Our Team
Our Board of Directors
Cancer for College is proud to have an amazing group of individuals from all walks of life that give their time to help the charity thrive and grow. We are honored that these individuals have made our mission a priority in their busy lives. The founders of the charity and the entire board of directors serve in a volunteer capacity.
Officers:
Craig Pollard is a self-employed entrepreneur and philanthropist. Thirty one years ago, he launched his golf company, GT Golf Holdings Inc. with one product which he designed and brought to market. Today, GT Golf Supplies has three distribution centers across the country stocking more than 2,000 unique products. Pollard holds over 20 patents and trademarks within the consumer products industry.
Pollard is also Founder and Chairman of the Board of Cancer for College, a charity which he created in 1993 to provide college scholarships to cancer survivors. “I was inspired to start this organization as a means to give back to my fellow cancer survivors,” says Pollard. “I am a two-time survivor of Hodgkin’s Disease and a double amputee. I underwent a bone marrow transplant at the age of 19 while a sophomore at the University of Southern California. The motivation to stay in school and earn my degree helped me fight my cancer, and gave me a will to live.” Cancer for College strives to inspire kids fighting cancer to do great things. To date, the foundation has awarded more than $7 million in scholarships to approximately 1,700 cancer survivors in every state in the nation.
Pollard graduated from the University of Southern California’s School of Business in 1991 with an entrepreneurial emphasis. He was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 1991 for his senior project – a business plan for Cancer for College. In September 2013, Pollard was recognized as Alumni Entrepreneur of the Year for his work over the past two decades with Cancer for College and GT Golf Supplies.
Married for 32 years to his college sweetheart, Stacy and proud father of three active children, Joshua (27), Jared (24), and Grace (18). Pollard decided to sell his company in 2016 to pursue a career as a teacher, spend more time on personal, philanthropic and business board related activities. Pollard taught entrepreneurship and personal finance over four years at public high schools in San Diego. He now focuses his time volunteering for his charity Cancer for College where he mentors dozens of college students as well as managing his growing staff.
Dan is a seasoned entrepreneur with extensive experience across multiple industries and business sizes. He is the co-founder, CEO, and Board Chairman of MantelMount, a consumer product company that pioneered the category of Fireplace TV Mounts. Previously, Dan acquired Coast Environmental in 2005 and served as CEO until his successful exit in 2014. Over his career, he has held executive-level positions at General Motors Corporation, CertainTeed Corporation, and as General Manager of privately held manufacturing businesses. Dan also serves on multiple advisory boards, often in the role of Facilitator.
Dan and his wife, Amy, have lived in Carlsbad with their four children since moving to California from Buffalo, NY, after their marriage in 1999. Dan first attended a Cancer for College golf tournament in 2001, and after seeing the profound impact the organization has on its scholars, he became deeply involved. He joined the board in 2008 and has been a passionate advocate for Cancer for College ever since.
Bio coming soon!
Jolene has been a supporter of Cancer for College for almost 13 years. She is a Franchisee of 16 locations in CA and MT and she is also the Area Director for Jersey Mike’s Subs in parts of CA, ID, UT, MT, and WY. She loves having the opportunity to help cancer survivors achieve their dreams of graduating from college by raising funds and mentoring scholarship recipients over the years. Cancer for College is an answered prayer for so many cancer survivors and their families, and Jolene is grateful to join forces with this incredible organization on the very important mission to alleviate the financial burden for very deserving students.
Greg has been with Cancer for College for over 18 years. He feels extremely fortunate to have had an interesting and exciting career that included stops with the “World Famous” KROQ radio station in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the PGA of America. Although his education and career were in communications and marketing, he has found his true passion in leading Cancer for College. While it is exciting to be a part of the many large-scale events that CFC has produced over the years, it is the relationships forged with the scholars and their families that he finds the most gratifying part of the CFC family. Greg has been married to his wife Sarina for 27 years. They have two children, Kaylin (26) and JT (24). They are proud owners of three rescue dogs and big advocates for animal rescue.
Rob founded and runs O’Carroll Investment Management, a fiduciary financial planning firm that serves individuals, families, not-for-profits, and corporate clients. He graduated from San Diego State University (SDSU) with a BS in Finance, and is a proud “Aztec For Life”. Outside of work, he serves on Cancer For College’s Executive Board and its Finance Committee. He also helps manage the Endowment for San Marcos Lutheran Church.
Rob and his wife, Lisa, met and married while at SDSU. They have two grown children and an allegedly grown dog. They actively support SDSU’s basketball, football, and golf teams. An avid golfer himself, what Rob lacks in skill, he makes up for in enthusiasm. A trivia buff, one of his claims to fame is that he appeared on Jeopardy!
Steve worked at Enterprise Mobility (the parent company of Enterprise, Alamo and National Car Rental) for nearly 30 years, where he ultimately built and ran a $3 billion international division. After his tenure at Enterprise, he was the Chief Marketing and Sales Officer for Lexicon Services and Cordell & Cordell.
