Dear CLL Society Friends,
After nine years of dedicated service to CLL Society, Patty Koffman, co-founder and communications director for CLL Society, will officially retire from her full-time position with CLL Society on April 30. Patty announced this decision to the Board of Directors in May 2021, allowing us ample time to prepare for this milestone transition.
Rest assured that Patty remains deeply invested in and committed to CLL Society’s mission and will continue to serve CLL Society in a volunteer advisory capacity as needed.
Patty Koffman’s engagement with CLL began in 2005 when her husband, Dr. Brian Koffman was diagnosed. Patty’s first goal was to save one person’s life- Brian’s- but as she and Brian learned more about the disease and the needs of CLL patients, they became determined to help others with CLL through peer support and delivery of credible, timely information about the disease as well as the changing treatment landscape. In 2013, just as promising treatments were becoming available to patients, Patty and Brian launched the nonprofit CLL Society that today provides critical information, resources, and programs to tens of thousands of people living with CLL.
In the early months and years, Patty did the hard work of establishing the infrastructure required to operate a nonprofit, while leading the production of our conference coverage expert interview series, bringing the latest advancements in CLL science forward to patients, and managing all the daily activities required to make CLL Society successful. As our staff team grew, Patty was able to better focus her attention on developing our voice and brand in a way that would sustain the organization for years to come. Patty’s contributions to CLL Society over the past nine years are far too many to name, but include authorship of our weekly newsletter, conceptualization of our Test Before Treat program, management of our social media channels, and regular speaking engagements for CLL Society and other cancer organizations’ activities. Her capstone project has been serving as a critical team leader on the redesign of CLL Society’s website, where she championed the critical importance of the patient voice and patient experience in all phases of the design process.
Patty Koffman has always led with creativity, compassion, and generosity. Her gifts to the CLL community are immeasurable, and her legacy with CLL Society will live on through the staff, boards, and volunteers who have benefited from her counsel and mentorship.
While we will miss working with Patty on a daily basis, we are grateful to know she will continue to be a resource to us as we grow and evolve. Patty has certainly earned her retirement, and we hope you will join us in wishing her the very best as she embarks on this next chapter of her life.
Warm Regards,
Carly Boos, MEd, MBA
Executive Director
CLL Society
Please note that Patty can continue to be reached at [email protected].
