10th Annual National Speakers Luncheon Honored Lacie and Joe Gorder and Featured Dr. Laura Esserman

The Friends of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Foundation held its 10th Annual National Speakers Luncheon on October 13. Lacie and Joe Gorder were honored with the Beacon Award in recognition of their civic commitment and generous support of our community. Dr. Laura Esserman was featured as the keynote speaker.

Lacie and Joe share a desire to serve their community through their time, talents, and treasure. They have served on the Boards of Valero Energy Foundation, Respite Care, United Way, and Healy-Murphy, and supported numerous organizations. The Gorders have a passion for helping people reach their full potential by supporting initiatives focused on improving their health, safety, and education. They are active members of Concordia Lutheran Church and support its work. In 2002, Joe joined Valero as the Vice President of Corporate Development and held a variety of executive leadership roles, including Chief Commercial Officer and President of Valero Europe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Valero Energy Partners LP, and Chief Operating Officer and President, where he was responsible for refining operations and commercial operations in marketing, supply, logistics, and transportation. In 2014, Joe was appointed Chairman of the Board and CEO of Valero Energy, and continues to serve in that role today. Currently, Joe serves on the executive committee, as former Chairman, of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers. Additionally, he serves on the Executive Committee of University Health Foundation and as a member of the National Petroleum Council. Joe and Lacie often say that their lives have been blessed richly. They are very proud of their son, daughter, and seven grandchildren.

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Our featured speaker was Laura Esserman, M.D., MBA, Director of the University of California, San Francisco Breast Cancer Center, Alfred A. de Lorimier endowed Chair of Surgery, and Professor of Surgery and Radiology at UCSF. Dr. Esserman is an internationally recognized surgeon, breast oncology specialist, and visionary in personalized medicine. She is an acclaimed leader in breast cancer screening and treatment and is overseeing some of the most important and innovative studies in this disease.

Thank you to all of our sponsors, community partners and friends who contributed to making this event a success. We are pleased to announce more than $304,300 was raised to benefit our patients at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospitals. Our work did not stop there. During the luncheon, attendees donated an additional $62,000 for the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Mobile Mammography Unit’s unfunded mammograms program. This will provide 326 underserved women with a life-saving mammogram for free. Incredible!

We were also thrilled to announce a generous leadership gift from Valero Energy Corporation of $450,000 that will go towards the purchase of a new mobile mammography coach and updated 3D mammography equipment! We are so grateful for this gift that will help sustain our mission and allow us to continue to provide this important screening to women across south Texas.

We are blessed to be a part of such a generous community dedicated to supporting quality and compassionate health care for all. To learn about how you can support our mission, visit FriendsFoundation.org.