After retiring, he co-wrote the book: “The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom.” The book is catered to those new to the workforce, teaching personal finance skills that are unfortunately not taught often enough in our schools. It has become an Amazon Best Seller and a portion of all sales go to support Cancer for College. He is married to Kristina, his wife of nearly 30 years, and has three adult children. Steve enjoys traveling and is an avid sports fan…and sometimes combines them!
Steve and his family have been proud supporters of Cancer for College through the years, and he also spearheaded corporate donations to Cancer for College from both of the companies he worked for during his tenure. As someone that has been friends with Craig and Stacy Pollard for more than 35 years and seen firsthand the tremendous impact they have had on the lives of others, Steve is honored to be on the Executive Board of Cancer for College.
Mark has served on the CFC Board since 2018 and is a Regional Managing Partner at Corient, an independent wealth advisory firm. He has been recognized as a top “40 Under 40” in financial planning by InvestmentNews and by the San Diego Business Journal as a member of the SD 500. He is a graduate of both the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD) and the U.S. Naval War College (Newport, RI). Mark holds the Certified Financial Planner™ designation and earned an MBA from the UC San Diego, Rady School of Management. Prior to joining Corient, Mark served eleven years in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer, deployed on six occasions, and retired as a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
Emil and his wife Caroline have supported Cancer for College for nearly 30 years. As Managing Principal of Wohl Property Group, Emil develops and operates industrial and office properties throughout Southern California. He also serves as President of Grace Lutheran Developments, one of the largest non-profit providers of affordable senior housing in San Diego.
Emil specializes in having fun, a skill mastered as Will Ferrell’s USC roommate. He has chaired the annual Classy Golf Classic and co-founded the Tin Cup Golf Tournament benefiting Cancer for College. An autographed Emil Wohl golf ball remains among the most coveted live auction items at CFC golf tournaments.
In 2015, the Wohl Family Scholarship was established to annually award a scholarship to a deserving cancer survivor who lives life to the fullest. Emil’s favorite part of supporting Cancer for College is introducing new partners and supporters to the organization. When not serving as a CFC ambassador, he enjoys riding horses and drinking beer.
Born and raised in Albania, Alketa (Kate) Wojcik immigrated to the United States to attend college. Coming from a country where she had no access to higher education and little opportunity for success, she worked hard to make the most of the opportunity she was given in the United States. While studying Global Business Management for a Bachelor’s degree, she fell in love with the concept of higher education in the United States and the opportunity to change your life and that of your family through access to college.
She went on to complete a Master’s degree and Doctorate in Educational Leadership and currently serves as Vice President of Student Services for MiraCosta College. Alketa has a fundamental belief in the value of education as a means to have self-dependence, intellectual growth, economic stability, and a better society. Being twice a cancer survivor herself and a strong advocate for education, Alketa believes in the mission of Cancer for College and works with the board to help advance that mission and build a vision that will support our scholars in their journey to success.
Will Ferrell
Celebrity Spokesman
Heather Alexander
Amazon Web Services
Kevin Dee
Senior Managing Director, Charles Dunn Company
Dr. Stephen Forman
Director of Hematology and Oncology: City Hope Medical Center
Taylor Haden
Partner, Tippett Moorhead & Haden
Ashley Kline
Kendis & Co, Friends of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Matt Kline
Partner, O’Melveny & Myers LLP
Steve Leonard
Jersey Mike’s Subs
Dr. Robert Lisac
Emory/Children’s Hospital of Atlanta
Will McCoy
President — LAB
Andrew McMahon
Dear Jack Foundation
Tim Old
Old Family Scholarship
Amelia Old
Old Family Scholarship
Joshua Pollard
Avery Dennison
Stacy Pollard
Co-Founder
Larry Simon
CEO Life Firms
Johnese Spisso
CEO, UCLA Hospital System
Anjuli Timmer
COO Aardvark Therapeutics
Michael Waterbury
Founder & CEO, RemedyOne & Goodroot
Caroline Wohl
Wohl PR
Jenn Zeis
Retired Toolbox Medical
The CFC Team:
Craig Pollard is a self-employed entrepreneur and philanthropist. Thirty one years ago, he launched his golf company, GT Golf Holdings Inc. with one product which he designed and brought to market. Today, GT Golf Supplies has three distribution centers across the country stocking more than 2,000 unique products. Pollard holds over 20 patents and trademarks within the consumer products industry.
Pollard is also Founder and Chairman of the Board of Cancer for College, a charity which he created in 1993 to provide college scholarships to cancer survivors. “I was inspired to start this organization as a means to give back to my fellow cancer survivors,” says Pollard. “I am a two-time survivor of Hodgkin’s Disease and a double amputee. I underwent a bone marrow transplant at the age of 19 while a sophomore at the University of Southern California. The motivation to stay in school and earn my degree helped me fight my cancer, and gave me a will to live.” Cancer for College strives to inspire kids fighting cancer to do great things. To date, the foundation has awarded more than $7 million in scholarships to approximately 1,700 cancer survivors in every state in the nation.
Pollard graduated from the University of Southern California’s School of Business in 1991 with an entrepreneurial emphasis. He was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 1991 for his senior project – a business plan for Cancer for College. In September 2013, Pollard was recognized as Alumni Entrepreneur of the Year for his work over the past two decades with Cancer for College and GT Golf Supplies.
