Meet the team
Anna Gottlieb is the Founder of Gilda’s Club Seattle and Executive Director of Cancer Pathways. In 1995 she saw an article in People Magazine about the first Gilda’s Club opening in New York City. Inspired by the family focus and the humor that thrived within a cancer support community, she was convinced that this wonderful program was needed in Seattle. Anna has spent the last 25 years pursuing this dream and providing free programs for all of those touched by cancer. Through her work at Cancer Pathways, her organization has touched the lives of nearly 500,000 people across the state of Washington and nationwide.
Prior to founding Gilda’s Club Seattle, Anna earned her BA in Social Sciences from Ohio State University and served for a year as a VISTA volunteer in Little Rock, Arkansas. She then made her way to the University of Oregon where she became a Graduate Teaching Fellow. During this time, she earned a Masters in Public Administration and International Affairs with an emphasis in health care. This led her to Washington DC, where her vast experience in public service has earned titles including Presidential Management Intern, Management Analyst in the Office of Special Investigations, Legislative Analyst with the U.S. Senate Criminal Justice Subcommittee, and Program Analyst for the National Juvenile Justice Program. After her time working for the Department of Justice, Anna transitioned to life in Seattle, where she went to work for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center on the largest Women’s Health Initiative in the country.
Program Manager
Lauren Bineau joined Cancer Pathways in 2021 and serves as a program manager for our cancer education programs. She has extensive experience planning and implementing educational programs for healthcare professionals, school-aged children, and people living with chronic lung diseases and cancer. Lauren previously worked at the American Lung Association in Atlanta, Georgia and has experience in a variety of nonprofit and local government settings. She began her career in HIV/AIDS prevention and is passionate about chronic disease prevention, social justice, and working to reduce health inequities. Lauren attended the University of Georgia where she received her Masters in Public Health in 2019.
Dr. Mary Nicholas joined Cancer Pathways in 2019 and serves as the Program Director. She oversees program design and development, metrics and outcomes, and brings innovative new programming as the organization expands and grows. Mary brings a wealth of experience, leadership and vision from working on large-scale programs in a variety of organizations including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and the National Institutes of Health. She began her career as a scientist at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, investigating the molecular basis of cancer, and has a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois.
