02/07/2026
From the Director—
It is with immeasurable gratitude that I sit here on the sixth birthday of Connect and marvel at the seemingly endless string of opportunities, successes, and challenges we have faced over the past six years. That our doors are still open is not just a small miracle in itself, but proof of sufficient resilience that we are going to be around for a while. Plus, our work is not done.
I could not be more grateful for our board, which is the heartbeat of Connect. We could not have been blessed with a more dedicated and passionate team, starting with Cheryl Adams, our Director of Community Engagement. Cheryl is the mother of Graham, a 10+ year spitzoid melanoma patient, and she brings her extensive experience as a caregiver, a medical professional, and most importantly a fierce mom to her role as she represents Connect in numerous forums. There is no one more ideally suited to be our ambassador to the community. Next is Robyn Fine, our Director of Education. Robyn is a 13-year stage 4 survivor and doubtless one of the principal inspirations for the formation of Connect. She brings her amazing story of survivorship, as well as her passion and enthusiasm to every opportunity she creates to deliver our instruction to a broad range of audiences. In 2025, she added youth instruction to her extensive resume teaching skin cancer awareness and sun safety to children in Montessori schools in St. Paul.
And when I am not in the office managing accounts payable, marketing efforts, or network administration, I serve as the de facto government relations lead, representing our community either as Connect or through critical partnerships while we advocate at all levels of government for research funding and any relevant public policy impacting our community.
Every board member of Connect will be in attendance at either or both of the national events taking place later this month and in early March in Washington DC. If anyone is attending the Melanoma Research Alliance’s Patient Forum and Scientific Retreat or the Melanoma Research Foundation’s Advocacy Days, we hope to run into you even for a quick hello or a brief chat.
As we stand at the doorstep of our seventh year, I am excited for every opportunity we forge to achieve the necessary objectives that advance our mission. We hope we have the support and the resources to make 2026 our most impactful year yet! Again, a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to us in one way or another over the past six years! We could not have done this without you!
—Patrick Guddal, Executive Director
