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Rose Pierro Simmons
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Longtime activist to head valley-wide cancer effort
Rose Pierro Simmons takes over local chapter of American Cancer Society
By Jessica Lyons
Cancer prevention and education have always been important to Rose Pierro Simmons. So when she saw a newspaper ad looking for volunteers for the American Cancer Society in the '70s, responding to it seemed like the logical thing to do. Now, 20 years later, she's the head honcho.
Simmons, a resident of Willow Glen, was recently promoted to the position of executive director of the American Cancer Society's Silicon Valley/Central Coast Region.
"My mother-in-law had cancer and did not survive," Simmons says. "My mother is a cancer survivor; she's 85 years old. And a number of other family members and friends have had cancer. But through the Society and through our efforts, we can make a difference."
As director, she will oversee 39 full- and part-time staff, as well as an army of 9,181 volunteers who educate people about cancer risk reduction and prevention, and provide service and care to 8,000 patients. Last year volunteers raised $4.5 million, funds the Society uses for education and patient care.
"One of my particular areas I want to focus in on is to make sure that we are able to reach all the individuals in the community that are affected by the disease, such as offering transportation to treatment, informational material and helping them be advocates for themselves," Simmons says.
"The other piece I feel is very important is the message of prevention. This disease impacts all of us and the community effort is very important. I can't do it alone, but by working closely with the schools and corporations and various organizations, with this assistance from the community we can get the word out."
Simmons, a San Jose State graduate, grew up in Willow Glen. After 26 years of community involvement, she's no stranger to the non-profit sector. Aside from her involvement with the American Cancer Society, Simmons is also a member of the Saratoga Rotary and the Silicon Valley Joint Venture Healthy Workforce Committee. She is a former member of Soroptimists of Carmel Bay, and for four years, she served as Executive Director for the Monterey County Community Health Promotion Program, with the Stanford University Center for Research in Disease Prevention.
"I want to give back to a community that has given me so much," she says.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
