Our Mission

Dawn Whitmore

Dawn met Paula on the tennis courts in 2008 and they became fast friends. She was impressed by Paula’s tenacity and passion and has been inspired by her ever since. Dawn, her husband Don and their three small children moved to Charlotte in 2000. She became an active volunteer at Charlotte Latin School, serving on both the Booster Club and Latin Arts Association Boards. She also served in various liaison roles in the administrative, athletic and arts departments. In her earlier years, Dawn was a Vice President at Merrill Lynch & Co in New York, working in both Capital Market and Money Market divisions over the course of ten years. In her free time she enjoys many recreational sports, reading and painting.

Suzanne Levine

Suzanne has been a real estate broker and manager at Mathers Realty since 2005. In addition to serving on the board of the Paula Takacs Foundation for Sarcoma Research, Suzanne is a troop leader with the Girl Scouts. In the past, Suzanne has served on the board of the Hornets Nest Girl Scouts Council and on the Outreach Committee at Carmel Country Club. In addition to the time spent developing her professional and philanthropic passions, Suzanne enjoys life with her husband Chad and their two Chihuahaus, traveling and playing tennis.

Ashley Smith

Ashley met Paula Takacs shortly after Paula’s diagnosis in 2004.  The two became close friends after their children became friends and classmates.  After volunteering at the Sarcoma Stomp every year since 2011, she decided that she wanted to do more than just volunteer at the event.  She wanted to honor her late friend and be a larger part of the fight against this disease.

Ashley is the owner of AWS Fitness.  When she is not training her clients, you can find Ashley on the tennis court or with her husband Aaron cheering on their two children at one of their many sporting events.

Jim Barnes

Jim grew up in London and emigrated to the United States in 1980. In 1989, he moved to Charlotte and became co-owner of a business that was purchased by AmWINS Group in 2004. Today, Jim is a Senior Vice President of  AmWINS Group.

Jim first found out about the Paula Takacs Foundation when his granddaughter, London, was diagnosed with sarcoma and learned that AmWINS Group had been a significant sponsor of the foundation’s annual Sarcoma Stomp for a number of years. Attending this fundraiser, and listening to London as the featured speaker in 2019, solidified his desire to serve the organization in a really personal way. Jim was proud join the PTF Board in early 2020.

Jim lives in Charlotte, NC near his kids and grandkids. He also has a beloved daughter in Atlanta, GA. When Jim wants to kick back, you can find him playing golf (well, trying anyway) or cooking with his wife, Judy.

Heather Lopane

Heather learned of the Paula Takacs Foundation in 2017 after being diagnosed with Stage 3 myxofibrosarcoma in her right calf. As a sarcoma patient who underwent chemotherapy, radiation and limb salvage surgery, Heather saw firsthand the need for new and more effective treatments for sarcomas. Heather’s friends and family formed team “Heather’s Heroes” annually for the Sarcoma Stomp to support Heather as well as the Paula Takacs Foundation’s efforts to advance research in this devastating disease. Additionally, Heather decided to further her contributions to the work of the foundation by joining the Board of Directors in 2019.

Previously, Heather served for 7 years as the Director of Women’s Ministries at StoneBridge Church Community. She served numerous volunteer roles at StoneBridge such as Vacation Bible School Director, Bible Study leader, Life Group leader and Stephens Minister. Before moving to Charlotte, Heather was a Director of Human Resources.

Heather and her husband Frank have 3 grown sons (Matthew, Andrew and Sam) and 1 daughter-in-law (Madeline). Heather’s happy place is on water, either on a paddle board or skis.

