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About Us - Leadership
- Members
- Brandon Fowler
- Dorothy Fairweather, RN
- O. Xavier Hixon
- Pamela Jones-Scott, RN
- Medical Advisory Board
About Us
Founded in 1998 by a breast cancer survivor, Women at Real Risk (WARR) is a volunteer based, non-profit organization whose primary mission is to eliminate breast cancer through education and advocacy. WARR does this by ensuring that no one faces breast cancer alone or uninformed. To accomplish its mission, WARR offers culturally relevant support and resources to individuals experiencing breast cancer either personally or because of a family member or friend. Over the past ten years, WARR has:- Facilitated breast cancer education seminars for over 8,000 adults and teens in the Washington Metropolitan area and the Caribbean.
- Paid for the medical costs, including mammograms, surgery and prescriptions, follow-up physician care and transportation for over 2,000 individuals.
- Conducted the fifth annual health mission to St Mary, Jamaica
- Held a Breast Cancer and Women of the Diaspora Seminar that impacted nearly 10,000 people.
- Conducted workplace outreach and education luncheon seminars attended by over 200 people.
- Provided direct financial assistance for medical services, transportation and wellness care to over 400 individuals in the Caribbean
- Conducted the Fifth Annual Health Mission in the Parish of St. Mary, Jamaica
- Participated in the National Baptist Memorial Church Ward 1 community-wide health fair
- Joined with others in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
Leadership
Executive Director and Founder - Totlyn
Taylor-Newby
Executive Totlyn M. Taylor-Newby was born in Port Maria, St. Mary
Jamaica, West Indies. She received a Bachelors Degree in English at Clonmel
College, St. Mary in Jamaica. Ms. Taylor-Newby is the Executive Director and
Founder of Women at Real Risk, (WARR) a non-profit Breast Cancer Awareness
Organization.
Ms. Taylor-Newby was a member of the Jamaican Constabulary Force for over ten years. She got married and had four children: Dwight, Danovan (deceased), Dawn and Denise. She later immigrated to the United States where she became the proud grandmother of her only grandson, who is the love of her life.
Ms. Taylor-Newby worked as social worker for the District of Columbia Human Resource Department for over twenty years. During these years she was a Boy Scout leader for seventeen years and received the highest Boy Scout Award, the Award of Merit. She has also volunteered with several organizations through out the Washington area.
In 1998 she started to research why so many women in her homeland of Jamaica were dying of breast cancer. Her research concluded that Breast Cancer education was not readily available to women on the island.
In 1999 she launched WARR in St. Mary, Jamaica at the Port Maria Hospital, which is a hands-on out reach program that teaches women how to perform breast self examinations. Since the conception of WARR it has reached over 8,000 women and men in the U.S. and Jamaica. In 2001 Ms. Taylor-Newby started a program at an all girl’s school in the parish of St. Mary Jamaica with seven hundred plus teens in attendance.
Because of her experience with breast cancer, she has a passion for life and continue to educate as many women as possible of this potential but treatable disease.
Each year since the launch of the program, Ms. Taylor-Newby and members of WARR have traveled to Jamaica at least twice a year to work with the women on the island. April 2005 through 2008 she took several doctors and nurses from the United States to Jamaica on a medical mission which was a great success.
President
- Claudia C. Hudson
Claudia Charmaine Hudson is a native of Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. She resides in the District of Columbia many years. Claudia completed school in the USA. She spent four years in the United States Air Force upon her return she continued college where she obtained her undergraduate degree in Business Administration, a Masters in Public Administration, as well as a Certificate in Non-Profit Leadership from the University of the District of Columbia.
Claudia is a former Paramedic/Supervisor with the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services. The love of helping people in need kept her in that profession for more than 20 years, and it is this same love for people that has led her to volunteer her time, and effort to help educate women on breast cancer awareness.
Claudia has been with Women at Real Risk (WARR) from its inception, as co-founder, president, and assistant director of operations. During a visit her friend ask what can be done to help women who were less fortunate and did not have the ability to seek help about breast cancer issues. Claudia was more than happy to lend a hand. Since raising two wonderful young men, Brandon and Andre’ has taught Claudia the gift of loving and sharing with others. That same love has transcend from her heart to many women and men here and over seas, bring awareness of breast cancer.
