Craig's Story

Alex's Story

Orchid of Life Winners

Board Members / Committee Members / Employees

Fact Sheet

Orchid of Life Winners

2010
Matt Higgins (Executive Vice President, Business Operations, New York Jets)
Matt Higgins is the executive vice president of business operations. Higgins reports directly to Jets Chairman and CEO Woody Johnson. Initially hired as vice president of strategic planning in 2004, he was elevated to senior vice president of business operations in 2007. Higgins oversees all elements of business operations, including marketing, sponsorships, legal, human resources, public affairs, merchandising, internet and broadcasting.

Prior to joining the Jets, Higgins was involved in the recovery of Lower Manhattan since Sept. 11, 2001. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, he was named vice president for communications of the agency charged with rebuilding the World Trade Center site, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC). In May 2003, Higgins was named chief operating officer, where he provided daily oversight and direction to the staff of the LMDC and spearheaded major initiatives. During his tenure, the agency completed the largest design competition in history, resulting in the selection of Daniel Libeskind’s master plan, and selected a design for the Sept. 11 national memorial from among thousands of submissions. Before his work with the LMDC, Higgins served as press secretary to former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, was director of corporate communications for Kozmo.com and was assistant editor of the Queens Tribune.

Higgins was honored as one of the top 40 executives under 40 in New York by Crain’s New York Business and is a member of the board of PENCIL, an organization that fosters partnerships between the private sector and New York City schools. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Queens College and a Juris Doctorate from the Fordham University School of Law, where he served on Law Review. Born in Bayside, NY and a survivor of testicular cancer, Higgins resides with his wife, Michele, and their son Matthew Jr. and daughter Collette in New Jersey

2009
Doug Ulman (President & CEO, Lance Armstrong Foundation)
If anyone deserves to appear on aWheaties box, it’s Doug Ulman, who was selected from more than 20,000 people to do just that in 2003. This college soccer champion, marathoner and ultra-marathoner has summoned the spirit and energy to survive cancer three times. And since 2001, he’s been putting that same spirit and energy to work advocating for cancer survivors at the Lance Armstrong Foundation. He originally joined the foundation as director of survivorship; today, he serves as its President and CEO.

Before joining the Lance Armstrong Foundation, he was executive director of the Ulman Cancer Fund, which he founded in 1997 to provide support, education and resources to young adults who are affected by cancer. He is also a founder of the LIVESTRONG Young Adult Alliance and serves on the boards of numerous civic and charitable organizations across the United States.

2008
Nurses of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

2007
Dr. Renzo Canetta (Vice President, Oncology Global Clinical Research, Bristol-Myers Squibb)
During his early years at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori in Milan, Italy (1974-1980), Dr. Canetta's focus was on clinical trials in lymphomas and gastrointestinal tumors, among others. Since joining Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) in 1980, Dr. Canetta has held numerous roles of increasing responsibility and leadership, including head of clinical cancer research; head of development, life cycle management; and, currently, as vice president, oncology global clinical research. His experience can be summarized with the introduction of 16 new BMS chemical entities and the approval of over 50 regulatory dossiers for additional indications/formulations, including some outside of oncology.

2006
Testicular Cancer Survivors

2005
Joel M. Sheinfeld (Deputy Chief Urology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center)
Dr. Sheinfeld is the Deputy Chief of Urology Services at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a world renowned testicular cancer surgeon. His clinical expertise is in urologic oncology and testicular cancer.

2004
Andrea Kimerling (co-founder of the Sean Kimerling Testicular Cancer Foundation)
Andrea is the co-founder of The Sean Kimerling Testicular Cancer Foundation, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of testicular cancer and the need for regular self-examination. Sean was a young, vibrant sports caster for Channel 9 News in NY and died a very rapid and tragic death from Testicular Cancer.

2003
Dr. Robert J. Motzer (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center)
Dr. Motzer is a board-certified medical oncologist who is dedicated to improving the lives of patients with genitourinary tumors. His primary area of expertise is kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma) and testicular cancer (germ-cell tumor). For more than 20 years, he has used his skills as a clinician to provide high-quality and compassionate care for cancer patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.