Board Members

Dr. Gerald S. Post, DVM, ACVIM (Oncology), ACF Founder and President
Dr. Post, Chairman and Founder of the Animal Cancer Foundation, is one of approximately one hundred board-certified veterinary oncologists in the United States. He has over a decade of clinical experience treating pets with cancer and in 1997 formed the Veterinary Oncology and Hematology Center, a highly successful private veterinary oncology practice.

Dr. Post graduated with distinction from Cornell University in 1983 and received his DVM degree from the University of Minnesota in 1988. In 1991, he completed a residency in Oncology at the Animal Medical Center in New York and in 1992 became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Dr. Post has devoted his life to animals and has always had a strong interest in small animal oncology.

He is also an active supporter of endangered species conservation and is the founder of Endangered Encounters, LLC, a travel and conservation company which allows people to experience endangered animals in the wild, while simultaneously aiding their conservation.

As the number of pets diagnosed with cancer escalates, Dr. Post believes the next breakthrough in cancer therapy for people and pets will come in the form of molecular targeted therapy, or gene therapy, as opposed to conventional chemotherapy. Dr. Post initiated the Animal Cancer Foundation to serve as the integral link between the millions of pets with cancer and the biotechnology community. It is his hope that by working together, we can more effectively treat cancer in our beloved pets and more efficiently and economically trial new therapeutics that will also prove effective in the treatment of human cancer.

Barbara Cohen
Ms. Cohen graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Certification in the Community Health Program. She was an undergraduate research assistant to Dr. Alonzo Plough in the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Secondary Education/English from Long Island University, C.W. Post campus where she held a graduate assistantship in the English department.

Ms. Cohen holds New York State Teachers’ Licenses in both English and Social Studies for grades seven through twelve and has previously taught secondary school English Language Arts in both the Mineola and Manhasset Public Schools. She was advisor to Manhasset Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society and was named their Exemplar’s Teacher of the Year in 1997. She presented a workshop at the National Council of Teachers of English Conference in 2000 and continues as a member of NCTE and the National Association for Gifted Children.

Since 2001, Ms. Cohen has served as Vice President of the executive board of Long Island Golden Retriever Rescue, Inc. (LIGRR), a 501©3 not-for-profit organization providing adoption and placement assistance for unwanted golden retrievers on Long Island, the five boroughs of New York City and Westchester county. In this capacity she has managed volunteer staff, fundraising efforts and grant applications and has been responsible for veterinary care decisions for hundreds of Golden Retrievers. She has witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of a variety of canine cancers on the breed.

She is delighted to combine her experience in health care policy, public speaking, and canine rescue to support the efforts of the Animal Cancer Foundation.

Ms. Cohen is the proud parent of a daughter, Anna, and of two rescued Golden Retrievers, Samson and Belle.

Anne-Marie Francis
Ms. Francis holds a bachelor's degree from Duke University in German studies. Additionally, she has an MBA from New York University in finance and accounting.

Ms. Francis is a Vice President at Landesbank Hessen-Thueringen ("Helaba"), a German financial institution headquartered in Frankfurt. At its US branch in New York City, Ms. Francis focuses on the financing of commercial real estate nationwide. She is responsible for the development and maintenance of client relationships and all aspects of due diligence necessary to underwrite commercial real estate transactions. With a real estate portfolio exceeding $5 billion, Ms. Francis is instrumental in the maintenance of yearly volume and income, with transactions ranging in size from $50 million to $285 million plus.

Ms. Francis is the proud parent of a Golden Retriever and rescued Pit Bull and actively volunteers for her sister's rescue organization in New York.

Dr. Kelly Posner Gerstenhaber
Dr. Posner Gerstenhaber graduated from Brown University with honors and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Yeshiva University, after completing her doctoral research in pediatric oncology
at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. She then did an internship and fellowship at Babies' Hospital, Department of Child Psychiatry, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.

Dr. Posner Gerstenhaber is a research scientist and the Director of Clinical Services of the Research Unit for Pediatric Psychopharmacology, at New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University. In addition to her research responsibilities, which include running a number of pediatric clinical trials for industry and the NIMH, Dr. Gerstenhaber also teaches and directs a training program.

Philanthropy has always been very much a priority and driving force for Dr. Gerstenhaber. She has always been actively involved in health care issues.

Dr. Posner-Gerstenhaber is quite committed to ACF in part because with its progressive vision and preliminary contributions it is consistent with her interest in forwarding medical treatments and care of animals as well as humans. Such awareness was the result of personal experience with the ACF. With her academic and medical background, Dr. Posner-Gerstenhaber conducted exhaustive research in order to discover the best treatment for her golden-retriever, diagnosed last year with cancer. This led her to the ACF and its progressive and comprehensive approach has certainly contributed to the wonderful care and prognosis her dog has experienced thus far. As the loving owner of two Goldens, an animal lover, and one quite dedicated to the advancement of science and medical care, the visionary approach of the ACF is a foundation to which she is greatly committed.

Jason Libby
Jason Libby has spent almost 15 years in the financial services arena. He began his career as a trader at AG Arbor Management in 1995. He then was the Associate Director on the Finance Desk at Barclays Capital, part of Barclays Bank Plc. Mr. Libby worked on derivatives, agency securities, interest rate swaps and mortgages/asset-backed securities. Mr. Libby worked with Old Hill Partners where he was a Managing Director and is currently running his own financial services firm, Otak Partners, here in New York.

A huge animal lover, Mr. Libby graduated from the University of Vermont with a double major in Psychology and Chemistry.

Kim Williams
After joining the NFL as Chief Financial Officer in 2003, Kim Williams was named Chief Operating Officer of NFL Network by NFL Network President & CEO Steve Bornstein in April 2006.

Ms. Williams is responsible for the day-to-day management of advertising and affiliate sales, network operations and administration, plus oversight of all financial controls and revenue.

With the NFL’s January 2006 decision to award the Thursday-Saturday primetime NFL game package to NFL Network, Ms. Williams plays a critical role in ensuring its success.

Prior to her current position, Ms. Williams served as Senior Vice President, Finance for the NFL, helping in the initial launch of NFL Network and responsible for the League’s overall financial activities including financial reporting and analysis, financial routines and controls, and long-range strategic planning.

Preceding her time at the NFL, Ms. Williams served as Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for NBC West Coast, where she reported to then NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker. In that role, Ms. Williams worked at NBC’s Burbank, Calif., offices and was responsible for all financial aspects of NBC West Coast operations, including NBC’s Entertainment, Studios & Enterprises divisions.

Ms. Williams also worked in New York as the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for NBC Business Development. In this capacity, Ms. Williams oversaw activities including acquisition/divestiture analyses, investment portfolio management, and derivative/hedging strategies.

In all, Ms. Williams spent more than a decade with General Electric (GE) owned companies, including stays at Nuovo Pignone (GE Power Systems) in Florence, Italy, and GE International, Power Controls and GE Capital in London, England.

Ms. Williams holds a BA degree from Connecticut College in Japanese and Asian studies. She also has a Masters degree in international business administration from the American Graduate School of International Management (“Thunderbird”).