Organization & Governance

Board of Trustees

Formally established on September 21, 2000, under the laws of the State of Florida and Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, FAMRI has no connection with any tobacco company and is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of Class Counsel Stanley M. Rosenblatt*, Chairman and CEO, Flight Attendant Trustees Patricia Young, Lani Blissard, Kate Jewell, ND**, and Florida attorney, John B. Ostrow.

• Class Counsel and co-founder Susan Rosenblatt served as Trustee from 2000 until her passing in 2021.
• Retired – Leisa Richardson.
• Dr. Jewell replaced Kathleen S. Cheney, who served as Trustee from 2012 until her passing in August 2014.
• Ms. Cheney replaced Bland Lane, who served as Trustee from inception until her passing in 2007.

Medical Advisory Board

David Sidransky, M.D., is Director Head and Neck Cancer Research, Professor of Otolaryngology, Oncology, Pathology, Cellular, and Molecular Medicine and Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, and is Senior Scientific Editor of the 2010 Surgeon General’s Report.

Jarrard Goodwin, M.D., is Professor of Otolaryngology, University of Miami and former head of Sylvester Cancer Center at the University of Miami.

David W. Kennedy, M.D., is Emeritus Professor of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Mark W. Geraci, M.D., is Associate Vice Chancellor for Interdisciplinary Research, Health Sciences Professor, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh.

Rama K. Mallampalli, M.D., is Chair, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

*Julius B. Richmond, M.D., (1916-2008) served as Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board from the inception of FAMRI until his death. Dr. Richmond was a former U.S. Surgeon General under President Jimmy Carter, founding director of the Head Start Program, and was a John D. MacArthur Professor of Health Policy, Emeritus, at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Richmond’s agreement to testify against the tobacco companies encouraged other medical experts to come forward. His efforts on the medical advisory board were treasured by all.

FAMRI’s Medical Advisors make recommendations for final grant decisions by the Trustees following a stringent peer-review process conducted by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) in Reston, Virginia.

The rich history of FAMRI has been influenced by remarkable individuals over the years. Please click In Memory Of to read the contributions made by those who are no longer with us.

Learn more about secondhand tobacco smoke exposure and the Flight Attendant Trustees.