~Claudia Farinola, Vice President

Claudia Farinola is a native Houstonian. She is a graduate from The University of Houston Hilton College for Hotel & Restaurant Mgmt. Her career included 8 years with Compass Bank, Capital Campaign & Event Coordinator with her HS Alma mater Duchesne Academy, back to her family’s business at their restaurants Pino’s Italian Restaurant and Frittella Italian Café.

She is married to Brad Dorsey, Co-owner of Crave Cupcakes, who is also a U of H graduate of the Hilton College. Brad and Claudia are owners of Deluxe Fine Foods, purveyors of quality vanilla extracts. They import organically grown vanilla beans from Uganda and locally produce small batch vanilla extracts for wholesale to restaurants and hotels nationwide. A portion of all Deluxe vanilla extract sales support Uganda’s Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration (IDRC) to fund the fight against malaria.

She is a breast cancer survivor of 13 years. Her diagnosis came 6 months after her own sister Tina was also diagnosed with breast cancer. Claudia says her immediate thought when starting her cancer treatments was to reach out to Emma Jacobs. Claudia vividly remembers Emma’s strength when she fought the fight against breast cancer with a lot of humor, attitude and style!

For Claudia, it is a true honor to be on Emma’s foundation and together be on the frontline in supporting the great work of The Rose, Breast Center of Excellence. Claudia would also like to give her heartfelt gratitude to MD Anderson’s Dr. Sonja Eva Singletary and Dr. Elisabeth Beahm, who both are no longer with us. These generous and brilliant ladies helped both Claudia and Tina as their surgical oncologist and reconstructive surgeons at MD Anderson.

~Shannon McBath, Board Member

Shannon Nolen is a native Texan. After graduating from Baylor University she worked as the Corporate Sales Manager for The Four Seasons Hotel in Houston. For the last 20 years Shannon has enjoyed and succeeded in Medical Sales, working for such companies as Ethicon and Baxter.

She is married to Mark McBath, M.D., and together, after a second trip down the aisle for both of them, blended five children in their happy home. Mark is a surgical oncologist in the Texas Medical Center, treating breast cancer patients. They love to spend time at the family cabin on the Comal River, and run at Memorial Park.

During her career as a surgical products rep, she witnessed her dear friend Emma Jacobs go through the travails of her diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer. She was grateful for the chance to offer support when Emma began her foundation to help other breast cancer patients.

~Tracey Holmes, Board Member

Tracey is a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma. She currently resides in East Hampton, New York, where she works as a realtor for The Corcoran Group. She has practiced real estate in the Hamptons for 18 years and this is where she met T.I.T.S. founder Emma Jacobs. She has just written and published a guidebook for the Hamptons called “The Hamptons Lifesaver”.

After working as a commodity trader at an Asset Management Group in NYC, she moved to the serenity of the Hamptons to raise her 2 sons. One son, Austen, is currently working at Houlihan Lokey/NYC in investment banking. The second, Andrew, is in his senior year at the University of Miami and is a future partner in an oyster farm in Montauk, NY. Tracey and Andrew volunteer together at Veterinarians International – working to enhance the health of humans, animals, and the environment through sound veterinary care worldwide.

Being friends with Emma has taught Tracey so much about the need for advocates, education and guidance for women with breast cancer. Tracey is honored to be given the opportunity to be a part of Emma’s foundation to help raise funds in support of The Rose, offering excellence in breast health care to all, regardless of one’s ability to pay.

~Alexis Rogers, Board Member

Alexis Rogers is a Partner at the search firm Richard, Wayne & Roberts, directing the Accounting & Financial Search Team. She has successfully conducted and completed recruiting assignments throughout the country. Alexis began as a recruiter in 1985 at Richard, Wayne & Roberts and has built a national reputation in accounting, financial and banking recruiting. Alexis became a Certified Personnel Consultant in 1988, has served on the Board of the Texas Association of Personnel Consultants, is currently on the Board of the Houston Association of Personnel Consultants and is a past member of the Pinnacle Society. She has been recognized by her peers as one of the top ten recruiters in the city by the Houston Association of Personnel Consultants for the last 20 years. Alexis holds a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She is a graduate of the Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas were she has served on their Alumni Board for years. Alexis currently volunteers for Women of Distinction, the Alzheimer's Association in Houston, Texas, Best Buddies Texas and Stages Theatre. She has raised two successful children, Elizabeth Cannon, currently at Shell; and Alexander Cannon, a Junior at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.

~Sean Hammerle, Board Member

Sean D. Hammerle is the co-owner and Chief Operating Officer of OnQ and its subsidiary QSolve, recognized among the top global labor and technology outsourcing companies in the world. With over 800 employees across three continents. Sean ensures that OnQ stands out as a leader in its field and is committed to fostering a family culture while maintaining a best-in-class reputation.

As a cancer survivor, Sean has dedicated much of his life to charitable organizations worldwide, serving on and chairing numerous boards. His commitment to philanthropy and leadership has earned him multiple accolades, including being named one of the 2010 Five Outstanding Young Texans, joining a distinguished group that includes President George H. W. Bush, tennis legend Martina Navratilova, astronaut Gus Grissom and many more.

In 2021 and 2022, Sean was awarded the title of Best Contact Center Executive in the world by Contact Center World, Inc. He was also featured on the cover of CXO Outlook Magazine as one of the “Ten Most Inspiring Business Leaders of 2023.”

Sean first met Emma in 2002 through her husband, Patrick, with whom he volunteered at Camp for All, a summer camp for kids with HIV. Sean and Emma became fast friends, connecting immediately through their shared passion for creating positive change in the world. He truly believes that everything happens for a reason, and his friendship with Emma has brought him a meaningful connection to this challenging disease. Sean is honored to be part of the team supporting the efforts of the Emma Jacobs Breast Cancer Foundation and making a difference in the lives of those affected by breast cancer.

A native Texan, Sean moved to Panama in 2013 with his husband Alan Nottingham. The two spend most of their time traveling between their offices worldwide and living what they call "The Nomad Life."

About Emma Jacobs Breast Cancer Foundation

Our Mission

Our Story

OUR BOARD