Dr. Joshua Patt

Josh is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in sarcoma and spine tumor surgery at the Levine Cancer Institute. He is originally from Denver, Colorado and obtained his BA from Brown University. He then received his MD and MPH degrees from Tulane University before coming to Charlotte for his orthopaedic surgery residency. Josh and his wife Rhonda (a local pediatrician) then spent two years in Seattle where Josh completed fellowship training in orthopaedic oncology and sarcoma care, followed by an additional year of training in spine surgery at the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. They then returned to Charlotte for Josh to join the CMC Department of Orthopaedics and begin caring for sarcoma patients in the Charlotte region. Professionally Josh also stays busy in his role as the Residency Program Director of the Orthopaedic Surgery Training Program at Carolinas Medical Center and Atrium Health. He also serves as the Division Chief for Orthopaedic Oncology and is a member of a fantastic team of doctors and others caring for sarcoma patients as well as other cancer patients suffering from skeletal complications of cancer and other benign bone conditions. Josh is strongly vested in the work of the foundation and is excited for the opportunity to serve sarcoma patients and families in a new capacity. He and his wife Rhonda have three children who also love the Sarcoma Stomp — and have been participating in the event since they were in strollers!

Nicole Gower

Nicole has been in healthcare and research administration since 2011. In addition to serving on the board of the Paula Takacs Foundation for Sarcoma Research, Nicole is a Navy veteran and is an active committee chair and member within the Charlotte chapters of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association.

As a previous oncology research operations manager and current global clinical research project manager specializing in early development or Phase I studies, Nicole knows that there is still a lot of work to be done in the area of sarcoma awareness and research.

Nicole and her husband Josh moved to Charlotte in 2015 with their two boys. They love Clemson football and Liverpool Football Club.

Heather Franklin

Heather is a Virginia native who relocated to the Charlotte area in 2001. She has worked for INLIVIAN (formerly the Charlotte Housing Authority) since that time, and is currently their Executive Vice President of Finance. Heather is a licensed CPA, and is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants.

Heather learned of the Paula Takacs Foundation after her father was diagnosed with Angiosarcoma in 2015. She and her family created the team “Poppy’s Warriors” initially in honor of him, and continue to participate each year in his memory. She learned first hand just how rare these cancers are and wanted to help in any way possible to further the cause. In 2022 she decided she wanted to take a more active role, and joined the Board.

Heather and her husband Brian live in Dallas, NC. They have one daughter, Lauren, who attends Virginia Tech. They are devoted Hokie fans who continue to attend home football games each fall.

Elizabeth Romano

Elizabeth currently serves as a National Client Manager for Partner Engineering and Science, Inc., an international environmental and engineering consulting firm, where she is responsible for developing clients and driving sales within the corporate and commercial real estate space. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a BBA in Marketing in 2000, and Wake Forest University with an MBA in 2011. In addition to serving on the board of the Paula Takas Foundation, Elizabeth also currently serves on the Board of Directors for CoreNet Carolinas and Keep Mecklenburg Beautiful. Elizabeth lives in Belmont, North Carolina with her twin eight-year old boys, Dominick and Beckham. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys traveling, listening to live music, cheering on her Georgia Bulldawgs, and cooking for family and friends.

Tom Valle

Tom recently relocated to Cary from New Jersey. He and his wife have two adult children, both graduates of Baylor University in Texas. Tom graduated from the Air Force Academy, serving six years on active duty before joining the Reserves and attending Columbia Law School in New York. After working as a corporate attorney for a New York law firm and finishing up his career with the Air Force Reserves, Tom went on to serve in various positions with healthcare companies and, during that time, witnessed first-hand the devasting impact of cancer on patients and their families. After arriving in Cary, Tom became aware of the wonderful work being undertaken by The Paula Takacs Foundation in supporting research for pediatric and adult sarcoma and considers it a privilege to now be part of the PTF Team.
In his free time, Tom enjoys reading (with a good cup of coffee), traveling, fitness training and watching college football.

Maya Logan

Maya Logan attained her education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she studied Quantitative Biology and Public Policy. Throughout her academic and professional career, Maya’s passions have centered on mitigating health disparities and advancing equity. Her works have led her to serve as a community leader in the Obama Foundation, work with Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Her efforts have been publicized by the Journal of Experimental Neurology, Washington Post, and Grio. With community service as her foundation, Maya continues to uplift people battling Sarcoma Cancer and their families in remembrance of her grandmother.