Meet Our Staff
We are a team of dedicated professionals working to make improve the lives of everyone impacted by cancer.
Leadership Team
Nancy Bulzoni
Nancy has been with the Center for over 10 years, serving in a variety of roles, currently as the Executive Director. Her driving force is to remain true to the Center’s mission to deliver unparalleled programs and services—free of charge—to anyone impacted by cancer.
Michelle Maer
Michelle joined the Cancer Wellness Center in 2023. As Director of Development, she works closely with ambassadors, participants, and organizational partners to raise support and awareness for the important programs and services the Center provides.
Savina Chacheva
Savina joined the Center in 2012 as an intake intern. Currently, she is the program director and works closely with a team of staff to bring various education and wellness programs at the Center. She also serves as the staff liaison to our Young Professionals Board, helps manage CWC’s social media and supports our community outreach efforts.
Megan McMahon, PhD
Megan joined the Center‘s clinical staff in March 2003 and became Clinical Director in 2011. She is now responsible for oversight of the Center’s licensed psychologists, social workers and professional counselors. In addition to her administrative role, she continues to do some clinical work and her interests include working with couples, implementing lifestyle change and coping with anxiety.
Susie Rosenbaum
Susie joined the Cancer Wellness Center in 2021 as its Chief Financial Officer. Her focus in managing the Center’s finances, investments and operations. She brings years of experience in helping small to mid-sized companies achieve their financial goals.
Clinical Team
Stephanie Aaron, LCSW
Stephanie joined the Center’s clinical staff in June 2022. In addition to working with people through the Counseling Program, she also facilitates the Young Women’s Cancer Survivor Group. Her areas of interest include supporting children, adolescents, and young adults during and after cancer treatment, managing caregiver stress, and palliative care.
Priscilla Andrews, MA, LCPC
Priscilla joined the Center’s clinical staff in 2007. In addition to working with people through the Counseling Program, she also facilitates the monthly Multiple Myeloma Networking Group. Her areas of interest include survivorship issues, building motivation for behavior changes, recovery from trauma, and couples work.
Melissa Avila, MS, MA, LPC, NCC
Melissa joined the Center’s clinical staff in January 2020. In addition to supporting the admission/intake process of the Spanish-speaking participants and translations, she provides counseling services and facilitates the Spanish Support Group for patients and Survivors in Grayslake. Her areas of interest include children, adults, and families.
Nora Barquin, LCSW
Nora joined the Clinical team in May 2022. She has a deep understanding of the Latino immigrant experience. She provides counseling in Spanish. Her professional interests include supporting participants through life-changes related to cancer diagnosis, and using mindfulness to reduce and manage anxiety and stress.
She is passionate about reducing the barriers that prevent Spanish speaking families from accessing services.
Heidi Brockstein, LCSW
Heidi joined the Center’s Clinical staff in January of 2020. She provides individual, couple and family counseling and currently runs the weekly Grayslake patient support group. Her areas of interest include teaching relaxation techniques and reducing anxiety, helping individuals transition to survivorship, and coping with diagnosis for patients and families.
Lori Bumbaco, MS, RDN, CSO, LDN
Lori joined the team in 2015 and is a Board Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition. In addition to individual nutrition counseling, Lori co-facilitates Weight Loss for Wellness and Mindful Kitchen. Lori’s areas of interest include empowering survivors with reputable information, building confidence in the kitchen, and exploring how food is more than just nutrition.
Dominique James, MS, LPC
Dominique joined the Center’s clinical staff in January of 2020. In addition to working with adults and youths through the Counseling Program, he also facilitates the Men’s and Young Adults’ Survivors groups. His areas of interest include active mindfulness for anxiety management, survivorship issues, solution-focused therapy, and relationship management.
Alana Lebovitz, MSW
Alana joined the Cancer Wellness Center in 2023 as Intake Coordinator. In this role she helps connect people with programs and services offered by the Center as well as providing information about available community resources. Alana has a background in social work and has extensive experience in community-based nonprofits organizations. Her areas of interest are building relationships and supporting families.
