The Denise Roberts Breast Cancer Foundation: Avisory Board

Advisory Board
Dennis R. Holmes, M.D.	Dennis R. Holmes, M.D. is a Board Certified dedicated breast surgeon at University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center where he serves as Director of New Technology Development and Director of Intraoperative Radiotherapy for the Breast Cancer Program. In this capacity, Dr. Holmes is only one of a few surgeons in the United States performing intraoperative radiotherapy following lumpectomy for the management of invasive breast cancer. Intraoperative radiotherapy permits the entire radiotherapy treatment to be given at the time of breast cancer surgery, as opposed to standard breast radiotherapy which is given as daily treatments for a 6-7 week period following surgery.
In addition to providing cutting-edge breast care, Dr. Holmes is Associate Director of the Breast Fellowship Program and Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery at the U.S.C. Keck School of Medicine where he plays an active role in training future breast surgeons. Dr. Holmes also serves as Chief of the Breast Section at LAC+USC Medical Center where he supervises the management of all breast cancer patients presenting for surgical care at the Los Angeles County Hospital. Dr. Holmes is a graduate of Tulane University School of Medicine, University California San Francisco-East Bay Surgical Residency, and the University of Southern California Breast Fellowship Program. He is actively involved in breast cancer research, and serves as a principal investigator, co-investigator, or collaborator on multiple studies seeking to improve breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

H Milano Mellon, M.D.	H. Milano Mellon, M.D. earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Fisk University and his Medical Degree from Meharry Medical College. He completed his post graduate training at L.A. County USC Medical Center. Dr. Mellon is a former Vice Chairman of the Dept. of Medicine and Medical executive committee member at Daniel Freeman Hospital. He was formally treasurer and board member of the Charles Drew Medical Society and President of the Inglewood chapter of the American Heart Association. Currently, Dr. Mellon wears many hats as an Associate Member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, and a medical staff member of Cedars Sinai, Daniel Freemen,
and Centinela Hospitals, all while maintaining a private practice in Inglewood and Beverly Hills, California. Aside from his thriving medical career, Dr. Mellon is also the President and CEO of East Regent Properties LLC, Myrtle Properties LLC, and Synergy Resources LP. He is married to Marji Bordeaux Mellon and is a proud parent of two daughters, Maygan and Maya, and granddaughters, Milan and Angelina.
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Robina M. Smith, MD	Robina M. Smith, M.D. has been called a “lifesaver”, “a miracle worker” and “a revival artist” for her unique ability to combine her talents as an artist with her God given gifts to help women overcome and face the challenges of breast cancer. Her years as a freelance Medical Illustrator and Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon gave her an unusually broad base experience to effectively communicate, diagnose and remedy a woman’s complex problem. She is an accomplished speaker and presenter.
Currently Dr. Smith is the only fellowship trained Breast Surgeon at St. Jude Medical Center and the Physician liaison to the Commission On Cancer from the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Smith was awarded the Cambridge Who’s Who Professional of the Year in Surgical Oncology 2010. She holds membership positions on the American Society of Breast Surgeons, American Society of Breast Disease, Society of Black Academic Surgeons, Association of Woman Surgeons, Association of Black Women Physicians, Cambridge Who’s Who and The Denise Roberts Breast Cancer Foundation. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts at the Rochester Institute of Technology; Rochester NY, Medical degree from MCP-Hahnemann School of Medicine; Philadelphia PA, Surgical residency from New York Methodist Hospital; Brooklyn NY, and Breast fellowship from the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center; Los Angeles CA. Dr. Smith is the founder of Treasure Your Chest, Inc., a nonprofit organization aimed at education and awareness for the risks for breast cancer and breast disease for African American women. She is the co-director of the Women’s Health and Fitness Ministry at Antioch Church of Long Beach. Dr. Smith is a God fearing woman whose passion for helping and healing is seen by all who come in contact with her.
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Executive Committee
Denise Roberts	Denise Roberts (Founding President) is a 20-year breast cancer survivor, who is committed to getting the word out, “Mammograms can save lives.” Her own “battle scars” have become medals in this war against breast cancer and ignorance regarding healthcare. She is committed to being a voice to the voiceless. In 1999, her experience and struggles inspired her to establish The Denise Roberts Breast Cancer Foundation (TDRBCF), which is dedicated to all women under 40, but specifically to women of color, who do not have the same encouragement or opportunities to receive professional healthcare testing.
