St. Baldrick's Foundation Welcomes Jill Cetina to its Board of Directors

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May 27, 2021, 12:43 ET

DALLAS, May 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The St. Baldrick's Foundation, the largest non-government funder of childhood cancer research grants, announces the appointment of Jill Cetina, Vice President in Banking Supervision at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, to its board of directors.

Cetina became a long-standing supporter of St. Baldrick's and its mission when she decided to shave her head to stand in solidarity with her daughter, who at age 3, was diagnosed with late-stage kidney cancer. As Cetina learned more about St. Baldrick's and its mission, she wanted to become involved. So, Cetina held a head-shaving event that included her town's mayor and two city council members in 2007.

Now, to celebrate her daughter reaching adulthood and to fundraise for research to find more effective and less toxic cures, Cetina will shave her head again for St. Baldrick's in September during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

"No one ever imagines that their child will be diagnosed with cancer," Cetina said. "In 2006, my daughter was diagnosed with kidney cancer. While I waited during a six-hour surgery I prayed for her healing, that I would stay strong for her, and also — in time — that I would find a way to help other children with cancer. She graduates high school this week and I am supremely grateful for my daughter. And this week I am joining the Board of St. Baldrick's Foundation because every family should see their child grow up. St. Baldrick's is the top charity supporting pediatric cancer research in the U.S. -- only the National Institutes of Health have funded more pediatric cancer research. The Foundation also has a rigorous scientific review process that informs its research funding. I am passionate about their mission to fund top-flight research to help save more kids' lives from cancer — the #1 disease killer of children in the U.S. I am excited to bring my skillsets; my interests in IT, science, and research; and my first-hand knowledge of the experiences of cancer families to the Foundation and its Board."

Cetina began her career as an economist at the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington D.C. and has spent 20 years in public service. She is now a vice president in Banking Supervision at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, where she provides leadership for the surveillance and supervisory risk division at the Bank. Her areas of responsibility include analysis of risks in U.S. financial markets and supervised institutions and the specialty bank examination areas of anti-money laundering, IT risk/cybersecurity, and capital markets. Originally from the Midwest, Cetina earned a BA from Grinnell College in Iowa and a Master of Public Affairs from Princeton University. She holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation and has published research on a range of banking topics in financial journals and via the Basel Committee.

Cetina has shared the last 25 years with her partner, Dr. Weihsueh Chiu, a professor of computational toxicology and risk assessment at Texas A&M University. Dr. Chiu's research portfolio includes evaluation of chemical agents that may be potentially carcinogenic. They are blessed with two children.

"Jill's understanding of the economy, her leadership, and her personal experiences with childhood cancer from a parent's perspective will provide helpful insights to the Board of Directors and Foundation," said Kathleen Ruddy, St. Baldrick's Foundation CEO. "Jill's passion for the mission also is fueling new connections in her community, creating a more diverse reach for St. Baldrick's."

To learn more about St. Baldrick's, visit www.StBaldricks.org, and connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

About St. Baldrick's Foundation

Every 2 minutes a child somewhere in the world is diagnosed with cancer. In the U.S., 1 in 5 will not survive. The St. Baldrick's Foundation, the largest non-government funder of childhood cancer research grants, is on a mission to give kids a lifetime by supporting the most promising research to find cures and better treatments for all childhood cancers. When you give to St. Baldrick's, you don't just give to one hospital – you support virtually every institution with the expertise to treat kids with cancer across the U.S. St. Baldrick's ensures that children fighting cancer now -- and those diagnosed in the future -- will have access to the most cutting-edge treatment, by supporting every stage of research, from new ideas in the lab to the development of new therapies, to lifesaving clinical trials. Join us at StBaldricks.org and help #GiveKidsaLifetime.

SOURCE St. Baldrick's Foundation