receive the CVNL Heart of Marin Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Board Leadership.
Prior to retiring, Kristen worked for Williams Sonoma, Inc., in the position of Senior Executive Assistant. She brings 30 years of administrative experience and leadership skills to the board.
As a two-time breast cancer thriver, Kristen has been a passionate supporter of To Celebrate Life since 1999 when she was invited to participate as a model in the Stepping Out gala. Since that time and prior to joining the Board of Directors, she has volunteered as “Model Mom” and a variety of gala committee lead positions including Co-Chair of the Stepping Out 2001 gala and the Stepping Out 2020 Virtual Gala.
Kristen lives in Novato. In her free time, she enjoys being active and is passionate about golf, travel, music and her friends and family.
Julie Ballard
Stepping Out Event Chair
Julie rejoined the board as Stepping Out Event Chair in 2021 after previously serving on the board in 2010. Julie has been associated with To Celebrate Life since 2006 serving in a variety of key volunteer roles for the Stepping Out Gala including Gala Chair, Live Auction Chair, Budget, Operations and Facility Management.
Julie majored in Business Administration and Operations Management and brings a broad range of professional experience, energy and enthusiasm to the board. She retired from UCSF after working 28 years in a variety of positions including Finance Director for OB/GYN Women’s Health, Strategic Planning, Marketing and Outreach Clinical Program Development. Julie served 10 years as president of her homeowner’s association and currently manages her own property management business.
In her early years Julie was a hairdresser and for five years owned a catering business. At one point she considered attending culinary school until she briefly dated a chef and found there was little time for life outside the kitchen! Julie also volunteered for the former Italian Street Painting Festival running the food booth.
“I believe in giving back and helping to improve the lives of those less fortunate. To Celebrate Life supports people living with breast cancer when they are most vulnerable by funding direct and emergency services. I am proud to support our mission.”
Julie grew up in San Francisco where she currently lives with her husband of 34 years, Thomas, the love of her life. She has been known to break out in song at many a party and enjoys cooking, dancing, singing, reading and taking walks.
Amy Branner
Fund Development Chair
Amy discovered a lump on Black Friday of 2016 and was diagnosed with breast cancer by Christmas of that year. As she went through her procedures and treatments in 2017, she found an incredible support community throughout the Bay Area that helped her stay fit, healthy and well in every respect.
What she would later learn was that the services she relied on were all grantees of To Celebrate Life. In 2018, she reached out to the Foundation, offering to volunteer so that she could give back for all of the incredible support she had received. Little did she realize that her professional background would be helpful to the Foundation’s growth. She was deeply touched to be invited to serve as the Chair of Fund Development, as well as to serve on the Grants Committee.
Amy comes to the Foundation with over a decade of director-level experience in nonprofits
and brings expertise in fundraising, evaluation and organizational strategy.
Amy lives with her amazing partner in Larkspur and spends as much time as possible at her cabin in the Sierras where she can be found cross country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, biking or kayaking.
Jennifer Kun
Fund Development Co-Chair
Jennifer is an Emmy Award winning production executive, with an enthusiasm for connecting with people and fundraising.
Jennifer first found out about To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation while going through her own treatment, when she discovered most of the programs she was utilizing to help make her recovery easier were supported through grants provided by the Foundation.
After modelling in the fashion show at their annual Stepping Out gala in 2017, and making great friends along the way, Jennifer knew she wanted to give back to this organization which helped her so much.
“I have a passion for building relationships, and raising money for causes near and dear to my heart. Being on the board of Directors allows me the opportunity to do both and create a meaningful impact in the community. I absolutely thrive in this environment where I get to meet with donors, sponsors, and grant makers, as well as the people their funds support.”
Jennifer believes in the power of community. Be it neighbors, friends, colleagues, or strangers with shared interests and challenges, Jennifer knows that together, community can influence positive change.
A resident of Marin County, Jennifer enjoys getting out in nature and exploring the many trails around the Bay Area and visiting local pop ups to support small businesses.
Mary Papale
Volunteer Engagement Chair
Mary joined the board in 2023 as the Volunteer Engagement Chair. Since 2017, Mary has served on various committees for the Stepping Out gala. Her past volunteer committee roles include Model, Model Luncheon, Coordinator for the Virtual Gala Wine Experience delivery team, Lead for the gala Covid Safety Protocol and Co-Lead for Sponsor-A-Model.
For 41 years Mary worked for her family’s whitewater rafting and fishing outfit, Idaho River Journeys, founded by her husband, Bob Volpert. Her key role was managing the Middle Fork of the Salmon River operation with a focus on client relations, guest communication and menu development. Not fully retired yet, she has taken a step back and works on special marketing projects and staying in touch with long time clients. Mary brings her experience of wearing the multiple hats it takes to run a small business to her role of matching volunteers with the Foundation’s needs.
Mary learned about To Celebrate Life while in breast cancer treatment in 2017. After completing chemo that July, she modeled for the Stepping Out gala and through this experience became a breast cancer thriver. Mary has made lifetime friends with her fellow models and other To Celebrate Life volunteers. These TCL friends were a great support as she navigated the feelings generated by a 2020 breast cancer recurrence.
Mary lives in Point Reyes Station with her husband in the same home they raised their three sons. She enjoys hiking the trails of the Point Reyes National Seashore, Pilates classes, reading, traveling and spending time with her family (especially the grandkids) and friends.
Mouy Tang
Board Director
Mouy joined the board in 2021 as Data Management Chair. With 20 years of progressive and diverse experience in Finance and Accounting, Mouy is passionate about driving the mission of To Celebrate Life forward.