Claudia envisions WARR as a global organization ready at a moments notice to travel to any part of the world to conduct seminars and workshops on breast cancer awareness. Reaching women that no one would otherwise be able to reach; touching the lives of the shy and shameful; letting them know that they are not alone in this fight; willing to hold their hands through the trials and tribulations; praying with them; and helping financially when possible, are all the duties she entails in her aide of breast cancer awareness. Claudia Hudson is quintessence of an established, headstrong, and compassionate woman who is capable of taking WARR to new plateaus.
Vice President and Treasurer- Luke A. Lawal
Mr. Luke Lawal has been with United Bank for almost 12 years as Vice President and Relationship Manager in their Corporate Lending Division. He has business development, relationship management and credit analysis responsibilities for large commercial and non-profit organization in the metropolitan DC markets. Overall, he manages over 100 million loan portfolio and more than $60 million in deposit relationship. Prior to United Bank, he was with Wells Fargo Bank, Texas and overall he has 20 years of banking experience. He earned his MBA degree from the University of Texas at El Paso and completed his Management Development and Credit Training while employed by Wells Fargo Bank and was top of his class.
Mr. Lawal has been active in professional, community and charitable organizations throughout his life and has been recognized over the years for his services to others. Mr. Lawal is a member of the Board of Directors of Women At Real Risk, (WARR) a not for profit breast cancer awareness organization for many years. Mr. Lawal holds the position of Vice President for WARR. Mr. Lawal also services as a board Adviser to the Society of the Aumazo, a not for profit organization that helps Girl’s Education Worldwide.
Mr. Lawal is a former Nigerian athlete and a member of the Nigerian International Athletics Association, (NIAA) which he joined in 1996. The Nigerian International Athletes Association (NIAA) is a not for profit organization. Members are former and current world-class sportsmen and women who have united for the purpose of giving back to the community.
Secretary - Sherene T. Cameron
Sherene Cameron, currently employed at NeighborWorks® America for over 18 years, has served this national non-profit organization in various positions. NeighborWorks® America, headquartered in Washington, DC, has eight district offices throughout the United States. This organization was chartered in 1978 by the US Congress to promote community development throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico.
Sherene is a graduate of the University of the District of Columbia and the Washington Institute of Paralegal Studies. She is also a member of the National Association of Executive Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, American Management Association, and National Association of Notaries.
Sherene is the secretary for Women at Real Risk (WARR), an organization that emphasizes breast cancer awareness, and is a ten-year breast cancer survivor herself. Often referred to as a “people’s person,” she is very community oriented. In addition to her role at WARR, she is a member of Randall Memorial United Methodist Church, where she has served as president of the Randall Memorial United Methodist Women’s Unit; she is a member of the Nominations and Pastor Parish Relations committees. She is secretary of the Dresden Green Citizens’ Association and volunteers at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. In addition, for the past nine years she has organized a team to raise money and participate in the annual 5K Susan G. Komen National Race for the Cure.
Sherene is a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother of twins Kyla and Tyler; a very loving family that has been supportive when she needed them most - during her battle with breast cancer and other illnesses.
Personal Statement: “My passion is to help others, I feel blessed that God has kept me here and that he has a purpose for my life. So while I am here, I focus on spreading the word on early detection of breast cancer and assisting women (and their families) in anyway I can in this process.”
Members
Medical Advisory Board
Robert N. Ball, MD
Robert Nesta J. Ball, MD originally from Kingston, Jamaica Current Position: Community & Family Medicine/HIV Primary Care/Addictions Medicine, Max Robinson-Whitman Walker Clinic, Washington, DC High School - St. Georges College, Kingston, Jamaica, BS-Chemistry, Univ of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica MD - Howard Univ. College of Medicine, 1996 Residency Family Medicine - George Washington Univ. Hosp-1999 Hobbies: Trying to get fit, Caribbean Liming, Carnival & Reggae Concert Hunting, Foreign Travel & International Medicine/Volunteerism. Paramedic with Dale County, Florida from 1984-1990
Susann G. Board, MD
Susan G. Board practiced medicine in the metropolitan D.C. area, as a board certified obstetrician-gynecologist, from 1989-2000. She has been working in the oncology field, on behalf of Amgen, Inc, since 2001. She is currently Director, Oncology Regional Medical Liaisons for the Mid-Atlantic region.
