Patrick Guddal - Executive Director
Patrick was diagnosed in 2016, and was the first melanoma diagnosis in the history of both sides of his very large extended family, one with three generations of family practice physicians, all of whom are passionate practitioners of preventive medicine. After two surgeries and three years of immunotherapy, he has been cancer-free since 2016. After his recovery, he has embraced every opportunity to participate in numerous local and national efforts to raise awareness, teach prevention, advocate for research and education funding, and offer support resources for existing and newly diagnosed patients. He left his job as an associate librarian in January 2020 to establish Connect and engage in full-time education and advocacy.
patrick@connectmelanoma.org
Robyn Fine - Director of Education
Robyn’s first melanoma diagnosis came in 2009 and advanced to stage 4 in 2012. She has not only endured the ravages of this disease but has faced numerous treatments and procedures as well. She has been NED (No Evidence of Disease) since 2014, and has since made it her mission to raise awareness and teach prevention at every opportunity. She is no small part of the inspiration for the educational component of Connect Melanoma. When we met Robyn in 2016, she was already busy providing melanoma awareness and sun safety instruction in area schools, and her ability to captivate her students and her passion for impactful teaching make her a perfect fit to coordinate Connect’s education efforts.
robyn@connectmelanoma.org
Cheryl Adams - Director of Community Engagement
Cheryl is the mother of Graham, a teenage spitzoid melanoma patient diagnosed in 2013. Over the course of his treatments to date, Graham has undergone over two dozen surgeries and, as Cheryl has described on multiple occasions, had his childhood stolen from him. A mother of eight, Cheryl’s experience along with her desire for ensuring no one else goes through what her son and family have endured give her a powerful voice and platform for raising melanoma awareness. We first met Cheryl in 2017, when she politely invited herself to participate in a health fair where we were exhibiting. That was no small indication of her passion to carry her message to any audience she can find, and makes her ideally suited to serve the role as the ambassador for Connect to the community.
cheryl@connectmelanoma.org