Join the Young Leaders Board (YLB)

The Young Leaders Board (YLB) is a group of 8-10 young adults ages 21 – 35 who have a passion for social change and a connection to the devastation of lung cancer. Together, the YLB works to advance the mission of A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation by engaging and educating young adults. Board members are elected for one year (up to four years total). 
 
Board members must attend board meetings, recruit and engage young adults, attend at least one A Breath of Hope event, and help develop the YLB group strategy. 
 

Meet the Faces of the YLB

Kaitlyn became a part of A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation when her dad, Larry Roth was diagnosed with Stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer in March 2017. In May, within two weeks of finishing the first round of aggressive radiation and chemo treatments, it was discovered that the cancer had spread and was in the fluid surrounding his heart; a near fatal occurrence. After a short but fierce 5 month battle, Larry passed away in August 2017.

Kaitlyn graduated from the of University of Iowa in Biomedical Engineering in 2014. She is currently working in the medical device industry in design and development, and is the VP of Operations for a startup medical device company focused on the breast reconstruction space.

She recently attended a YLB event, and really wanted to do more to give back. 

Fun Fact: Kaitlyn loves to travel! She spent time studying abroad in Germany and volunteering in the hospitals in Nicaragua during college. “My favorite place to travel is probably anywhere I haven’t been yet!”
Pets: She has a spunky three year old British Black named Poppy
Least Favorite Food: Pickles or cotton candy

Kaitlyn Roth
YLB Chair

Kaitlyn Roth YLB

Nicole Herje
YLB Vice Chair

Nicole Herje
Nicole Herje with family

Nicole is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. She holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Catherine University and a master’s in clinical social work from the University of St. Thomas. She works as an elementary school social worker, supporting students’ social, emotional and behavioral needs to be successful in school. Nicole has over 11 years of experience as a social worker and mental health provider in various settings, working with youth, education professionals, and families.

Nicole is honored to be a part of the ABOH YLB so she can continue to make a difference through promoting awareness and increasing research funding for this devastating disease. Her passion for supporting ABOH comes from the work her mom, Laurie, started before she died of stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer in August 2021.  Laurie lived nearly five years due to advancements in targeted therapies. She advocated for more research and worked to reduce the unfair stigma through public service announcements and talks. ABOH was an important organization to Laurie, and Nicole saw firsthand the impact ABOH can have in the lives of people living with lung cancer. ABOH has been a strong support network for Nicole and her family, and she hopes to continue to build upon the support options for young adults who have a connection to lung cancer. 

In her free time, Nicole enjoys traveling, visiting new restaurants, taking her dog on walks, and spending time at the family cabin up north. Her favorite places to travel so far have been Alaska, France, Netherlands, Italy and Hawaii.

Fun Fact: Nicole has swum with sharks in the Dominican Republic
Pets: Nicole has a Havanese/Shih Tzu rescue dog named Millie
Least Favorite Food: Her least favorite food is anything spicy!

Natalie Engel
YLB Secretary

Natalie is truly honored and blessed to be a part of this life-changing organization that is standing up to lung cancer with action and education. ABOH was and has continued to be a source of hope and light for Natalie and her family. Natalie and her mom Liz discovered ABOH while sitting in a clinic when Liz was receiving chemotherapy for stage 3 advanced non-small cell adenocarcinoma. Natalie and Liz felt aligned with ABOH’s focus on increasing lung cancer awareness and education to reduce late-stage diagnoses and provide improved treatments.

Liz was diagnosed in August 2020 and fought like a true warrior for 2 years until she lost her battle in August of 2022. Liz volunteered, served in her community & church, and worked as a nurse during her battle. She even worked the week before she had brain surgery. She was such a vibrant and caring individual and was the epitome of giving and serving others before herself. Natalie is inspired to volunteer for her mom and so many others who have been negatively affected by cancer.

Natalie has education in leadership development and holds a bachelor’s degree in science education. She taught middle school and high school science for a couple of years until recently she decided to go back to school for nursing with hopes of working in oncology someday.

Natalie is interested in changing the stigma attached to lung cancer and increasing research for everyone affected by lung cancer.  

