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Please consider a donation to the URF
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About the URF
Meet the Officers & Board of Directors
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| Dr. Catalona with Senator Bob Dole |
The funds and energies of the Urological Research Foundation (URF) are directed to research for the prevention,
detection, treatment and cure of diseases of the prostate and most specifically, prostate cancer.
The mission of the Urological Research Foundation is to support research and patient education in prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer causes the death of tens of thousands of men every year and terrible dysfunction and suffering
for additional tens of thousands. The need for more medical progress against this disease is compellingly clear.
The vision, over 20 years ago, which led to the URF and which guides the work of the foundation to this day, is
that we must support the energies, efforts and expertise of those who treat prostate cancer and those who are
searching for a cure.
The Medical Director of the URF, Dr. William J. Catalona, leads one of America's premier teams of physicians and
scientists in this endeavor. Providing the support to them that would accelerate the progress for both treatment
of prostate cancer and the search for a cure is a primary goal of the URF.
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Dr. Catalona; his wife, Jan; and Joe Torre, Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Honorary board member of the URF |
The URF also supports QUEST, a free newsletter to inform readers of the latest advances in prostate cancer treatment
and research as well as this website.
A focus on genetic studies is the new direction for cancer research and present resources of the Foundation are
allocated so that Dr. Catalona may continue his prostate cancer research relating to sib-pair analysis (pairs of
siblings), genotyping and follow up molecular genetics.
Ultimately, genetic testing will provide the understanding for what causes prostate cancer, and then guide the
way to effective and preventative treatments.
Dr. Catalona and his research collaborators have discovered several new regions statistically associated with
prostate cancer. This discovery means that some fraction of men may carry a mutated gene that predisposes
them to prostate cancer.
This research also found that a genetic connection does exist between prostate and breast cancer. There are
genes that when mutated in men cause prostate cancer and when mutated in women cause breast cancer.
Thus a mother can pass prostate cancer on to a son and a father can pass breast cancer to a daughter.
In addition to providing for the development of new blood tests to identify individuals who are genetically
predisposed to prostate cancer, further research in this area may also provide important insights into preventing
prostate cancer and developing new and more effective treatments for the disease.
The present story of the URF is of a foundation in the forefront of genetic research in the area of prostate
cancer, but the past history of the URF is also impressive.
Its founder, Elwin R. Smith, began the URF in 1979 with the intent to focus on the health problems facing
middle-aged and elder men with emphasis on prostate cancer research. He attracted a dedicated group to
serve as the Foundation's board, and together they began to solicit individual donations. The funds raised have
made possible many major steps in the early recognition of prostate cancer.
Dr. Catalona, Medical Director of the URF, was the first to use the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test in
early prostate cancer detection. The free PSA test has been a recent addition to prostate cancer diagnosis, and
again, Dr. Catalona and his associates were key participants in its development and use.
Board of Directors
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Officers
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Anthony F. Sansone, Sr.
- URF President
http://www.sansonegroup.com
Anthony Sansone, Sr. is the president of the Urological Research Foundation. He is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Sansone Group. His activities in St. Louis charitable and civic organizations are numerous including leadership and board positions for the St. Louis Archdiocese, Cardinal Glennon Hospital, St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association, and National Conference of Christians and Jews. Married to Mary Anne Michaels, he has eight children and 31 grandchildren.
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John O. Niemann
- URF Vice President/Treasurer
John (Jack) O. Niemann is currently an attorney with Nangle and
Niemann in Clayton, Missouri. He was formerly a tax partner with Ernst &
Young. He is active in church work with Annunziata Catholic Church, is a
current member of the Audit Committee of the Finance Committee for the
Archdiocese of St. Louis and is a past member of the Development Committee
for Catholic Charities. He is a founding board member of the St. Louis
Foundation for Alcoholism/Related Dependencies and has been an active
volunteer for the United Way. Married to Tina LoPiccolo, they have 11
children.
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Patrick Prader
- Secretary
Patrick Prader retired from BetzDearborn in the position of Corporate Vice President of Global Marketing. Previously, he held positions of vice-president Sales, Executive vice-president and President for one of their divisions, Betz-Entec. He is on the Advisory Board of VITA, Volunteers in Teaching Assistance, which specializes in one-on-one help for adult literacy programs and for decision-making programs in penal institutions. He is an avid golfer and fisherman. Following retirement, he returned to the St. Louis area to spend time with his four children and six grandchildren.