Married for 32 years to his college sweetheart, Stacy and proud father of three active children, Joshua (27), Jared (24), and Grace (18). Pollard decided to sell his company in 2016 to pursue a career as a teacher, spend more time on personal, philanthropic and business board related activities. Pollard taught entrepreneurship and personal finance over four years at public high schools in San Diego. He now focuses his time volunteering for his charity Cancer for College where he mentors dozens of college students as well as managing his growing staff.
Greg has been with Cancer for College for over 18 years. He feels extremely fortunate to have had an interesting and exciting career that included stops with the “World Famous” KROQ radio station in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the PGA of America. Although his education and career were in communications and marketing, he has found his true passion in leading Cancer for College. While it is exciting to be a part of the many large-scale events that CFC has produced over the years, it is the relationships forged with the scholars and their families that he finds the most gratifying part of the CFC family. Greg has been married to his wife Sarina for 27 years. They have two children, Kaylin (26) and JT (24). They are proud owners of three rescue dogs and big advocates for animal rescue.
Kelli first joined the CFC Family when she received the Mickey Cafagna Scholarship in 2009, and since then, has volunteered and supported many CFC events and served on the Scholarship Review Committee since 2021. As a young adult Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Survivor, Kelli began volunteering for the American Cancer Society in 2007 and joined their team as staff in 2014.
Kelli’s nonprofit experience encompasses all things development from corporate relations and program management, volunteer and executive engagement, and planning and executing community and corporate events. Her passion for helping those affected by cancer is resolute and unparalleled, and she is ecstatic to serve as our Director of Community and Corporate Partnerships to continue making an impact for other survivors like her. Kelli enjoys time with family and friends, hiking with her rescue dog, Wailer, and serving as a youth ministry leader at her church.
Logan is thrilled to join the Cancer for College team in the role of Digital Marketing Manager. Born and raised in New Hampshire, Logan has spent the better part of her career in the non-profit sector in special education and adaptive sports. With a personal connection to the Cancer for College mission, Logan is looking forward to utilizing her skills and experience to enhance CFC’s efforts to make an impact in the cancer community. In her free time you can find Logan enjoying sunny San Diego with her pup Ellie, seeking out a new coffee shop, or spending quality time with friends and family.
Melody has been with Cancer for College for five years, and is grateful for the opportunity to be continually inspired by the incredibly resilient young survivors the charity serves. Melody draws from experience in various fields, including journalism, event management, video production, volunteer management, and fundraising. She is an avid traveler and has spent more than five years living abroad, mostly in Mexico and Croatia, where she earned an MBA. Melody is passionate about utilizing communication as a tool to build empathy and improve society, and is delighted that in her role she’s able to use her communication skills in service of cancer survivors.
As a former scholarship recipient, Sana is thrilled to serve as the Director of Donor Impact West Coast and forever uplift CFC’s legacy. Before Cancer for College, Sana has raised $6 million by age 23 to support blood cancer patients and families at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Sana has also recently graduated with her MBA at the University of Pepperdine (Go Waves!). Sana loves working out at Orangetheory, EOS, and SoulCycle in her free time! She could not be more grateful to continue dreaming and doing big, all for those battling critical illnesses.
Shelby is CFC’s Program Manager and has been with the team for two years. Prior to joining CFC, Shelby had lived and worked for a non-profit in New York City advocating for equitable global vaccination services in low- income countries. Post- pandemic, Shelby moved back to her home-town in Los Angeles, California and began working in education, focusing on improving mental health services in impoverished communities throughout Los Angeles County.
As Program Manager, she is your go-to for all things scholar-related, from academic and medical debt scholarships to developing and managing mentor groups and educational activities. She is continuously inspired by the ever-growing accomplishments of CFC scholars and is excited to develop and grow the services we provide them.
Stevi is excited to be lending her creative and multifaceted talents to the CFC team as their Special Projects manager. She comes from an extensive entrepreneurial background, and is an award-winning artist and published author. Married with two daughters and two dogs, she balances her family life with a deep love for golf, live music, and nature. Stevi’s obsession with traveling fuels her inspiration and shapes her unique artistic perspective and compassion for the world at large.
Tabithia joined the CFC Family in 2023. Tabithia has worn many hats during her career - from event planning, leadership, volunteer management, and fundraising in the nonprofit sector to operations, employee engagement, and staffing and training on the corporate side. She is a storyteller; creating opportunities for supporters to engage with our scholars. She is married with two sons. She enjoys family time at the lake or greenway in her free time and doing Burn Boot Camps and hip-hop dance classes.
Donate to the Cause.
Sure, we love big donations.
But we love small, thoughtful ones, too.
Every dollar puts deserving cancer survivors closer to realizing their dreams.
Donate
Apply for a Scholarship.
A fast and easy process.
Because you’ve been through enough challenges. Share your story, make your case and we’ll do our best to help.
Apply
Volunteer Your Time.
It takes more than money.
So we’re always looking for enthusiastic, caring volunteers to help with events, planning & behind the scenes work.
Volunteer