Collete M. Magnant, MD
Dr. Colette Magnant graduated from the Medical College of Virginia in 1981. She then went on to do her internship in Surgery at Indiana State University in Indianapolis. Dr. Magnant completed her surgical residency at Georgetown University Medical Center in 1986. She went into private practice and then joined the full-time faculty at Georgetown in the Department of Surgery where she became an Associate Professor. In 1996, Dr. Magnant returned to private practice as a breast surgeon at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC. She started the Sibley Center for Breast Health with the administration there. She is currently the Clinical Coordinator of the Sibley Breast Center and a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at Georgetown University Hospital. She has presented research in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment at national meetings and has written papers and book chapters on this subject.
Sonia Rhoden-Salmon, MD
Family Medicine Physician for 16 years. Graduate of Howard University School of Midicine. Married with two children.
Jean M. Williams, MD
Medical Director for emergency room , the Greater Southeast Hospital in Washington, DC.
Pamela Jones-Scott, RN
Pamela Scott has been a member of Women at Real Risk, (WARR) since 2004, helping the organization fulfill its mission to the people of the Washington Metropolitan area and the people of Jamaica. Pamela pursued her first Bachelor of Science Degree from Bowie State University in Sociology and Criminal Justice. From there she continued to follow her career in Nursing, graduating from Howard University with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Currently her specialty is Emergency Room, HIV/AIDS and Geriatrics. Pamela’s travels to Jamaica are as equal to charity as well as relaxation. “I always feel sad when I leave Jamaica, because I love what I have been called to do.”
Dorothy Fairweather, RN
Dorothy is a native Jamaican. She has been in the USA since 1968. She is a graduate of University of the District of Columbia and Columbia Union College. She is pursuing a Master’s in Theology. Dorothy is a ordained minister and a registered nursed.
Tarsha Jones, RN
Tarsha Jones, RN, MSN, of Washington, D.C., is an assistant professor of Nursing at Trinity Washington University. She recently completed her MSN in Community/Public Health Nursing from the Catholic University of America where she received an alumni award for excellence in master’s studies in 2009. Tarsha is devoted both personally and professionally to finding a cure for breast cure. She is currently enrolled in a doctor of philosophy (PhD) in nursing program where her research will focus on young women of African descent with breast cancer. She hopes that her research findings will aid in decreasing disparities related to breast cancer and will assist healthcare professionals to understand the unique challenges encountered by young women diagnosed with breast cancer. After the death of her grandmother to breast cancer in 2004, Tarsha began the journey of empowering African-American women with information about their significant risk for developing breast cancer through community wide health education initiatives. In 2007, she was selected to serve as a member of the Young Women’s National Advisory Council for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. As a professional nurse, Tarsha has worked both nationally and internationally to improve the health outcomes of the underserved. She recently travelled to Ghana, West Africa and Jamaica to assist in providing health care to the underserved.
Sally
Reinholdt, RN
Sally first became involved with WARR in 2005 when she participated in the first annual health mission to Jamaica. She has since joined the organization. She was a member of the health team that traveled to Jamaica in April, 2006, and 2007 for WARR’s annual health mission.
Ms. Reinholdt is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. It was there that she earned a diploma in nursing from the Jewish Hospital School of nursing, graduating in 1979 and relocating to the Washington, DC area the day after graduation. Sally began her nursing career working at Washington Hospital Center and in 1980 started an operating room internship program. She is now in her 26th year in the operating room. Sally is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and the South Arlington Lead Share Association, a business support group, where she has served as treasurer and president. She truly enjoys the variety in her work and is glad to be able to use both her nursing and organizing skills to help others.