Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Community Advisory Board comprises members from across the Mountain West, a geographical area that includes Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Membership includes cancer survivors and representatives from government organizations, health care systems, community organizations, and American Indian tribes. The Community Advisory Board works with leaders and staff across Huntsman Cancer Institute to engage the community in cancer research, clinical services, education, and prevention efforts and prioritize opportunities to improve community health.
Board Members
Ahmer Afroz, MPH, CHES
Chief Executive Officer
UAF Legacy Health
Sara Carbajal-Salisbury
Director of Health Programs
Alliance Community Services
Byron Clarke, JD, MBA
Chief Operation Officer
Utah Navajo Health System, Inc.
Becky Creighton, MPH
Health Program Manager of Comprehensive Cancer Control Programs
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
Cari Herington, MBA
Executive Director
Nevada Cancer Coalition
Star Jones, CPM
Unit Manager of Cancer and Chronic Disease Prevention
Wyoming Department of Health
Diane Klassen
Diagnostic Imaging Director
Humboldt General Hospital
Morgan Marietti, MHP
Associate Director of Cancer Center Partnerships
American Cancer Society
Ofa Vista Matagi, MPA
Executive Director
Utah Pacific Islander Health Coalition
Leah Merchant, CPM
Section Supervisor of Cancer Control Programs
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
Marie Nagata
Program Manager of Health Promotion and Prevention
Utah Department of Health and Human Services
Nancy Wahtomy
Patient Navigator, Shoshone-Bannock Community Health Center
Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Health and Human Services
Diana Wiig
Cancer Advocate
Members Bios
Ahmer Afroz, MPH, CHES
Over the past 13 years Ahmer has focused his public health career in LGBTQ+ health with an emphasis on HIV/STI prevention, treatment/care, and equitable access to care. Over this time, he has worked in government, community health, research, and nonprofit settings. Ahmer currently serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for UAF Legacy Health (formerly Utah AIDS Foundation) since 2019. Prior to his role as CEO for UAF Legacy Health, Ahmer worked for the Utah Department of Health as the HIV Health Program Coordinator implementing statewide HIV prevention initiatives. He also previously worked as a Project Manager for the Fenway Institute of Fenway Health in Boston, Massachusetts, where he oversaw biomedical and behavioral HIV prevention research studies. Ahmer holds a Master of Public Health from Boston 㽶Ƶ School of Public Health, with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences, and is a currently a doctoral candidate at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Health, Equity, and Social Justice concentration. His research focuses on the importance of community health organizations in the delivery of culturally competent care and the impact of COVID-19 on HIV prevention efforts.
Sara Carbajal-Salisbury
Sara is originally from Mexico City where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business Relations from the Politecnico Nacional 㽶Ƶ in Mexico. She also studied Humanities at Westminster College and 㽶Ƶ of Utah 2013-2015. In 2016 she graduated from Goldman Sachs Small Business Program. In 2002 she joined a team of professionals to start a Non-Profit organization, Alliance Community Services, with the mission of “Improving the quality of life for the Hispanic community by making health & social services accessible to them.” Alliance has been committed to serve the most vulnerable individuals in the community, those uninsured, underserved, and low income. She is the co-founder of the first Hispanic Breast Cancer Support Group “Triunfadoras” in Utah and currently the Director of Health Programs, among other responsibilities. She collaborates actively with the 㽶Ƶ of Utah College of Nursing, the School of Medicine, and College of Social and Behavioral Science Department of Psychology in the research department. Currently Sara serves as a member of Utah Cancer Coalition (previously Utah Cancer Action Network); a member of the 㽶Ƶ of Utah Institutional Review Board; co-chair of the Community Engagement Committee at the 㽶Ƶ of Utah School of Medicine; and member of the Board of Trustees of Utah Health Policy Project. Sara is a strong advocate for education and health rights to be delivered with equity and inclusion to all individuals.
