CHARLOTTE, NC (News Release) – After serving more than 20 years as a volunteer or staff member with the American Cancer Society, Mel Toran has taken a new role as Executive Director for Western North Carolina and South Carolina. Based in Charlotte, he will lead a cross-functional staff in western North Carolina and South Carolina that is typically responsible for raising more than $4.8 million annually to fund cancer research and support services for cancer patients.
Mel Toran (Photo Credit: The American Cancer Society)
After three years of volunteer service with the American Cancer Society, Toran joined the ACS staff team in Gainesville, Fla., in March 2004. Throughout his nearly 18-year career with the American Cancer Society, he has served in various
community development and leadership roles in Gainesville, Fla., Tampa Bay, Fla., and Jacksonville, Fla. Most recently, he served as Director, North Florida, covering some 38 counties within the northern portion of the state.
The fight against cancer is personal to Toran, who lost his father to pancreatic cancer in 1998 and his mother to lung cancer in 2015. He is committed to not only raising money to fight cancer, but to raising awareness to reduce preventable cancer deaths through screenings and education.
“As a result of my faith and losing both my parents to cancer, I have been destined to impact those facing a cancer journey,” Toran said. “Upon my dad’s death in 1998, we learned of his cancer diagnosis, along with his travel from Erie, Pa., to Canada for experimental treatment. As a result of a lack of recognition within the Black community and the fact that people of color are disproportionately impacted by cancer, my life mission is to ensure that every person I meet understands the importance of knowing their family health history, while ensuring that all screening protocols are enacted at the appropriate time.”
Through advocacy, discovery, patient support and development, the American Cancer Society’s mission is to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer.