Mark Livshots, MA, LPC
Mark joined the Center’s Clinical staff after completing his clinical internship with the Center. He sees individuals and couples for counseling, as well as facilitates several support groups. His professional interests include processing a diagnosis, caregiving concerns, adapting to the cognitive side effects of chemotherapy, and issues of grief and loss.
Kimberly Matthews, MA, LCPC
Kim joined the Center’s clinical staff in 1998. In addition to coordinating the Support Groups Programming and facilitating the Young Women’s Cancer Survivor Group and the Significant Other Group, Kim provides counseling to individuals, couples and families. Her interests include health and nature, survivorship issues, stress reduction and couples work.
Elyssa Siegel, CCLS
Elyssa serves as the Center’s Certified Child Life Specialist and assists us in helping families better navigate and manage the cancer experience. As a Child Life Specialist, Elyssa facilitates activities targeted at decreasing anxiety, developing coping strategies, providing a sense of control, and fostering resiliency in both children as well as their families.
Gabrielle Wolk, PsyD
Gabrielle joined the Center‘s clinical staff in February 2022. She provides individual counseling, facilitates a Women’s Support Group, and supervises doctoral students. Her professional interests include adjusting to life’s changes and transitions, grief and loss, aging, caregiver stress, palliative care, psychedelic-assisted therapy, and existential/humanistic approaches.
Clinical Externs
Caroline Campbell
Caroline joined the Center as a doctoral clinical trainee in August 2022. She provides individual and group counseling services across the lifespan. Her interests include, but are not limited to, grief and loss, trauma, existential/humanistic therapy, ecopsychology, health and neuropsychology. Caroline is also trained in play therapy as well as children’s grief and bereavement.
Sabrina Levitas
Sabrina joined the Cancer Wellness Center Clinical Team in August of 2022 as a Graduate Student Intern. In addition to providing individual counseling, she co-facilitates the women’s support group at the center. Her interests include but are not limited to, processing diagnoses for patients and their families, body image, nutrition, grief and loss, as well as relationship challenges.
Rebecca Skinner
Rebecca joined the Center as a doctoral clinical trainee in August of 2022. She is in her third year of a doctorate program in clinical psychology. Rebecca sees clients individually, works with couples, and co-facilitates support groups at the center. Her interests include, but are not limited to, existential therapy, mindfulness, and survivorship.
Development & Administrative Team
Doris Downing
Doris joined the Center as Director of Development in 2018 where she focused on building relationships with participants and donors. As Data and Analytics Manager, she brings vast experience in providing data insights to optimize the Center’s operations.
Gail Fradin
Gail joined the Cancer Wellness Center in early 2019 as the Development Manager. Gail’s focus is planning and managing the Center’s events. Gail helps the Center reach its financial goals by assisting with fundraising, building donor relationships, and increasing community awareness. She also assists with Center’s marketing and communications efforts.
Mary Jayaraman
Mary joined the Cancer Wellness Center team in 2019 after being a volunteer there. She coordinates afternoon and evening front desk staffing in addition to providing administrative support for programs.
The front desk staff and volunteers assist with inquiries and strive to make the Cancer Wellness Center a warm and welcoming place for our Participants and visitors!
Deanna Novak
Deanna joined CWC in 2022 as the Accounting Associate.She manages the day-to-day financial activities of the Center, along with various administrative, human resource, and operational matters. Deanna is passionate about the Center’s mission and supporting its meaningful programs and services.
Dymond Redd
Dymond joined the CWC team in 2022. She is focused on communications and fundraising support. She is also motivated to to raise awareness about the Center.
Lisa Roudabush
Lisa joined the Center in 2019 as a Client Services Associate, providing administrative support to the participants both virtually and in person. In 2023 she moved into a new role as the Program Associate and now assists the Program Team in developing and implementing new and existing programs and classes. She continues to maintain her relationships with our participants, while using her previous experience to provide them with valuable and thoughtful programing.
Lauren Tenenbaum
Lauren joined the Cancer Wellness Center in 2023 as a morning and afternoon Client Services Associate. She provides administrative support for programs that take place in-person and virtually. As part of the front door staff, she strives to make the Cancer Wellness Center a warm and welcoming environment for our visitors.
