Governor Inslee Announces Appointments to CARE Fund Board

Published by Office of Governor Jay Inslee, June 30, 2016

OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee today announced the first appointees to the Cancer Research Endowment Authority Board. The Board will oversee and guide the Cancer Research Endowment — or CARE — fund, with a 10-year, up to $10 million-per year state match to fund cancer research in Washington. The CARE Fund was authorized by Senate Bill 6096 and signed into law by the governor in 2015.

“The CARE Fund will be an integral tool in the fight against cancer by leveraging Washington’s cancer facilities and talent,” Inslee said. “The funds will boost important research efforts and ultimately bring greater health outcomes to our citizens and economic benefits to our state. I look forward to working with the board to accelerate the work already being done by our world-class institutions.”

Board members were announced today during the Cancer Moonshot Summit at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. The summit was linked to a network of summits throughout the country led by Vice President Joe Biden. 

The board’s role will be to oversee and guide the cancer research endowment fund, including the solicitation, selection and award of grants. The CARE Fund will incentivize additional investment by requiring private or other non-state resources to match public funds and ensure that funding proposals for cancer research are reviewed by an independent scientific panel. The board will require fiscal and public accountability through independent audits, open public meetings and hearings and annual reports to the public.

Appointments to the CARE Fund Board are:

    Dr. Leslie Alexandre (Life Science Washington)
    Dr. Frederick Appelbaum (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)
    Dr. Thomas Brown (Swedish Cancer Institute)
    Dr. David Byrd (University of Washington)
    Dr. Weihang Chai (Washington State University)
    Dr. Carol Dahl (The Lemelson Foundation)
    Dr. Steven D. Harr (Juno Therapeutics)
    Dr. James Hendricks (Seattle Children’s Hospital)
    Eunice Hostetter (American Cancer Society)
    Jennifer Kampsula-Wong (American Cancer Society)