Mouy loves all things data – gathering, gaining insights, and utilizing the information in strategic planning. In her current role as Senior Vice President of Finance at Paramount, Mouy oversees a large team in building systems, strategies and complex financial reporting to drive the Streaming business forward.
She completed her Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance and International Business at the University of San Francisco.
In the spring of 2020, as the world was entering the pandemic, Mouy was diagnosed with breast cancer. Living alone and being in lockdown while going through treatment presented many challenges. However, Mouy found she wasn’t alone when seemingly out of nowhere nonprofits sent meals to her home, provided transportation to her doctor’s appointments and simply called to make sure she was feeling ok. Mouy deeply appreciated the services she received and thought one day she would find a way to give back.
Mouy met Julia Wooding, the Foundation’s Treasurer, through a professional women’s networking group and inquired about volunteer opportunities. As she learned more about To Celebrate Life, Mouy was positive the way to give back would be to join the board at a foundation that funds local nonprofits that supported her through those rough early months.
Mouy is based in San Francisco and enjoys spending her time hiking and traveling to faraway places.
Kim Wimer
Communications Chair
Kim learned about To Celebrate Life in 2007 while undergoing treatment for early stage breast cancer and later that year was invited to model in the 2008 Stepping Out gala fashion show. Inspired after her experience, she has volunteered every year since for Stepping Out and other fundraisers benefiting the organization. Kim enjoys the camaraderie of the volunteers – women and men who share the same goal of helping people with breast cancer in our community. In 2010, Kim joined the Board as Marketing/Communications Chair, using her professional graphic design and marketing skills to oversee the Foundation’s external communications and collateral.
“Serving on the Board allows me to see firsthand how people coping with health and financial emergencies after a breast cancer diagnosis receive help from organizations funded by our grants. It’s an honor to work with our dedicated volunteers who share their skills and talents and make this happen.”
Kim grew up in Spokane Washington and moved to Marin County after high school. She attended UC Santa Barbara earning her BA and K-12 Teaching Credential from UCSB Graduate School of Education. Kim has 18 years of sales management experience and in 2001 started her graphic design business. She enjoys working with medical device, disease management and pharmaceutical companies and graphic software training. A Novato resident, Kim loves being outdoors walking nearby trails and spending time in her garden.
Medical Advisory Board
In June, 2013, the Board of Directors voted to form a Medical Advisory Board. Made up of well-informed, highly respected medical professionals, this group will advise the Foundation on matters including:
— Medical guidance or referrals that come our way
— Review of articles to be published in our e-newsletter and in social media
— Raise awareness of the Board of Directors as to relevant medical issues and/or procedures
Members of the To Celebrate Life Medical Advisory Board are:
Cheryl Ewing, MD PhD (Chair), UCSF Clinical Professor of Surgery, UCSF
Francine Halberg, MD, Radiation Oncologist, Marin Cancer Care
Bobbie Head, MD PhD, Medical Oncologist, Marin Cancer Care
Edward Sickles, MD FACR, Professor Emeritus of Radiology, UCSF
Garrett Smith, MD, Medical Oncologist, Smith Integrative Oncology
Joanna Hathaway, MPH, Breast Care Coordinator, Kaiser
In Loving Memory
Martha Auld
Martha Auld passed away on May 2, 2021 from cancer related complications. To Celebrate Life has lost a beloved friend, mentor and longtime supporter.
Martha was dedicated to the Foundation’s mission to support underserved breast cancer patients.
Since 2002, she wore many TCL hats including Board Treasurer, establishing the organization’s database system and managing the reservations team for Stepping Out. Martha devoted countless hours in the critical role as our Database Manager and was the wizard behind the curtain that kept things humming along.
The TCL community is deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend. We will miss her genuine kindness, wise advice, selfless generosity and fun sense of humor.
In her memory, the Martha Auld Legacy Fund has been established to benefit the Foundation’s
mission to support people facing breast cancer by funding direct and emergency services.
A true friend is never truly gone. Their spirit lives on in the memories of those who loved them.
https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=mbcc&id=75
Judy Hallman
On June 5, 2019 To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation lost a dear friend, mentor and Board member.
After being diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in late 2006, and grateful for the exceptional medical support she’d received, Judy wanted to find a way to give back. She was introduced to the Foundation through Kristen Bennett, her friend and colleague at Williams Sonoma, Inc.
In 2007, Judy joined the TCL volunteer community and served on the Physician Escort, Model Luncheon and various other model teams for six years. In 2011, Judy joined the Board of Directors serving as Recording Secretary/Treasurer and was a member of the Executive Committee and board liaison to the Volunteer Committee.
Judy was retired from a long career in the retail industry, primarily in IT, managing multi-million dollar projects in support of business growth initiatives and technological expansion. Through that experience, she brought to the Foundation extraordinary leadership ability. Judy was a Marin resident until June 2009 before moving to Sonoma.
In 2018, Judy successfully completed treatment for a second breast cancer occurrence and had just received a third diagnosis shortly before her passing. Judy was passionate about the Foundation’s mission to support underserved breast cancer patients through our Breast Cancer Grants Program. In her memory, the Judy Hallman Legacy Fund has been established to benefit To Celebrate Life’s grants program, that was an important part of her life.
The TCL community is deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend. We will miss her genuine kindness, compassion and quick wit.
“A faithful friend is a strong defense; And he that hath found him hath found a treasure.”
― Louisa May Alcott