Cancer foundation leader stepping down after 13 years
The Cancer Foundation for New Mexico is looking for a new executive director.
Corinne Collins is stepping down after 13 years heading the organization, which offers travel, lodging and grocery assistance to cancer patients in Northern New Mexico so they can access cancer care in Santa Fe.
“She was the heart and soul of this operation,” said Bud Hamilton, longtime chairman of the nonprofit’s board.
Collins, who plans to stay on for the next few months to help with the transition to a new executive director, said the job allowed her to combine her experience as an oncology nurse, in hospital leadership and her business background.
“I am incredibly lucky to find work that was so meaningful,” she said.
When Collins joined the organization in 2007, six years after its founding, it was a much smaller operation.
Bob Ansheles, development director at the nonprofit, said the total budget has grown from $168,000 in 2007 to $1.3 million in 2020, with 80 percent going to services. In the last 12 months, more than 28,000 cancer patients were supported by the nonprofit.
Collins started a program to help patients receive help with groceries. Last year, the program gave out 1,437 $50 grocery cards.
The Cancer Foundation for New Mexico was developed at a grassroots level, not as part of any national organization. Collins said this means a lot of freedom to extend help, but a limiting factor when it comes to funding.
“We constantly asked ourselves, ‘Can we do this, can we raise the kind of money to keep supporting people?’ ” Collins said. “The wonderful answer has been ‘yes,’ and we are so dependent on the community for their support.”
She said applicants for the executive director position may submit résumés to careers@ cffnm.org until April 1.
Collins, who has been asked to join the of the board of directors, said she’s ready for the next career step — retirement.
“This just felt like the right time and I feel like I’m leaving it in a good place,” she said, “which is the best feeling.”