TDRBCF is based in Inglewood, CA, and provides mammograms, referrals to Physicians, a support line, support materials, videos and an educational library for supporting families. Denise Roberts has been recognized by many community organizations, corporations, and government figures for her advocacy of women’s health issues. Mrs. Roberts has received certificates of recognition from Susan G. Komen for the Cure and BMW of North America, City of Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt Dorn, California State Assemblyman Herb Wesson, and Congresswoman Diane Watson, to name a few. In 2003, Blacks in Government awarded Denise Roberts with the Phenomenal Woman Award, and most recently, Mrs. Roberts received the Rosa Parks Humanitarian Award from Recycling Black Dollars, in November 2006.
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Heaven Tennyson	Heaven D. Tennyson (VP Marketing & Business Development) is a Business Analyst for the Fortune 500 healthcare leader, DaVita, Inc. Here she is part of the Nocturnal Dialysis Operations team, where she is a project leader for strategic initiatives such as: marketing and growth; clinical outcomes; patient retention; and revenue metrics. As part of the operations team, she has helped to successfully open over 60 of the 85 DaVita Nocturnal Dialysis programs nationwide.
Prior to Heaven’s current position, she was an Account Executive for EBONY Magazine, the flagship brand for Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. Here she managed over 300 accounts in various categories, including health and beauty; electronics; food and beverage; and finance. Heaven is able to leverage her sales and marketing experience with The Denise Roberts Breast Cancer Foundation (TDRBCF), as the Vice President of Marketing and Business Development on the Executive Committee. Heaven was the creative mind behind TDRBCF’s Know Yourself advertising campaign. Under her leadership, programs such as LifeSavers Outreach and Students of Life, as well as the Strong Voice Newsletter were all established. Heaven is also the lead for grant writing, and fundraising initiatives. Currently, Mrs. Tennyson is on the growth strategy team for TDRBC. In 2003, Heaven received her Bachelor’s of Arts in English Literature with a Minor in Business Administration from the University of Arizona, Tucson. During her junior year, she enhanced her ability to speak Spanish as a study abroad student at Universidad Sek, in Segovia, Spain. In 2004-05, Heaven was a Riordan Fellow at UCLA Anderson School of Management, and she stays involved as a volunteer and mentor. As apart of the Riordan Programs Alumni Association, she was Co-Chair of the 2007 RPAA MBA Admissions Conference and served on the 2007-08 Board of Directors, as the VP of Programming. Heaven D. Tennyson lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband McKinley Tennyson, Jr.
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Jennifer Ingram	Jennifer Ingram (Public Relations Director) successfully produces and promotes annual fundraisers and special media-targeted events. For eight years, she has helped to increase visibility and market recognition through media such as, Jet Magazine, Unleashed Magazine, BRE Magazine, LA Sentinel, Watts Times, Inglewood Today, 100.3 FM The Beat, 102.3 FM KJLH and Hot 92 Jamz, just to name a few. Ms. Ingram has a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from the University of Miami.
She has combined her Communications background with her passion for PR, marketing and entertainment in which she has brought a skill-set that is transferable and relevant to TDRBCF and the thousands of women and men they serve. For four years, she has worked with design firms as a Marketing/Account Manager. Ms. Ingram has also focused on promoting special events for entertainment and charity. She has a strong entertainment background; working with her father, James Ingram and Ingram Inc. She has also worked with well-respected producers, such as Rickey Minor (Minor Productions) and David Gest (Extreme Entertainment Enterprises), where she assisted in the production of the BET Awards and a televised All-Star Tribute to Dionne Warwick. Ms. Ingram is motivated and determined to produce creative and strategic campaigns for the foundation. She is proud to be a part of TDRBCF, an organization that focuses on educating minority women and men regarding Breast Health and Care and the continuous effort in promoting self awareness, detection and early prevention.
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Barbara E. Rudd	Barbara E. Rudd (Marketing Consultant, Web Developer & Graphic Designer) is creative and resourceful in generating new ideas and solving marketing problems. She is an active blogger, social media evangelist and entrepreneur as well as an accomplished web developer/designer. Barbara graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL with a BA in Fine Arts and later graduated from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, in Lake Forest, IL with a MBA in Marketing.
In 1992 Barbara was relocated to Los Angeles and promoted to Vice President, Western Advertising Director for EBONY and JET magazines at Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. From 1992 to 2007, she successfully guided the company toward gaining a presence on the Internet and pioneered innovative multimedia sales presentations and proposals from idea to production for EBONY and JET magazines that persuaded national marketers and their advertising agencies to advertise. Ms. Rudd also created an award-winning EBONY magazine media kit and developed client-specific ideas and integrated concepts for multimedia sales presentations, E-blasts, promotional brochures, sell sheets and other collateral marketing materials. In 2000, Barbara's entrepreneurial spirit led to the formation of Ananse Design and The Blizzrd Group. Ananse Design combines extraordinary graphic design and dynamic web architecture with expert marketing skills. The customized design work helps clients to make the sale, deliver the service and build the brand. The Blizzrd Group helps you to establish a presence online and then get found. Building your web presence includes: Internet marketing, email marketing, an integrated marketig strategy and more. The Blizzrd Group specializes in social media marketing ... joining the conversation, building the traffic and converting visitors to customers.
