David Darr serves as the direct administrator for DCI's Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) — vital funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that supports DCI’s broad range of clinical, research, and educational programs aimed at reducing the impact of cancer on the lives of people in North Carolina and beyond.

Darr has extensive experience as a leader in academic medical centers, having represented UNC Lineberger on multiple university committees, including Science and Security, Shared Resources, and Space Planning. He also has a national profile. Darr serves as an external advisory board reviewer for multiple cancer centers and as an NIH Cancer Center Site Visitor. He also holds committee positions in the Cancer Center Administrators Forum (CCAF) and the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) and will continue to serve in these roles.

David M. Gosky, MA, MBA is the Executive Director of Administration at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC) where he oversees all administrative, operational and fiscal responsibilities for the research arm of Ohio State’s cancer program. He is integrally involved in efforts that are essential to maintaining and renewing OSUCCC’s status as an exceptionally ranked NCI designated comprehensive cancer center.

Prior to working at Ohio State, he was the Director of Administration and Finance at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center for nearly ten years. At Markey, he played a pivotal role in helping them obtain NCI designation in 2013 and recompete in 2018.

Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions at the University of Texas Medical Branch and Case Western Reserve University.

He currently serves on External Advisory Boards for several other cancer centers, is on the board for the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers and is the Past President of the Association of Cancer Executives.

Jennifer is a central Kentucky native who grew up in Lancaster, Ky., just south of Lexington. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Eastern Kentucky University and received her MBA from the University of Kentucky in 2014. She’s been a member of the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center team since 2010, and has served as a staff member in Markey’s Research Communications Office and as part of the center’s administrative team. 

Since 2019 she has served as the Associate Director for Administration at the Markey Cancer Center, with primary responsibility for all budgetary, administrative, and operational aspects of the center. She oversees clinical trial operations, human resources, grants/contracts management, public relations and communications, philanthropy, facility management, and overall strategic planning.

Jennifer serves on the Board of Directors, chairs the communications committee, and serves on the conference planning committee of the Association of Cancer Center Administrators.

Alex Zafirovski joined Northwestern Memorial Hospital in March 2001, as a Staff Radiation Therapist. After several years as a clinician, he was appointed Manager of the Department of Radiation Oncology. Prior to taking the current role of the Chief Administrative Officer for the Robert H. Lurie Cancer Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Alex was the Director of Clinical Operations in Oncology at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Alex has served on the Cancer Center Administrators Forum (CCAF), Association of American Cancer Institute’s (AACI), and International Oncology Leadership Conference (IOLC) Annual Meeting Planning Committees, is a site visit reviewer of cancer centers for designations by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), serves on several External Advisory Boards of top-ranked cancer centers, and is a Vice Chair of the Vizient’s Cancer Service Line Strategic Network. In addition, Mr. Zafirovski holds position in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Affiliate Forum, Vizient Oncology Quality and Accountability Advisory Group, serves on the Boards of Erie Neighborhood House and Mark Staehely Pediatric Cancer Foundation, and has held several positions in the American Society of Radiological Technologists (ASRT).

Nick Fisher, an administration expert who has 14 years of experience with academic clinical research and cancer center operations, has been named Executive Director of Research and Business Administration at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.

Fisher has worked in the School of Medicine’s Division of Oncology and at Siteman Cancer Center since 2003. Since then, he has served in many positions, including director of operations, director of clinical research and manager of oncology clinical research.

Fisher earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master’s degree in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis. He is active in the American Association of Cancer Institutes, where he has served on the steering committee for the Clinical Research Initiative, which examines and shares best practices for the operation of cancer center clinical research facilities.

Wendy trained at the Fred Hutch as a graduate student and postdoc before taking on a science policy position with then-Hutch President and Nobel Laureate Dr. Lee Hartwell to help the NCI develop a proteomic initiative. She next joined the Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research as their Director of Scientific Programs and Operations. Wendy returned to the Hutch in 2016 to serve in her current role as the Associate Director of Administration for the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium which is nearing 50 years as an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. Wendy enjoys time with her family exploring the National Parks with a goal of eventually visiting all of them.

Julie Schaum, MS, is the Associate Director for Administration and Senior Director for Research Administration at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. She has more than eighteen years of administrative leadership experience at National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers, with knowledge and expertise in research administration, planning, operations, and management of shared resources. She currently serves as a member of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) Finance and Investment Committee, vice chair for the Association of Cancer Center Administrators (ACCA) Corporate Relations Committee, as a member of several External Advisor Boards for NCI-designated cancer centers, and as an NCI reviewer for the Cancer Center Support Grant. Julie earned her bachelor's and master of science degrees in biology from James Madison University, where she specialized in primate anatomy and biomechanics. After graduate school, she was presented with an opportunity to move into research administration and shared resource management at VCU Massey Cancer Center, where she served until being recruited to Vanderbilt-Ingram in 2015. Outside of work, Julie enjoys spending time and traveling with her family; eating all the fun and interesting food along the way.

Brian Mandrier has twenty years of experience as an international meeting planner and association executive. He has managed over 100 successful events around the world.

He is currently the Managing Director of The Mandrier Group and Co-Creator and Managing Director of the International Oncology Leadership Conference (IOLC).

He is a recipient of the 40 Under 40 award by the Association Forum of Chicago.