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Formed in 2007, the directors have fiduciary responsibilities that include: determining the annual donation to benefactors, budget reviews, and vendor contracts exceeding $25,000.
Richard Spayde (Founder/President): Richard Spayde has lived in the Tampa Bay area for Twenty one years and resides in Tierra Verde with his wife Debbie and his two daughters Holly and Lilly. Richard is a graduate of Florida State University where he earned a B.S. in Hotel & Restaurant Administration. After several years in management with Marriott Corporation, Richard began a 20 year career in financial planning and asset management. He has worked with a number of financial institutions including Merrill Lynch and UBS/PaineWebber, and is currently a Vice President-Investment Officer with Wells Fargo Advisors in St Petersburg.
Richard is a survivor of leukemia (AML) and endured two bone marrow transplants at Moffitt Cancer Center within 40 days of each other in 2005. His only brother, David, was his donor for both transplants. Richard is in permanent remission and credits Dr. Ernesto Ayala, his primary bone marrow doctor, and the entire staff of Moffitt for his world class treatment and care.
Richard is involved with several organizations including the United Methodist Church, where he is a commissioned Stephen Minister. Richard serves on the Suncoast Board of Trustees of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society where he chairs the Advocacy Committee, as well as their National Board of Representatives, where he is sits on the Advocacy Task Force. In addition, he is very active with Moffitt Cancer Center and sits on their Patient Advisory Council, the steering committee of Pinellas Partners, and works closely with the Moffitt Foundation where he is a member of the Planned Giving Committee and speaks on a regular basis at various fundraisers and events. In addition, Richard serves on the Board of Remembering Patty, an organization to assist those afflicted with varying forms of dementia and Alzheimer’s in their time of need. Richard is especially proud of his service as a reviewer for the Department of Defense (DoD) and their Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).
Richard Lush (VP/Route Logistics Coordinator): Richard Lush is currently the executive director for clinical research operations at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute (MCC). He received his B.S. in Pharmacy (1987) and Ph.D. in Clinical Pharmaceutical Science from the University of Pittsburgh (1994). After his graduation he spent three years working in the Clinical Pharmacokinetics Laboratory at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). During that time he worked with the investigators as part of the intramural phase I program at the NCI. Phase I studies usually involve giving new investigational agents to patients for the first time and are the earliest part of clinical research. In 1997 he was recruited to the Moffitt Cancer Center to help initiate a Florida-based Phase I program. He developed the clinical pharmacology laboratory which has grown to become part of a bigger core laboratory that supports clinical research at MCC. He also helped establish the Clinical Research Unit to provide an appropriate clinical setting in which to conduct early phase clinical research studies.
Donna Cosenzo (Treasurer): Donna is the program coordinator of The Patient & Family Advisory Program at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center. After working as a Licensed New Jersey Real Estate Agent, Donna owned and operated a successful franchise business and was elected as Vice President of the Carpet Network Advisory Council. In 1998, Donna joined Merrill Lynch and Co., Inc. working as a program/project manager for various departments including Information Technology and Human Resources.
Currently at Moffitt, Donna works with patient and family advisors who provide their perspectives, ideas and who engage as partners with Moffitt Cancer Center to shape policies, programs, facility design and day-to-day service interactions to continuously improve the care experience. Donna’s passion for improving the patient experience includes committing to the Cure on Wheels mission to raise money for life-saving cancer research and treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center.
Steve Geiger (Secretary): Steve Geiger lives in Tampa, FL and is a multiple Emmy award winning broadcast journalist with thirty years of producing, reporting, and directing experience. Steve was honored by the American Cancer Society’s Florida division (1988) for excellence in communication about cancer and outstanding contributions and service to the community. In addition, the Florida Medical Association and the American College of Emergency Physicians honored Steve for excellence in medical journalism (1988). Steve has a B.A. in Radio, Television, and Film (1980) from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Steve is currently the Executive Producer of Special Projects at WTVT-TV/Fox 13 in Tampa.
Tom Couture (Vice President):
Larry Heinkel (Founder/General Counsel): Larry Heinkel is a tax and business attorney with over 25 years of experience in these areas. In addition to helping with other facets of the organization’s activities (sponsorship, finance), Mr. Heinkel is spearheading the various legal needs of the organization such as preparing, revising, finalizing and filing the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, the Bylaws, the application for tax-exempt status, and complying with the various state reporting obligations required of tax-exempt entities seeking and soliciting contributions from the public.
Jack Bevilacqua (Advisory Board Member): After losing both parents and several other relatives and friends to cancer, Jack has committed himself to raising money for cancer related causes. He rode in the inaugural Cure on Wheels and has been a rider in the Pan Mass Challenge for the past three years. Jack and his siblings have personally raised nearly $50,000 in the last five years for cancer research through these two events. For the last two years, Jack and his wife Brittany have organized the Crack-up Cancer Comedy Benefit. He currently works at the law firm of Wilkes & McHugh, PA in Tampa in the area of office and project management, training and development, and maintains various other administrative functions. He has an undergraduate degree in English and Secondary Education from Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, and a Master's degree in Management with an emphasis in Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness from the University of South Florida. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the United States Green Building Council - Gulf Coast Chapter.
Michael Biety (Advisory Board Member): Michael Biety was the co-owner & principal of a successful advertising agency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for 16 years before founding and being a principal in an ad agency in Tampa, Florida for another 16 years. The Tampa agency, PeakBiety, Inc., introduced the Nokia brand to the United States and Latin America over a 12-year period. Nokia is now ranked as the 6th most valuable brand in the world. The agency also brought highly favorable name recognition in its marketing area to the Moffitt Cancer Center over a 7 year period. Moffitt is currently ranked among the top 20 cancer centers by US News & World Report. | 
