Hilene (Bonnie) Topper RN, BSN, CHPN, has practiced hospice and palliative care for the last 10 years. Ms. Topper works not only with patients, but reassures, advocates for, and most importantly, listens to everyone affected by a challenging illness. Ms. Topper practiced critical care nursing at Detroit Receiving Hospital. She has taken part in several research projects and has been nominated for many awards in her field of expertise. Additionally, Ms. Topper was sent to Israel to act as a consultant for the Northern Galilee Home Hospice.

Dr. Silverman is the Section Chief of Gastroenterology at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital and is the Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. Previously, Dr. Silverman was the Director of Gastroenterology / Hepatology Research at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI and was a Clinical Assistant Professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, MI. Dr. Silverman attended medical school at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx , NY . She completed her post-graduate training in Internal Medicine at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Boston and completed a gastroenterology fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland. Dr. Silverman has published a number of articles relating to digestive diseases and to studies of the hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus. She is a member of American Gastroenterologic Association, American Association for Cancer Research, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, and Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology.

Dr. Tainsky earned his bachelor’s degree at New York University in 1971 and his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY in 1977. He came to the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in 1998 after 13 years on the faculty of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. As Director of Molecular Biology and Genetics he has developed programs that are a fusion of community outreach, laboratory research and clinical diagnostics research. He has published over 100 papers and holds the Barbara and Fred Erb Endowed Chair in Cancer Genetics. His lab has been studying molecular mechanisms by which cells convert from normal to cancer since 1985. Recently he has focused on the development of novel cancer diagnostics tests for the early detection of cancer in the form of a complex blood test.

Nick Karmanos joined the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in May 2000. He has successfully served the Institute in various fundraising capacities that culminated with his appointment to Vice President of Development in January 2005. The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. It focuses solely on treating cancer - all types of cancer. As Michigan’s only cancer hospital, Karmanos is positioned to be among the nation’s top 10 comprehensive cancer centers. More than 6,000 new patients seek diagnosis and treatment annually. Karmanos cares for patients through 14 multidisciplinary teams, each focused on a specific form of cancer. The Institute also conducts more than 700 cancer-specific investigation programs and clinical trials yearly.

Ms Peck is currently the Director of Annual Giving in the Office of Philanthropy at Henry Ford Health System. She has been fundraising for the health system since 2004 and has served in other roles at Henry Ford since beginning her career there in 1998. She has an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences from Western Michigan University and a Masters degree in Community Health from Wayne State University.

Ms. Peck is also active with other professional and charitable organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Detroit, Community Health Charities of Michigan, and the Michigan Association of Healthcare Philanthropy.

Mr. Powers is the founder and President of Powers Financial Resources, LLC in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He has been in the financial services business for over 25 years.

Mr. Powers has raised funds for several organizations, including the Oakland University Foundation and the Jimmie Heuga Center. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Bloomfield Hills Youth Soccer League and serves as a financial consultant to the Jamison Williams Foundation and The Mental Health Association in Michigan.

Ms. Powers serves on the board of the Jamison Williams Foundation, an organization that supports many arts projects and groups in southeast Michigan, including the DSO, MOT, Care House of Oakland County, and Junior League of Birmingham. She also served for over six years on the Behavioral Health Board of the Henry Ford Health System. Ms. Powers currently sits on the board of directors of the Clarke Powers Services, Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio.