PALTOWN’s commitment to patient empowerment extends to our professional staff, most of whom come from our community. Together we are working to provide connection, education, and training for the thousands of patients and caregivers in our programs.
PALTOWN Management
Lindsay Sichta
Lindsay comes to PALTOWN as a proven organization executive in educational leadership where she focused much of her time on system building and strategic development of grant-funded programs and services to support children and families navigating the early childhood system throughout the State of Michigan. She holds her Master’s Degree in Education and multiple certificates and endorsements focused on Educational Leadership. She has also chaired the Early Childhood Administrator’s Network (ECAN) for Intermediate School District leaders across the State.Lindsay joined COLONTOWN as a caregiver after her husband’s colon cancer diagnosis in 2021. Like so many members, she found comfort and support connecting with others in the many COLONTOWN neighborhoods that have encompassed her husband’s journey. In the spring of 2024 she began volunttering as a neighborhood host, and then became a faculty member for our Empowered Patient Leader (EPL) program.
PALTOWN welcomed Lindsay as its Executive Director in November 2024. When she’s not focused on cancer land, Lindsay, her husband, and her son enjoy spending time on Michigan’s beautiful lakeshore.
Stacey Runfola
Professionally, Stacey is an entrepreneur and artist. She holds a dual BA in Business Management and Dance Education from Ithaca College. Her career has spanned education, management, and most recently business owner. She is thrilled for the opportunity to combine her professional background and personal cancer experience to manage all of PALTOWN’s programs to empower and educate patients and caregivers.
Outside of COLONTOWN, Stacey enjoys paddleboarding, and exploring unique coffee shops with her partner Michael. She attempts to play golf (Rick’s favorite sport!), she is a tap dancer, and a (begrudging) beginner runner.
Seybold began her career as the first Web editor for the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and soon moved to the National Cancer Institute, where she built a web-based initiative to increase understanding of and participation in cancer clinical trials. While at NCI, Seybold participated in a number of high-level initiatives surrounding the push to develop a unified, branded web presence (now cancer.gov) for the Institute.
Seybold spent 16 years consulting to clients in the health information, biomedical, and public health fields as an information architect and user experience practitioner. Clients include several institutes at the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Education, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and Johnson & Johnson.
Seybold co-founded the PALTOWN Development Foundation, a 501(c)3 corporation, in 2016. The Foundation develops and manages online support communities for patients and caregivers affected by serious disease.
Seybold holds a B.A. in Humanities and M.A. in Medieval Studies from Yale University.
Tiffany Freeman
I was diagnosed with stage 3b colon cancer in August 2019, at age 36, and found COLONTOWN three months later, completely unmoored. I had been drowning in the physical, emotional, and mental weight of facing cancer as a young mother, and finding COLONTOWN was like being thrown a lifeline and pulled aboard an impressive ship full of experienced, strong sailors. My COLONTOWN neighbors saw me safely through the darkest period of my life.
That experience changed everything. By the end of 2020, I had completed COLONTOWN’s Empowered Patient Leader training and begun volunteering as host of On the Right Side, the neighborhood for those whose cancer originates in the right colon. I have spent over five years alongside my fellow “righties,” and the work has given me profound purpose. I’ve also had the deep joy of facilitating more than 48 Book Nook discussions, one of the most meaningful spaces in my COLONTOWN life.
For nearly five years, I served PALTOWN Development Foundation as Director of Operations and Finance, building the systems and infrastructure that allow this organization to do what it does. I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of people and systems. The best operational frameworks are the ones invisible to those they serve, quietly holding space so that the real work, the human work, can happen.
Now, as Mayor of COLONTOWN, I get to be a caretaker of people. I hold that responsibility with the same sober dedication I once brought to financial compliance and legal stewardship, because the stakes are just as real. I come to this role with six years of being held by this community, and a lifelong commitment to holding it in return.
I live rurally in Virginia, where I homeschool my children, play double bass in community orchestras, and keep a gargoyle in my kitchen as a reminder that even in the most ordinary spaces, there is room for watchfulness, art, and a bit of magic.
Lauren Hindman
Anne Nesathurai
I am a science communicator and editor. I started my career in genetics education, as the managing editor for an education nonprofit. I am passionate about translating confusing topics so that everyone can understand them. I have a B.A. in English from Vassar College. I’m excited to lead PALTOWN’s content development team and manage digital content for the organization.
Marie Sander
I am a breast cancer survivor and a stage IV crc patient. I joined COLONTOWN in 2016 on the advice of a friend, and I have found it to be the best online group for support and education for colorectal cancer patients. The education and peer to peer medical advice I’ve received helped me make critical decisions in my treatment plans. The level of knowledge from members who are patients, caregivers, and medical professionals is superior and invaluable.
In 2019, after having to take medical leave from my job of 13 years, I took a step back into the professional world by joining PALTOWN’s first group of interns. I was able to use my prior experience in fundraising to help with the work of supporting our programs, and began to work with both CEO Erika Brown and COO Nancy Seybold on many other projects; in a small organization, everyone wears many hats! I attended one of PALTOWN’s Empowering Patient Leaders Workshops late in 2019 and have stepped up as an admin of our New Jersey and Pennsylvania local crews.
PALTOWN is growing, as our programs reach more patients and caregivers and our training initiatives. As part of that growth, I moved into a part-time staff position at the end of 2019, focused on development and program management.
Jen Schafer
I am the mom to two amazing little boys and wife to the most supportive husband. My life took an unexpected turn when a little bit of side pain turned into a Stage 4 Colon Cancer diagnosis at 33 years old. Within days of diagnosis, I had surgery, met my oncologist and was given the dreaded “2 years average” timeline. Not willing to just accept that number, my friends and family went into research mode which led my sister to find the COLONTOWN community and suggest I join. I genuinely believe that the education and support I gained from the various communities has significantly increased my quantity and quality of life.
As both of my kids are in early elementary school now and no longer need my full attention, stars seemed to align that a job became available through COLONTOWN that could use a lot of my pre-kid work experience with the flexibility our family needs and genuine job satisfaction. I have a degree in Computer Science and 7+ years of experience in computer programming with a primary focus in database development. I love using those skills to assist the Finance and Operations team and PALTOWN at large.
Megan Schirmacher
Megan Schirmacher brings a blend of marketing expertise, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement to her role as Marketing and Outreach Coordinator at PALTOWN. Her connection to PALTOWN’s mission is deeply personal; her sister, Kathy, was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 32 and passed 5 years later. This loss reshaped Megan’s priorities, altered her professional trajectory, and set her on a decades-long path driving advocacy to effect meaningful change in times of critical need.
In addition to PALTOWN, Megan concurrently serves as Program Director for Savvy Giving by Design, a nonprofit that renovates residential spaces for children facing medical crises at no cost to the family. She was also the guiding force behind the creation of a community-wide 5K/10K (an event she led for 7 years), raising over $100,000 to purchase educational technology for a Title 1 elementary school—helping bridge the resource gap for thousands of children.
She holds a B.A. in History from Yale University and a professional certificate in photography from UCSD. Based in San Diego, she and her husband take pride in having launched three compassionate and accomplished daughters into thriving adult lives. But actually enjoy it most when they come back home.
Mari Ullrick
Mari Ullrick is dedicated to building strong, supportive communities where no one has to face colon health challenges alone. After her husband’s full colectomy, she saw firsthand the importance of knowledge sharing and early intervention in improving patient outcomes. With a background in entrepreneurship, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement, Mari applies her expertise in operations, fundraising, and donor development to expand PALTOWN’s reach and impact.
A lifelong adventurer, Mari is on a mission to run 50 half marathons in 50 states, using the challenge as an opportunity to explore new places and connect with people from all walks of life. An avid international traveler who speaks three languages, she thrives on forging relationships and learning from diverse perspectives. Beyond the road and the tarmac, she’s a mom to three teens and a rescue dog, finding joy in music, design, and gardening. A lifelong violinist and voracious reader (120+ books a year), Mari balances creativity with strategy, always seeking innovative ways to make a difference.
Education Programs Staff
Julie Clauer
I am living with a chronic disease known as Stage IV colorectal cancer. I am one of the growing many of early onset patients with no family history or typical risk factors trying to figure out how to juggle treatment, raise a toddler, and shift just about everything to coexist with cancer. I passionately believe that knowledge and compassion help increase positive outcomes for those with cancer in their lives. COLONTOWN provides both of these in such a unique way and I am thrilled to participate in and further that mission.
Manju George
I am a Stage 3b rectal cancer survivor. Immediately after my diagnosis in 2017, I joined COLONTOWN. By training, I am a veterinary doctor and have a PhD. My professional background is as a researcher in the lab working in Cell and Cancer Biology. After I joined COLONTOWN I became instantly aware of how I could use my background in Cancer Biology to educate fellow patients and caregivers, as they navigated their cancer journey.
In COLONTOWN, I created the CRC101 educational neighborhood, which formed the basis for the CRC101 Learning Center in COLONTOWN University. CRC101 attempts to provide people a “road-map” to their cancer journey and aims to facilitate CRC-specific learning, by meeting patients and caregivers at their level of understanding. I also host many of the DocTalk discussions with clinicians and researchers; these are available in COLONTOWN University’s Lecture Hall.
The time I have spent in COLONTOWN has greatly broadened my view of cancer research and in some ways brought the kind of clarity and perspective that is only possible with the experience of cancer as a patient. I am able to leverage this unique perspective as a Patient Advocate with the Stand Up to Cancer CRC Dream Team, various cancer and CRC specific meetings and conferences, and on Twitter (@manjuggm). This enables me to engage in discussions with leading clinicians and researchers in the CRC field and bring that information back to benefit the COLONTOWN membership. My impact in this advocacy space has been reflected in projects where I help bring patient perspective into clinical trial design.
In 2020, I joined PALTOWN staff as Scientific Director, formalizing my role across all these activities for the organization and for COLONTOWN.
I envision colorectal patient advocacy and education as an integral part of my life moving forward, and am looking for opportunities where my training, cancer experience and collective patient perspective gained from COLONTOWN can be used for the benefit of society.
Laure Chotel
My involvement with colorectal cancer began when my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 BRAF V600E mutation at the age of 42. Faced with the terrible prognosis, I began to research ways of giving him access to as many treatment options as possible, which are far fewer in France than in the USA. It was thanks to COLONTOWN that we discovered an early-phase clinical trial in Belgium in which my husband was enrolled in his third line of treatment and which enabled him to gain 6 months of life without disabling side effects.
As there is no European colorectal cancer patient and caregiver group, we created one within COLONTOWN to facilitate the exchange of information between Europeans. COLONTOWN and the resources of COLONTOWN University are an immense source of learning and empowerment for patients and caregivers. Gaining autonomy enables patients and their loved ones to discuss with their medical teams and make informed choices, sometimes even finding new treatment options.
Alongside COLONTOWN, I am also involved in France (Mon Réseau Cancer Colorectal) and Europe (Digestive Cancers Europe) to raise awareness of colorectal cancer, and to represent and support patients and their families.
I hold two master’s degrees in language didactics and have worked for some fifteen years in the field of language learning and teaching, particularly with technologies and around the issue of empowering learning.
I’m delighted to be able to contribute to the collective work of PALTOWN and COLONTOWN as curator of the Alanna Project, which collects patient-reported clinical trials experiences from COLONTOWN members.
Natalia Muñoz
I’m a biochemist and doctor in chemistry by training with a passion for all things immunology and research. I’m a Research Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin. I’m a problem solver by nature and love making sense of complex biological data sets and biochemical interactions. I’ve spent the last 10+ years of my career researching strategies to enhance or modulate the immune system though synthetic and natural compounds as means of treating infections and cancer.
In 2019 my life changed abruptly as my young husband was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer. With a grim prognosis and a very deficient medical system, I was faced with the biggest challenge of my life: finding doctors who could help us devise new treatment paths and defy that prognosis. This involved 4 different teams across continents, enrollment in two clinical trials and the set up of one trial from scratch to access a new technology not available in the country where he was being treated at the time.
Becoming a colorectal cancer advocate was not a path I envisioned for myself, but rather one that life unexpectedly led me to. Having witnessed the positive impact of patient education and advocacy on cancer care first hand has been nothing short of extraordinary. I’ve been in awe, seeing how the education, peer-support, and empowerment offered by the Colontown community have positively impacted many patients and contributed to creating space for healing even in the absence of a cure. The positive ripple effect that it has had on my personal journey as a caregiver and my husband’s prognosis is certain.
I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to serve PALTOWN and COLONTOWN in this new role as a Research Librarian and Data Analyst and put all my knowledge and passion for science at the service of colorectal cancer patients.
Adrian Terek
I became involved in patient advocacy when my mother was diagnosed with incurable cervical cancer in 2012. Her doctor offered her very few options, so I undertook a deep dive into the world of cancer research, as well as corresponded with top researchers around the world about the latest developments.
My research led me to a promising clinical trial that my mother participated in, which shrunk her cancer and gave her valuable additional years. This experience led me to focus on patient advocacy and to found LifeTrials, a charity focused on informing patients of the latest research advances and clinical trials. My goal is to ensure patients are getting the best treatments and that all available options are considered based on the latest evidence.
I know that one of the most valuable tools available for patients is community organizations, and when a close friend was diagnosed with CRC I reached out to PALTOWN and joined COLONTOWN. I was blown away at how wildly supportive and knowledgeable the group was and knew I had to be a part of it.
Currently, I work with PALTOWN and COLONTOWN researching and informing the community of valuable clinical trial options, and providing easy-to-understand explanations of the latest research advances and topics at the forefront of CRC treatment research.
Michele Vangilder
In Memoriam
In 2022, we lost three incredible members of our staff: Lindsey Musick, Steve Schwarze, and Jen Eldridge. We honor their work, and their commitment to their COLONTOWN “neighbors,” in all that we do at PALTOWN.
COLONTOWN Community Staff
Tiffany Freeman
I was diagnosed with stage 3b colon cancer in August 2019, at age 36, and found COLONTOWN three months later, completely unmoored. I had been drowning in the physical, emotional, and mental weight of facing cancer as a young mother, and finding COLONTOWN was like being thrown a lifeline and pulled aboard an impressive ship full of experienced, strong sailors. My COLONTOWN neighbors saw me safely through the darkest period of my life.
That experience changed everything. By the end of 2020, I had completed COLONTOWN’s Empowered Patient Leader training and begun volunteering as host of On the Right Side, the neighborhood for those whose cancer originates in the right colon. I have spent over five years alongside my fellow “righties,” and the work has given me profound purpose. I’ve also had the deep joy of facilitating more than 48 Book Nook discussions, one of the most meaningful spaces in my COLONTOWN life.
For nearly five years, I served PALTOWN Development Foundation as Director of Operations and Finance, building the systems and infrastructure that allow this organization to do what it does. I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of people and systems. The best operational frameworks are the ones invisible to those they serve, quietly holding space so that the real work, the human work, can happen.
Now, as Mayor of COLONTOWN, I get to be a caretaker of people. I hold that responsibility with the same sober dedication I once brought to financial compliance and legal stewardship, because the stakes are just as real. I come to this role with six years of being held by this community, and a lifelong commitment to holding it in return.
I live rurally in Virginia, where I homeschool my children, play double bass in community orchestras, and keep a gargoyle in my kitchen as a reminder that even in the most ordinary spaces, there is room for watchfulness, art, and a bit of magic.
Kim Austin
I was diagnosed with stage IV rectal cancer with metastasis to the liver in November 2013. In 2016, while searching for my place as a survivor, I discovered COLONTOWN and quickly found both my community and my purpose. My story has included recurrences, surgeries, radiation, chemotherapy, living with a temporary and now permanent colostomy. Throughout it all, the support of the COLONTOWN community has been invaluable.
In 2020, I became a founding member of the COLONTOWN Cabinet, where we work collaboratively to help lead and support the community. I also joined the onboarding team that year and later became the Onboarding Coordinator. Welcoming new patients and caregivers is a true passion of mine. When someone hears the words “You have cancer,” their world can feel like it’s falling apart. My goal is to help them know they are not alone and that “We Are Here With You.”
I also co-host several COLONTOWN groups, including ROCK’ N ROLL crew (Ohio & West Virginia), HOSPICE HARBOR, and LONG HAULER HOLLOW, and participate in the Empowered Patient Leadership (EPL) program, which helps members find their voices through peer-to-peer support.
I’m deeply grateful to have found a home in COLONTOWN, where I’ve gained education, support, friendship, and purpose.
Jenn Bass
In May 2019, at age 36, I was diagnosed with stage IIIB colon cancer. With no family history and no known genetic predisposition, the diagnosis was both shocking and isolating. While still in the hospital, I began searching for information and connection. That search led me to COLONTOWN.
From the moment I joined, I found a community of patients and survivors who understood exactly what I was going through. I connected with others facing young onset colorectal cancer, as well as local “townies” who quickly became some of my closest friends. For the first time, I didn’t feel alone. The support I received throughout treatment was invaluable.
After completing chemotherapy, I knew I wanted to give back to the community that had supported me so deeply. I became an admin for several of COLONTOWN’s major neighborhoods and later stepped into a Community Leader role. Shortly after, I joined the Empowered Patient Leader (EPL) team, helping train and mentor others to help in our community. In 2022, I joined the COLONTOWN Cabinet.
In addition to leadership and training, I support distribution efforts to expand awareness and ensure that more patients and caregivers can find the trusted information and connection that COLONTOWN provides.
Serving this community has been incredibly meaningful and healing. What began as a search for support during one of the most difficult seasons of my life has become a deep commitment to helping others feel informed, empowered, and never alone.
Keith Hollingsworth
I was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer on 5/5/21, have completed multiple surgeries, SBRT, and quite a bit of Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy.
When I heard those words “You have cancer” as you can imagine, my world flipped upside down. I immediately thought…”How long do I have.” I am a husband to my wife Casey of 16 years, as well as a father to my 2 sons Logan and Parker.
You can find yourself digging into a dark hole as a stage IV patient, while researching survival rates, treatment options etc. My nurse navigator recommended that I investigate the group “COLONTOWN.” This community has been a tremendous part of my treatment plan. They have helped me answer questions, seek advice, helped empower me to get a 2nd opinion, and helped me to become a better advocate for myself.
The Empowered Patient Leadership program offered me a way to give back to others that have helped me along my journey. I proudly serve as admin for my local regional group The INDY CREW. I am also part of the COLONTOWN Cabinet, which manages the overall community.
Betsy Post
Michele Leslie
After my dad was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer in 2009, our lives changed forever.
Watching him endure multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation fueled my passion for advocating for CRC patients and caregivers. In 2016, I found COLONTOWN, a community that provided hope, support, and essential resources. With their help, I became a stronger caregiver and advocate, ensuring my dad received the best possible care.
After joining COLONTOWN, I was honored to become an Admin for CAREPARTNER CORNER, where I connected with caregivers worldwide. I took pride in sharing my experiences with symptom and side effect management to support others. After losing my dad in 2018, I knew I had to continue advocating for colonoscopies and early detection. I wanted my Dad’s story to continue to help others.
As COLONTOWN continued to grow, I contributed to the development of PARENT LOSS CONNECTION, a space for adult children who have lost a parent to CRC. My passion for integrating palliative care from diagnosis help me host PALLIATIVE PATHWAYS and HOSPICE
HARBOR. I am also a host for LONG HAULER HOLLOW, a neighborhood focused on third-line treatments. I am now honored to join the COLONTOWN Onboarding Team and look forward to offering compassion and support to new Townies as they navigate this challenging time in their lives.
Catherine McNeal
In February of 2021, I was diagnosed with stage III rectal cancer. I completed chemoradiation in April. Then, while looking for resources and support when undergoing chemotherapy, I found COLONTOWN. I instantly made real friendships with other people who understood me.
In early December of 2021, I was declared NED (no evidence of disease) and turned my focus to helping other CRC patients and care partners while navigating my own survivorship. I completed EPL (Empowered Patient Leader) training in June of 2022 and began serving as a community host in the MIDDLEBURY MANOR and RECTALBURGH neighborhoods.
I am passionate about making genuine connections and helping patients and carepartners. Joining the onboarding team will allow me to serve COLONTOWN’s members and connect new members with neighborhood communities that will offer support and knowledge.
Ann Elliot
Tracey McQuillan Dedering
I was diagnosed with stage iv colon cancer with extensive mets to my liver in July 2014. I was 40 and a mom of a 6 year old. I had no family history and nothing genetic to explain why this happened to me. After my diagnosis I was looking for help, answers, support, anything because I had no one to turn to who could understand what was happening to our family. I googled colon cancer, bad idea. I searched Facebook and found COLONTOWN.
I completed 3 rounds of xelox and had a failed liver resection. My surgeon decided PVE was our best bet. After that recovery, we had a successful 70% resection of liver and 2 months later colon resection. Then I restarted chemo. I officially finished chemo in November, 2015 and have been considered NED ever since.
I volunteered with COLONTOWN to start a Wisconsin neighborhood; I have been the admin in Badgerburgh ever since. I am now also a trainer with the Empowered Patient Leader program. I love my COLONTOWN family for everything they have been able to provide me through our journey, so now I am able to give some of that back to others.
Meagan Lockhart
I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer with mets to liver in March of 2019 at the age of 29. My initial oncologist told me I was inoperable and offered palliative chemotherapy. As a mom of a young toddler and newborn this was simply not okay.
As my way of coping I threw myself into research of therapies that may give me more time with my family. Shortly thereafter I found COLONTOWN. It was such an incredible relief to not only connect with people in the same situation, but to have access to such a wonderful network of knowledgeable advocates and materials.
I began volunteering with COLONTOWN as host in the early onset neighborhood YOUNGSTOWN and the parenting neighborhood THE PTA in 2021. My goal is to be able to give patients the same hope COLONTOWN gave me and help them find the resources they need to cope with their diagnosis.
In early 2022 I became community leader for ‘THE CIRCUS’ (know known as UNIQUENESS UNION) neighborhoods. These groups focus not on the disease specifically but hobbies, identity, and the practical matters of dealing with a cancer diagnosis. It’s so important to acknowledge one’s whole self when diagnosed with cancer, not simply responding to the symptoms; I’m so glad that these resources are available through COLONTOWN.
In summer of 2022 I became a member of the COLONTOWN Management Team (the Cabinet), and stepped into the lead role of Mayor for COLONTOWN in January, 2025. After supporting The Cabinet, PALTOWN, and the COLONTOWN Community through a monumental platform change through 2025 I made the very challenging decision to step down from my role as mayor to focus on my own disease progression and to spend time with my family. I am so incredibly fortunate to still support The Cabinet on an as needed basis as well as be an active member of the COLONTOWN Community. My personal cancer journey has given me experience with ALPPS liver resections, BRAF V600E, VATS lung resections, lymph node excision, thoracic brachytherapy and EGFR symptom management.
We are grateful to the Colon Cancer Coalition and the Lu Family Fund for their support of our COLONTOWN Management Team.