Organization News

• Sweet Success at Big Apple Gala
• New Board Member
• New Staff
• New Web Site

Sweet Success at Big Apple Gala

Movement leaders joined New York movers and shakers for the second Compassion & Choices of New York benefit reception on May 19th at the studio of world famous fashionista Diane von Furstenberg. The art auction featured pieces by artists Claes Oldenburg, Maira Kalman, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, and the late Roy Lichtenstein.

The combination cocktail party, art auction and reception honored journalists and writers for their contributions to raising public awareness and dialogue about choice and care at the end of life. The evening brought more than 300 people together and raised more than $120,000 for Compassion & Choices of New York.

At the event, Robb Miller, executive director of Compassion & Choices of Washington, received the 2005 Hugh Gallagher Award. This award was created through the generosity of Peter Kovler to commemorate the significant contributions of Hugh Gallagher, who used his writing to educate the public about injustices, to promote understanding among diverse populations and to draw people into the choice-in-dying movement.

Robb represents the best of Compassion & Choices. He is passionate, innovative and courageous in reaching out to diverse groups to educate and advocate for exceptional end-of-life-care that respects the beliefs and values of all individuals. As executive director of our Washington affiliate, Robb has engaged numerous coalitions and organizations in order to advance the quality of end-of-life care. With the support of the Pride Foundation, Robb created the GLBTQ End-of-Life Advice & Hospital Visitation Form (available at www.compassionandchoices.org).

New Board Member

A new member of the Compassion & Choices national board, Megan Roach is president of Roach Consulting, LLC, an independent consulting business specializing in health care and strategic management consulting. Megan has more than 20 years of experience in the health care industry and in consulting, focusing on strategic planning, product development, marketing, operations, and state and federal regulatory compliance. Megan has been a board member of the Minnesota chapter of Compassion & Choices since the spring of 2004. Megan brings her knowledge and expertise to help us identify and implement strategic plans and legislative initiatives that will strengthen our organization.

New Staff

Join us in welcoming new members to our national team. Mark Ferguson and Bryanne Jones join our staff in Portland. Mark, a social worker by trade, has years of experience working with the terminally ill and bereavement including pet loss. Bryanne has recently completed a master's degree in bioethics from Case Western University. John Franzgrote, a former news photographer, is a strong believer in compassion and is also a pet lover. Before coming to Compassion & Choices, Jennifer Rue had been working at the Downtown Denver Partnership. She is committed to nonprofit organizations, changing laws and helping others. She and John join our staff in Denver.

New Web Site

Compassion & Choices' new Web site is up and running at www.compassionandchoices.org. Use this online resource to find out more about more about client support, our legal and legislative services, and more.