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Tami Caesar became President of the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of the National MS Society

Tami Caesar became President of the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of the National MS Society in October commuting from Florida where she had served as President of the Mid Florida chapter for ten years. In January, she assumed full time residence in Philadelphia.  Though President is not a new role or position for her, Tami conveyed her enthusiasm and delight in working for MS in Philadelphia and is “thrilled to be in a city so rich in medical expertise, centers and research.”  One of her main goals for the Delaware Valley Chapter is to facilitate closer contact and integration of cutting edge research to the local MS community and chapter. 

As Tami states:

The need for direct services is greater than ever and it is terrific to be in Philadelphia, a place where you are just a phone call away from someone who can address the latest research and treatment innovation!”

Living most of her childhood and young adult life in Seattle, Tami was used to having major medical clinics and research centers nearby.  This was not the reality in Central Florida, however. Philadelphia’s regional culture and its medical meca appealed to her, so much so that she was willing to forgo the climate of Florida for the Northeast.  In fact, the upcoming Board of Trustees Meeting will be on the premises of the MS Center of the University of PA Health System, a top local MS Center where major clinical trials and MS Society funded research projects are underway.  In this way, she hopes to bring the mission of research directly to the MS community so that services and research are within easy reach of each other and can evoke a more immediate and direct mutual motivation to inspire the journey to find a cure for MS.

Tami is no stranger to MS, her paternal grandmother was diagnosed with it at age 17 and two other relatives had MS during a time when families struggled to understand the disease and there were few, if any, interventions.   She did not initially pursue a career in MS work.  Trained in Restaurant Operations Management, she later applied her experience in handling finances and cash management to fund raising for MS.  Desiring to leave the restaurant business, her natural connection the the MS cause combined with a need for her business acumen paved the way to 19 years of leadership within the National MS Society.

Tami’s immediate goals for the chapter focus on increasing advocacy and volunteer involvement in all functions and reducing misperceptions about MS in the larger community. She believes we need “more voices around the table”.   This includes the input of passionate volunteers and legislators.  Tami plans to hold “town hall” styled meetings with the MS community at local support groups to hear their concerns and to survey their top priorities.  She also plans to galvanize legislative awareness of MS, to expose legislators to the realities of MS and the difficulty of living with a chronic illness characterized by chronic uncertainty.  Tami hopes to increase active support for important pieces of legislation that will involve a more personal exposure to those with MS.  Towards this end, she plans to lead organizational efforts to engage “ambassadors”, those with MS who are ready to connect and tell their story to others, ready to have their narrative and voice heard above and beyond the typical email correspondence legislators receive.

Even fundraising will gain a new face in this new administration.  In addition to bikeMS and walkMS new fundraising events are in the works, including a 10k Mud Run military-style obstacle course event on June 12th, which is bound to attract new supporters for the cause. 

For more info: Contact Tami Caesar at: www.pae.nmss.org
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March 23rd, 2010 | Category: Articles

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