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Honorary Trustees
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Bob Dole
- Former U.S. Senator - Honorary Trustee
Visit http://www.bobdole.org/
Bob Dole is well-known and well-respected for his participation in the US government, serving first in the US House for eight years and then in the US Senate from 1969 until his nomination as Republican candidate for President in 1996. He was both Senate majority and minority leader. After his diagnosis of prostate cancer in 1991, he became an outspoken advocate for prostate cancer testing.
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Joe Torre
- Manager, Los Angeles Dodgers - Honorary Trustee
Joe Torre – Manager, Los Angeles Dodgers – Honorary Trustee
Joe Torre is the Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Previously, he was the Manager for the New York Yankees. In addition to his support for the Urological Research Foundation, he is involved with several charities including the Starfight Children’s Foundation, the American Heart Association, and CaP Cure, an organization that raises money for prostate cancer research. He is married to Ali and has four children.
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Robert J. Watson
Bob Watson rejoined the New York Yankees organization in the mid-90s and had his first season as General Manger in 1996. As a former ALL-STAR, he started all six games of the '81 World Series and led the Yankees with two homers and seven RBIs. He and his son run Watson & Company, an Entertainment Finance Consultant firm and he is the principal in two technology and e-commerce based companies. He is Co-Chair of the 2000 Olympic Baseball Steering and Selection Committee and was Co-Chair of the 1999 Pan Am Games Steering and Selection Committee for baseball. In 1994, he underwent successful prostate cancer surgery and has become an active advocate of the PSA blood screening test for men. Married to Carol, he has two children.
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Trustees
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Frank C. Bick
Frank Bick is the retired publisher of the St. Louis Suburban Journals. He is Chairman of the Board of Bick Broadcasting Inc., Hannibal MO, which operates seven radio stations in Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa.
He has served on numerous committees of the United Way of Greater St. Louis. He currently serves on the board of the St. Louis Zoo and is active in the Missouri Historical Society and the Missouri Botanical Garden. He is retired commissioner of the St. Louis County Police Board, a position he held for fifteen years. He is a long time member and currently serves on the Board of the St. Louis Backstoppers. He is a commissioner of the Regional Justice Information System, which manages the computer systems for the circuit courts, the justice systems and the police departments in eastern Missouri and southwest Illinois.
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James T. Blair, III
James T. Blair, III has worked in Life Insurance from 1956 until the present
and is a founding partner of RE Lee Group, an international life brokerage
organization. He has served on several Boards of Directors including Central
Bancompany, Landmark Bank, Crestwood Bank and Chemfix Technologies.
He served on the Board of Directors for the Ronald McDonald House in St.
Louis and St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis. He is the past president of
CLBGAA, an international professional organization, and the past president
of Metropolitan Golf Association. Also, he is an honorary member of the
Knights of Flying Fingers, a small group worldwide who are recognized for
their service on behalf of the deaf. He was co-chairman of the Missouri
Clean Water bond issue and served 12 years as a member of the Missouri
Conservation Commission. Married to Myrna, they have three children.
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A. Richard Busscher
A. Richard Busscher is President of A.R. Busscher Construction company, a third generation builder and residential developer. Dick recently completed the development of a thirteen unit condominium building in Winnetka, Illinois. In connection with his background as a builder and developer, Dick spent five (5) years on the Village of Winnetka Design Review Board. He serves as a Director and Secretary to Over the Rainbow Assocation (OTR), a non-profit organization that provides accessible, barrier-free housing and job opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Busscher also has a 43-year career as a high school and college football official. Busscher pursues his passion for flying in his spare time. He holds a BA from Lake Forest College and has pursued graduate studies at Northwestern University and Chicago Technical College. He is the proud father of two adult sons.
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Bud Cappola
Bud Cappola is the Central regional sales director of DWS Scudder. He joined the firm in 2002 and is based in Chicago.
Cappola has 20 years of experience in the securities business. He began his career as a stockbroker for Shearson and joined Paine Webber in 1985.
During his 11 years with Paine Webber, he served as a regional sales manager, branch manager, and finally, senior vice president, regional director of Mutual Funds. He joined EVEREN Securities in 1997 in the capacity of executive vice president, director of Financial Distribution.
He was the managing director of the Financial Services Sales Group at First Union Securities.
Cappola holds his NADS Series 7, 63,65 and 24 licenses.
