Board of Directors

Executive Board 2023-2024

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  KARENA BULLOCK BAILEY

  Co-President

  

  KARENA BULLOCK BAILEY

  Co-President

  Karena joined B*CURED in 2008 and became co-president in June 2014. She graduated from Colby College. She serves as a committee member for both The Greenwich Land Trust and Pitch Your Peers. She is a special events producer, managing events for Condé Nast Publications and private clients. Previously, she managed events for Overland Entertainment, Avi Adler, Inc and Forbes Magazine.

  Karena lives in Greenwich, CT with her husband Peter and their two boys Noah and Silas and dog Petunia. She most enjoys spending time with her family and friends and making people laugh. She ran her first (and only) marathon for B*CURED in November 2014 in honor of her mom.

  Reason she is dedicated to the mission: “Learning my mom was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor (glioblastoma) in 2004 was a complete shock. I had never heard of anyone having a brain tumor. My mom Leslie was in fantastic shape, never smoked and exercised every day. Even with outstanding treatment and care, she died 2 days short of her 62nd birthday, after a grueling and torturous 22-month fight. I vowed to make a difference in this devastating disease and to raise awareness. Through the grant program at B*CURED I know we will see change in the course of this disease. It is crucial that we support all initiatives to end brain cancer – the statistics are pitiful and must be changed.

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  KRISTIN BALDERSTON DUDA

  Co-President

  

  KRISTIN BALDERSTON DUDA

  Co-President

  Kristin joined B*CURED in 2008 and became the co-president in June 2014. She received her bachelor of arts from Bucknell University. She currently serves as a Facilitator at the Den for Grieving Kids, Family Centers and is on the Advisory Board of Serendipity Magazine. She is a consultant on PR/brand marketing projects in New York City and Fairfield County. Previously, she was the vice president of PR for Deutsch Advertising and manager of PR for Condé Nast.

  Kristin lives in Riverside, CT. She has three boys; Owen, Jake and Alexander with her husband Mike and a golden retreiver. Kristin enjoys tennis, reading, trips to Colorado, visits with family and friends, but her most treasured time is spent laughing with her three boys, and any time with her husband.

  Reason she is dedicated to the mission: “I lost my Mom to brain cancer when I was 16 and she was the young age of 44. I want to help in the fight against brain cancer to honor my Mom and ensure I’m doing everything I can to prevent other kids from losing their Mom and anyone from losing loved ones to this horrible disease. I know B*CURED is making a difference and I’m thankful to be part of this incredible community’s mission to fund research to find a brain cancer cure.”

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  Julie Karish

  Treasurer

  

  Julie Karish

  Treasurer

  Julie was born and raised in Greenwich, CT. She received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her MBA from Columbia Business School. Julie spent much of her career in Marketing at Digitas before making a change to Academics at Columbia Business School. Julie is the Support Services Committee Chair for the CT Chapter of FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education). She also enjoys volunteering in various committees at Greenwich Country Day School, and the Greenwich Land Trust. Julie lives in Riverside with her husband, Jeff, and their two young children.

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  Mary Russell

  Director, Grant Program

  

  Mary Russell

  Director, Grant Program

  Mary earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University and an MBA from The Wharton School, at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the President and Founder of Greenwich Guidance, a college counseling firm in Greenwich, CT, where she enjoys working with many talented, thoughtful, and creative young people. She served on the parent boards of the Brunswick School, Greenwich Academy, and Greenwich High School. She is currently an Alumni Admissions Representative for Georgetown University.

  She and her husband John live in Greenwich, their home for over 20 years where they raised their children; John, Christina and David. 

  Reason she is committed to the cause: I’m excited to serve as the Director of Grants for B*CURED because I’m inspired by the work and dedication of the doctors and research scientists I’ve met. I never walk out of a meeting or finish a phone call without being amazed by them and the work they do. I’m impressed by their brilliance, their altruism, and their tireless work to find cures for cancer. Being a part of B*CURED will give me a way to support our medical research community in a meaningful way. 

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  MELISSA CLEVELAND SALAMÉ

  Founder, Secretary & Chairman of the Board

  

  MELISSA CLEVELAND SALAMÉ

  Founder, Secretary & Chairman of the Board

  Melissa co-founded B*CURED in 2008. She received her bachelor of arts from Brown University and did her post-graduate at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She is on the Board of Governors for both Tufts Medical Center and the Parent’s Council for the Tisch School of the Arts. She is a manager of an alternative investment portfolio and a principle in the jewelry design firm Carthage. Prior to that she was a vice president in Global Trade for Citibank, NA.

  She lives in Greenwich, CT with her husband Roy. They have two children together, Alexa and Rick. Melissa enjoys tennis, golf, yoga, running, travel and spending time with Roy and their adult children whenever she can.

  Reason she is dedicated to the mission: “When my dad was diagnosed with a glioblastoma at 68 there were no good treatment options for him. As a physician, he knew something new had to be developed and asked me to help him. He ran out of time so I am continuing on for him and for all brain cancer victims.”

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Committee