Byron Clarke, JD, MBA
Byron works as an administrator with the Utah Navajo Health System and has been there for 13 years. He grew up in Blanding, UT near the Navajo Nation and is a proud member of his community in Southeastern Utah. His wife and kids enjoy living in rural Utah and the great outdoors.
Becky Creighton, MPH
Becky, an Idaho native, has overseen the Idaho Comprehensive Cancer Control Program for the past five years. In this role, she leads a concerted effort to reduce cancer risk, help to find cancers earlier, improve and increase access to quality cancer care, and improve the health and well-being of cancer survivors throughout Idaho. Becky serves on the Board for the Idaho Comprehensive Cancer Alliance for Idaho and the Idaho Harm Reduction Project’s nonprofit, as well as Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Community Advisory Board. Prior to this, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the West African country of Benin.
Cari Herington, MBA
As Executive Director for the Nevada Cancer Coalition, I oversee an amazing coalition team, and engage diverse partners across the state from public health to corporate stakeholders passionate about working together on cancer control and access to quality healthcare. Some of my most favorite parts of this job include building unique programs to address cancer prevention and early detection and drafting and advocating for policies to increase access to care. Having lost my father to metastatic melanoma, and other dear family and friends to cancer, I am extremely grateful every day to have this opportunity to make a difference. My 20-year-old daughters are skilled skin cancer prevention advocates at their respective universities, always with sunscreen on hand. I love living in the Reno/Tahoe area and enjoy all the beautiful outdoor activities it offers from hiking and trail running to snow sports in the winter months. Truly grateful for this life!
Star Jones, CPM
Star has a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational leadership from the 㽶Ƶ of Wyoming, and recently completed a Community of Public Health Certificate Program. She has been with the Wyoming Department of Health’s Cancer Program for the last eight years. In her role as Unit Manager, she is responsible for providing the Cancer and Chronic Disease Prevention Program’s with a strategic vision and leadership to decrease the burden of cancer and chronic diseases for Wyoming residents. Star also serves on the Wyoming Cancer Coalition Steering Committee.
Diane Klassen
I have been in Radiology for over 30 years. I am nationally registered in multiple modalities of Radiology including Xray, Mammography, MRI, CT, Ultrasound OB/gyn, abdomen, and vascular. I have lived in Winnemucca, Nevada for the last 17 years and have worked for Humboldt General Hospital all those years. I am a 3-year breast cancer survivor. I have a husband, 6 children, and 3 grandchildren. My latest accomplishment was building a CT low-dose lung cancer screening program at Humboldt General Hospital. This allowed the Nevada Cancer Coalition to build a toolkit being used all over Nevada. I received recognition by receiving the Nevada Unsung Hero Award.
Morgan Marietti, MHP
Leading the fight for a world without cancer has always been a bold and audacious goal that Morgan has pursued. As the Associate Director of Cancer Center Partnerships, Morgan is committed to end cancer as we know it by working across the entire cancer care continuum to engage cancer center partners through convening, implementing evidence-based strategies, sharing resources, cultivating health care champions and driving system policies and practices to improve the lives of patients with cancer and their families. Additionally, she is a stage 2b survivor of synovial sarcoma cancer and a caregiver/friend to many others who have been impacted by this disease. While the cancer community is not something you choose to join willingly, Morgan’s personal journey has shifted her perspective on both life and her career in every way. She is an extremely passionate advocate for all humans impacted by this disease, but her strongest interests include holistic human-centered care and research, increasing supportive services for the adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer community and supporting all efforts to increase awareness and opportunities for fertility to be preserved within one’s cancer journey. Morgan resides in Salt Lake City with her life partner, Beau, and they are the proud parents to their treat-loving, fur companion Whitney. Thankfully Morgan and her family were able to preserve their fertility options prior to beginning cancer treatment. Thanks to a successful onco-fertility frozen embryo transfer, Morgan is proud to share with you that they are expecting their first child, due summer 2024.
