The Winthrop Rockefeller Cancer Institute (WRCI) has a saying: Imagine a future without cancer,” said Jennifer Ronnel, secretary of the WRCI Foundation Fund Board and chair of the medical liaison committee for the Envoys board. “I can imagine that,” she added, “and like the many dedicated professionals and volunteers at WRCI, I want to help us get there.”
Helping plan and promote the 15th Annual Gala for Life is just one of the ways Ronnel is assisting WRCI in its mission to eradicate cancer. The tropical-themed, black-tie gala—which will be held Friday, Sept. 10, at the Statehouse Convention Center—will feature cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m., with entertainment by the Alex Donner Orchestra and Jason D. Williams. Tickets are $500 per person, and sponsorship opportunities range from $5,000 to $35,000. Proceeds will benefit cancer research and patient care.
Penny and John Burkhalter are the event chairs, Vince Insalaco and Judy Tenenbaum are the co-chairs, and Marge and Tom Schueck are the guests of honor. The Schuecks are receiving the Pat & Willard Walker Tribute Award for their tireless support of WRCI and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
According to the WRCI Auxiliary office, Marge Schueck’s contribution of volunteer hours to the organization clocks in at 3,700. “She is amazing,” Ronnel said. “Mrs. Schueck is past president of the Cancer Institute Auxiliary and continues to volunteer in its gift shop, in patient care areas and in other ways as needed.” Among many roles, she’s also a member of the WRCI Foundation Fund Board and the advisory board of the Reynolds Institute on Aging. She and Tom are both members of the UAMS Chancellor’s Circle and the Society of the Double Helix. “They are fantastic role models for my generation of what a difference an extended commitment of time and energy (not just money) can make to an organization,” Ronnel added.
An attorney and a native of Huntsville, Ala., Ronnel is also quite the volunteer. In addition to her work with WRCI, she’s a member of the Junior League of Little Rock, and she sits on the Arkansas Development Finance Authority board. She’s also a member of the Forest Park Elementary PTA executive committee and is heading up their long-range planning committee.
She obtained her juris doctorate from Harvard Law School and her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas, where she met her husband of 14 years, Steve Ronnel. He’s an all-around good guy in our books and the “world’s best husband and dad” in hers. The couple lived and worked in Washington, D.C., after college but moved to Little Rock 12 years ago, when they were expecting their first child, Jason. “We moved home to raise our kids around family and for Steve to enjoy working with his dad, Lee, and his brother, Mike, in the company his dad started—Metal Recycling Corporation,” she said. Jennifer and Steve also have a daughter, Marilyn, 9, and another son, David, 6. “I cherish my time with my family and try to strike a balance among commitments to [them], work and volunteering.”
WRCI holds a special place in Ronnel’s heart. “My mother-in-law, Dale Ronnel, was treated for breast cancer at WRCI and received incredibly excellent care at UAMS. She is a proud survivor,” she said. “My mom is also a breast cancer survivor. And like so many others, I have close relatives who [have] lost their fight with cancer. This dreaded disease has touched my family in a big way.”
As a result, Ronnel is extremely proactive in her own health. One of the things that first drew her to WRCI was their amazing medical technology. “I was impressed with the fact that WRCI was offering digital mammograms before others were, and I switched to WRCI for my annual check-ups years ago,” she said. “WRCI continues to use cutting-edge technology, including techniques discovered by our very own surgeons and researchers.”
Ronnel also applauds the leadership of WRCI’s director, Dr. Peter Emanuel. “One of his visions was to place a greater focus on the centers of excellence within WRCI. He wants our citizens to know they don’t need to leave Arkansas to be treated for most types of cancer. This mission has led to his creating a new group, the Envoys, to help spread the word.” Ronnel serves on the Envoys board as chair of the medical liaison committee, where she constantly strives to educate the public and help make cancer a problem of the past.
A Healthy Examination
Do you know what you’re wearing to the gala yet?
A long dress in which I can enjoy dancing with Steve!
Favorite place on earth?
New Zealand—Steve and I went there for our honeymoon.
Where do you like to shop in Little Rock?
I like supporting the local merchants who support the WRCI as participants in the Partners Card fundraiser executed by the Cancer Institute Auxiliary. Keep your eyes open for Partners Card Week 2010 at the end of October.
You’re so lean and petite! Can you buy off the rack, or do you have to have your gowns special ordered?
Off the rack, with a big hem at the bottom of the dress.
Best advice you’ve ever received?
From my grandmother, Juliet, who passed away this summer at the age of 96: ‘It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.’
Does your family have dogs?
We got a dog last September. Her name is Allie, and she is a Bichon Frise/Shih Tzu mix. She loves to play, and gets so excited when it’s time to walk to school to pick up the kids on the playground.
Did you have a beloved dog as a kid?
My parents loved Irish Setters, so that’s what we always had. We also had a poodle named Pepi who used to run around in the woods behind our house pointing at the birds with our Irish Setter, Rebel. Pretty funny sight. She didn’t know she was supposed to be a lap dog.
? For more information about Envoys, visit Cancer.uams.edu/envoys. For more information about Gala for Life tickets or sponsorship opportunities, call Jeanette Shack at 526-2277.