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William J. McKenna
William. J. McKenna is the President and CEO of Mediafax, Inc., the Puerto Rico Corporation that he founded in 1988 and sold to WPP Worldwide Ltd of London, UK in 2001. Mediafax is the leading marketing research firm in the Caribbean and a top 100 US marketing research industry company. McKena is a US Navy Reserve Captain, decorated veteran and experienced naval aviator. Married and the father of five children, he is active in the local San Juan community.
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James J. McNally
James J. McNally has over thirty years of international marketing and senior management experience with major companies including Wilkinson Sword Ltd, Phillip Morris and most recently was Executive Vice President of Dupont Protein Technologies.
His work included the development and implementation of nutritional and food programs with organizations and governmental ministries in many countries, including Russia where he was awarded an Honorary PhD for his work in expanding the food supply.
He is currently a board member of various companies as well as a business consultant. He resides in London.
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Gary Petrucci
Gary Petrucci is a Managing Director, Investments at US Bancorp Piper Jaffray. He is on the boards of several institutions in Minnesota including St. Cloud State University Foundation, Shturman Cardiology, Lettieri's, and Prevention First. He is married with two children.
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James L. Rothkopf
Mr. Rothkopf serves as Chief Financial Officer of the American Friends of
Hebrew University in New York and previously held that position in several
other large not-for-profits includingHadassah and UJA Federation of New York. In addition he served as Vice President Finance of Clarkson Industries a holding
company owned by a UK parent involved in air and water filtration machinery,
Vice President Finance of Globe Publishing Company and Assistant Controller
of Esquire Inc. Mr. Rothkopf also spent 5 years at Arthur Andersen & Co.
In addition he served 12 years on the Board of Directors of Temple Beth El in
Stamford, CT. He is married to Sally and has two daughters and one granddaughter.
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James G. Sansone
James G. Sansone is a principal in the Sansone Group, a real estate
development and property management firm. He has his Juris Doctorate from
the University of Missouri at Columbia. He is active in charitable, civic and social organizations. He is a Board Member of the Archdiocesan
Development Appeal, a member and past President of the Development Board for
Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, a trustee for Fontbonne College, and a
member of the Developer's Advisory Board for the Missouri Highway and
Transportation Department. Married to Kathryn, he has eight children.
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Jim J. Shoemake
Jim Shoemake is the lead litigation partner for Guilfoil, Petzall & Shoemake. His work involves antitrust litigation, corporate takeovers, bank mergers insurance receiverships, constitutional rights of due process and freedom of speech. In addition to the URF, he serves on the Boards of All Star Gas Corporation, Lindenwood University, Firstar Bank, Sweet Traditions, L.L.C., and the Missouri Quarter Horse Association and is on the Executive Committee of the American Quarter Horse Association. Married to Rita, he has three daughters and five grandchildren.
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Robert M. Stuck
Robert M. Stuck is founder and Chairman of Marshall Air Systems, Inc., headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. He founded the company in 1976 to address the unique environmental concerns of the restaurant industry, precipitated by both newly created air-quality standards and significant increases in energy cost. Bob is a mechanical engineer and holds numerous patents spanning the fields of aerodynamics, food-processing and food-holding equipment. Marshall Air manufactures equipment in these categories and markets it to the quick-service restaurant industry throughout the world.
After leaving rural Indiana in 1971, Bob realized that his outdoor activities could be greatly enhanced by making his home in South Carolina. A practicing conservationist, he and his wife, Debbie, own over 4,500 acres of farm and timber land in South Carolina, where many acres are planted and flooded for wildlife habitat. His commitment also includes being a life member of the National Wild Turkey Federation, NRA, the South Carolina Waterfowl Association, Safari Club International and Ducks Unlimited.
Bob and Debbie live in Lake Wylie, South Carolina outside of Charlotte, North Carolina with their family of two English Setters.
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Medical Director
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William J. Catalona, M.D.
- Medical Director of the Urological Research Foundation
Dr. Catalona is respected worldwide as a surgeon and as a researcher in the areas of prostate cancer and prostate related diseases. His recognized success in nerve-sparing surgery in prostatectomies has made
him one of the most requested surgeons in the country. He has performed over 2700 such operations.
Dr. Catalona runs the largest prostate cancer screening program in the
country. He is known for having discovered that the PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood test could be used as a first-line screening test for prostate cancer. His screening studies of 35,000 men in St. Louis led to the approval of the PSA test and the free PSA test by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Dr. Catalona can be reached at 312-695-8146 for patient appointments, (fax 312-695-7030), Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, 675 N. St. Clair, Suite 20-150, Chicago, IL 60611.
Click here to view Dr. Catalona's Bio.
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