Ofa Vista Matagi, MPA
Ofa was appointed to UPIHC (Utah Pacific Islander Health Coalition) Fall of 2023 as the Executive Director. Her esteemed record of ongoing advocacy to promote equity, empowerment, and community-building are great assets to UPIHC’s mission-driven programs. Prior to UPIHC, Ofa served as Utah Clean Energy’s Access & Equity Associate and has 10+ years working in SSA law, Estate Planning and higher education. She brings a wealth of experience and practical expertise to the role, as demonstrated through over a decade of servant leadership with organizations like the YWCA of Utah, Salt Lake County Planning Commission, Tracy Aviary, and the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander State Caucus. She is a strong proponent of civic engagement and actively supports efforts that empower women to run for elected office. As such, she is also a former candidate of the Utah House of Representatives HD33 in West Valley City and in the future will seek office again. At this time Ofa currently serves on the Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission, NeighborWorks of Salt Lake Community Engagement Steering Committee and a Westside Leadership Institute Fundamentals Course Instructor. Lastly, newly appointed to serve as a member on Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Community Advisory Board.
Leah Merchant, CPM
Leah Merchant manages the Cancer Control Programs at Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services. She has worked with the Cancer Control Programs since 2009 and oversees Montana’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, and Central Tumor Registry. Leah lives in Helena, MT, with her husband and daughter.
Marie Nagata
Marie has worked in public health for over 30 years. She currently is the Program Manager at Utah Department of Health and Human Services, overseeing the Breast & Cervical Cancer Screening Program, the Comprehensive Cancer Program, and the Health Resource Center. Her focus has always been ensuring everyone has equal access to care. In her spare time, she hangs out with her family or has her nose in a book.
Nancy Wahtomy
I live in Blackfoot, Idaho, on the Fort Hall Reservation. I'm a mother, a grandmother, a wife, and an animal advocate. I'm a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe. I graduated from Idaho State 㽶Ƶ with a bachelor’s degree in social work. I have worked for the Shoshone Bannock Tribes - Community Health Services for the last 8 years, as the Patient Navigator. Patient Navigation primarily works with cancer patients. This job requires a person to be very resourceful. I'm always looking for new resources that will help the cancer patients, but most importantly I have met people that are as passionate as I, when it comes to cancer advocacy. On this journey I have met many wonderful folks, who all have become part of my cancer warrior team. I volunteer for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and through them I've had the opportunity to meet our state lawmakers and talk about cancer and the impact it has on Idahoan's. I get the opportunity to have my patients' voices heard, and let lawmakers know how they impact the lives of cancer patients, through their policy decisions. I'm on the Board of Directors for the Comprehensive Cancer Alliance of Idaho. I get to work with people from a variety of different backgrounds. We collect cancer data for the entire state, analyze that data and create statewide cancer goals, that will lessen the cancer burden in our state. I created a Cancer Warrior's Resource Guide that is filled with local Southeast Idaho resources that cancer patients and their support systems can utilize while battling cancer. The booklet inspired me to create and host an upcoming Cancer Warrior's Resource Fair that currently has 8 presenters' and 35 vendors. The event will took place on February 22, 2024, at the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel & Event Center. I'm hoping to make this an annual event, to bring the most current cancer data and resources to the entire Southeast Idaho Area. I was surprised, and very honored to be asked to be a part of Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Community Advisory Board. I graciously accepted and am looking forward to being a part of the Huntsman culture and what it represents.
Diana Wiig
My professional background is in education. I taught 20 years at the elementary level, then spent 15 years at the 㽶Ƶ of Wyoming teaching science/math methods for prospective teachers. I developed the SBOCES Resident Astronomy program and guided students in exploring the cosmos for 20 years. I have served on various committees at the national level (National Science Teachers of America) for the Outstanding Science Trade Books committee. I’ve reviewed testing materials and textbooks for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. In collaboration with ETS (Educational Testing Service) I was part of a team of science and math teachers that evaluated the validity and reliability of test items. In my spare time, I’m an avid reader, knitter, crocheter, weaver, and musician. I also do a little boxing on the side.