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Honorary Board
James Ingram	James Ingram first received attention in the late 70s as part of the band Revelation Funk. However, it was a 1980 demo tape on which he sang that became his unexpected career boost. He cut the demo of "Just Once," a composition that was being delivered to Quincy Jones for possible inclusion on Jones's landmark The Dude album. Jones not only liked the song, he liked the singer on the tape and invited Ingram to provide the vocals to both "Just Once" and "One Hundred Ways" on The Dude. Of course, The Dude became an international smash and both Ingram cuts rocketed up the pop, soul and adult contemporary charts, ultimately landing Ingram a Grammy Award for best R&B vocal performance.
Ingram's debut album, It's Your Night, was released to great anticipation, and it didn't disappoint. Led off by the smash duet with Michael McDonald, "Yah Mo Be There," Night was perhaps the best soul album of the 1983 and boasted the most beautiful ballad of that year, "There's No Easy Way." He consistently hit the charts in duets with Patti Austin ("Baby Come To Me," "How Do You Keep The Music Playing"), Linda Ronstadt ("Somewhere Out There"), Dolly Parton ("The Day I Fell In Love"). In 1990, he took the Thom Bell-produced ballad "I Don't Have the Heart" to number one. In 1999 Ingram released "Forever More: The Best of James Ingram," he has continued to provide guest vocals for a number of artists and has been a regular participant in the "Colors of Christmas" concerts with Peabo Bryson, Roberta Flack and others. He's also co-wrote a children's musical with dancer Debbie Allen called Brothers of the Night. Ingram has formed Intering Records for future projects.
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Stevie Wonder	Stevie Wonder began playing the harmonica at an early age and was signed to a long-term contract with Motown Records in 1960. In 1963 he released his first album, Little Stevie Wonder: The 12 Year Old Genius, and its single release ‘Fingertips - Pt. 2’ became his first million seller. During the 1960s, while attending the Michigan School for the Blind, he had many hit records in the classic Motown rhythm-and-blues style. On his 21st birthday, he renegotiated his contract and gained full artistic control over his work.
Throughout the 1970s he became proficient in the use of synthesizers and electronic keyboards, and he released a series of innovative, commercially successful albums featuring a fusion of progressive rock and soul, biting social commentary, and sentimental ballads. He signed a contract with Motown (1976) for $13 million, the largest negotiated in recording history at that date. In the 1980s and 1990s he was increasingly engaged in children's and civil- rights causes, and he led the campaign to make Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday. He was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. A Time to Love, Wonder's first new album in ten years, was released in 2005 and featured the hit single "So What the Fuss" with Prince and En Vogue.
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Damone Roberts	Damone Roberts is considered as the most gifted make up and brow artist in the business. His talent for sculpting the perfect arch has graced the faces of some of the worlds most beautiful and famous faces including such Superstars as: Madonna, Beyoncé, Mandy Moore, Vanessa Williams, Reba McEntire, Brandy, Paula Abdul, & Kirstie Alley. In 2002, Damone created his flagship salon, Damone Roberts Beverly Hills. His second location, Damone Roberts New York will be opening in Fall 2007 on the “world famous” Fifth Avenue.
Damone Roberts and his products have been featured on countless television shows including: Oprah, MSNBC, The View, BET, Access Hollywood, Good Morning America, and CNN. His make-up talents and brow expertise are also showcased daily on TLC’s national hit show: “10 Years Younger.” His artistry has been heralded in world-wide publications such as: Vogue, In Style, Cosmopolitan, Newsweek, Tatler, Allure, People, and US Weekly as well as major newspapers like The New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal and The London Financial Times. Damone’s distinctive flair has even immortalized him in pop culture as an answer in the 2004 edition of the Trivial Pursuit board game. Damone Roberts is located in the heart of Beverly Hills at 9669 Wilshire Blvd., directly across the street from Saks Fifth Ave and Neiman Marcus. Back to top


Advisory Board: • Dennis R. Holmes • H.Milano Mellon • Robina M. Smith Excecutive Committee: • Denise Roberts • Heaven Tennyson • Jennifer Ingram • Barbara E. Rudd Honorary Board: • James Ingram • Stevie Wonder • Damone Roberts