MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wayne C. Oldenburg and Ellen Friebert Schupper have been named Board Chair and Executive Director, respectively, of ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis. ABCD provides free, personalized services to breast cancer patients by matching them with trained mentors - breast cancer survivors who share similar diagnoses, treatment plans and life circumstances.
Oldenburg, founder and CEO of Oldenburg Group Incorporated - the Milwaukee-based diversified industrial company that manufactures lighting fixtures, brings extensive corporate, civic and community leadership experience to ABCD, as well as a deep investment in its future.
“ABCD mentors and staff have helped thousands of breast cancer patients going through a life-changing and often scary time in their lives. We give them hope, courage and support that goes beyond their diagnosis, fulfilling the vision that my late wife, Melodie Wilson Oldenburg, had when she launched ABCD in 1999,” says Oldenburg. “Melodie lost her battle to breast cancer, but her legacy lives on. For that reason, I will be focused on two primary goals as ABCD Board Chair - increasing the number of people we serve and raising funds to ensure ABCD’s sustainability.”
Oldenburg graduated from the University of Wisconsin Business School with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration majoring in Finance. He then graduated, with honors, from the University of Wisconsin Law School with a Doctorate of Law degree, as well as the Harvard Business School Program for Presidents. He is a recipient of the Ernst & Young Master Entrepreneur of Year award. For five consecutive years, Oldenburg Group was recognized by Inc 500 magazine as one of the fastest growing businesses in America.
He is a member of the Greater Milwaukee Committee (GMC), served as Chairman of Partners for the Future (a GMC initiative pairing minority owned businesses with majority owned firms), World Presidents’ Organization, Chief Executives’ Organization and Past Chairman for the Wisconsin Chapter of Young Presidents' Organization. Oldenburg has served on numerous corporate boards, most recently on the Board of Directors of Sargento Incorporated. His civic board affiliations, both past and present, include the Board of Trustees at University School of Milwaukee, Lakeland College, the Milwaukee Ballet, the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee and the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Friebert Schupper succeeds Ginny Finn, who served as executive director since 2009. With 20+ years of experience in public, private, and non-profit organizations, Friebert Schupper has led marketing and community engagement teams in a variety of health care, government and higher education institutions. These include the FDA Office of Women’s Health, Ketchum Public Relations Healthcare Team, Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts, and BVK, an integrated marketing agency.
“It’s estimated that more than 300,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with a new breast cancer in 2017; while health care professionals continue to deliver top-notch medical care and scientists search for a cure, ABCD is here – right now – making sure those affected by breast cancer have the emotional and factual support they need as they battle this disease,” says Friebert Schupper. “I am deeply honored to lead ABCD as we explore new opportunities to heighten our impact and serve more people.”
A native of Milwaukee, she graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and later earned her MBA in Marketing from Case Western’s Weatherhead School of Management in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to serving on the board of the Jewish Museum Milwaukee and volunteering in the Fox Point-Bayside School District, she is also a co-founder of the Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award, presented each year by the Jewish Community Relations Council. Created by her mother, family and friends in memory of her father, this award recognizes individuals who demonstrate courage, passion, dedication and leadership while working to eliminate discrimination and injustice in the greater Milwaukee area.
“Ellen emerged from a national field of dozens applicants based on the strength of her marketing and development experience, and her experience in Milwaukee non-profits. The search committee and I were all impressed with her energy, understanding and commitment to ABCD’s mission, and our renewed goals of increasing client matches and increasing the revenue needed to support our growth,” said Oldenburg.
More information about ABCD can be found at www.abcdbreastcancersupport.org. ABCD will soon launch a new website that will elevate the organization’s patient-centered services and stories of impact.
About ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Founded in 1999 by Emmy award-winning journalist Melodie Wilson Oldenburg, ABCD’s signature service is one-to-one mentoring - providing free, personalized support to breast cancer patients, their families and friends. Matches are based on similar diagnoses, treatment plans, and life circumstances, and provide reliable emotional and informational support as a complement to medical care. With more than 600 professionally trained mentors and a commitment to patient-centered services, ABCD believes that personalized peer support should be part of everyone’s quality breast cancer care, helping to create a more confident, empowered survivor.