Fun Fact: Natalie is passionate about coaching soccer and mentoring youth. She loves the ocean, sunflowers, agate hunting, and photography.
Pets: She has an orange tabby cat named LuLu and a tuxedo kitty named Mittens. She also has two Dachshund fur nephews named Oskar and Rupert.

Natalie

Peter Runquist
YLB Director

Peter Runquist, 32, is the Midwest Tournament Director for Youth Soccer with a background in finance and economics, having earned his undergraduate degree from Concordia College and a master’s in education. His passion for helping others is deeply personal; his mother is currently living with lung cancer, and her strength and resilience inspire Peter to spread awareness and support for those facing similar battles. He believes in the power of community and connection to bring hope to families affected by cancer.

At home, Peter shares his life with his wife and two playful dogs named Emma and Asiago. Peter has an unusual aversion to ketchup (his least favorite food)! He is committed to making a difference through the ABOH mission, driven by love, family, and the determination to create a brighter future for those impacted by cancer.

Mackenzie Sveen
YLB Director

Mackenzie became a part of A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation when her father, Stuart Brown, was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer in 2016. This came as a shock to their family as Stuart was a healthy, active, non-smoker. After a five-year battle, Stuart passed away in 2020. During his cancer journey, Stuart discovered ABOH and started attending all the events. ABOH meant so much to Stuart; he found a community of others going through the same thing, a support system to lean on, and a way to raise awareness about this disease to drive funding and research.

Mackenzie is married to husband, Nick, and they live in South Minneapolis with their two dogs. Mackenzie has worked at UnitedHealthcare in a sales role for the past nine years. She holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Minnesota Duluth in Exercise Science and her true passion is health and fitness. In her free time, she loves to be outside with the dogs, go to breweries, be on the lake, and explore new restaurants!

Mackenzie is excited to carry on her dad’s legacy and support ABOH in any way possible. She is proud to be a part of this amazing community and to help fight the stigma, create awareness, drive funding, and help others the way ABOH helped her dad.

Fun Fact: I have a black belt in Karate!
Pets: A 9-year-old Golden Retriever named Cooper, and a 2-year-old Flat Coat Retriever named Ranger.
Least Favorite Food: Any seafood

Lauren Runquist
YLB Director

Lauren is an Athletic Trainer at Iowa State University. She currently works with the Swimming and Diving team. She holds a degree from Iowa State University and a master’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University. Lauren has been working at Iowa State for three years now. 

Her mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer in January 2021. She has been fighting since then and continuing to stay strong. Lauren serves on the YLB because she wants to share the awareness of non-smoking lung cancer. She wants to try to help find different ways for her mom and others to keep fights and maybe one day find a cure. 

Fun Fact: Lauren loves to work out! She loves to lift weights, go on lots of walks and when she lived in Kentucky, hiking. Her life goal is to travel to all 50 states, she is currently at 34. Another fun fact is that all of her family’s animals are named after food! Her cats are marble cake and chocolate mousse. 

Pets: She has two cats, Marble (4 months) and Mousse (8)

Gracie George
YLB Director

Gracie is a seasoned professional with over 12 years of experience in the risk and compliance space within the financial industry. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Penn State and a Master’s in Legal Studies, specializing in regulatory compliance, from the University of Illinois. Currently, Gracie works as a consultant, leveraging her expertise to help clients navigate complex regulatory challenges.

Gracie has always been passionate about the fight against cancer, but her commitment became even more personal after losing her Aunt to lung cancer December 2023. This loss was compounded when her father was diagnosed with stage 2 non-small cell lung cancer in early 2024. He is currently undergoing treatment, and thanks to his amazing doctors and advancements in medical science, Gracie is optimistic about his recovery.

Gracie is particularly dedicated to raising awareness about lung cancer, with a focus on early signs and detection. Neither her aunt nor her father were smokers, which has inspired her to advocate for better education around the disease and the importance of early diagnosis. She is committed to supporting initiatives that improve outcomes for patients and families affected by lung cancer.

In her free time, Gracie enjoys reading, traveling, and spending quality time with her friends and family. Her least favorite foods are pickles and anything with curry.