Meet Our Team
Susan K. Stewart
Executive Director
As Executive Director and founder of BMT InfoNet, Sue is responsible for overseeing allAcute lymphoblastic leukemia. operations of BMT InfoNet. A transplant survivor herself, she brings great insight and perspective to her work and is widely considered a vital resource to the entire transplant community. Sue authored Bone Marrow and Blood Stem Cell Transplants: A Guide for Patients and AutologousTaken from an individual's own tissues, cells, or DNA. Stem Cell Transplants: A Handbook for Patients. She graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Sociology/Urban Affairs.
Marla O'Keefe
Director of Special Projects
Marla is BMT InfoNet's senior project manager coordinating, among other projects, the production of the Celebrating Life Calendar and the online Transplant Center Directory. She also helps coordinate the national Celebrating a Second Chance at Life Survivorship Symposiums. She has a BA in Journalism from Indiana University. Marla was also a stem cell donor for an unrelated patient, an experience she describes as very humbling.
Claudia Laupmanis
Director of Development
In her role as Director of Development, Claudia oversees all funding development for BMT InfoNet and is a key member of the program planning team. As a transplant survivor, Claudia is a passionate believer that advocacy and knowledge exchange are vital tools for transplant patients and survivors.
Cindy Kessler
Director, Patient Support Services
Cindy oversees BMT's Caring Connections program where transplant survivors and their loved ones share their stories and provide emotional support to newly diagnosed patients and their families. As the parent of a child diagnosed with leukemia at a young age, Cindy understands the emotional turmoil families face when a loved one is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease.
Kathy German
Office Administrator
Kathy manages the BMT InfoNet office where she processes book orders and keeps things moving smoothly. Prior to coming to BMT InfoNet, she acquired a wide range of office management skills at a number of major corporations in the Chicago area. Outside her work for BMT InfoNet, Kathy is also a professional clown skilled at balloon art, face painting and party decorations.
Patty O'Machel
Event Coordinator
In her role as event coordinator, Patty is responsible facilitating BMT's regional meetings, webcasts and webinars. She also coordinates BMT InfoNet's online newsletter. She graduated from Loyola Chicago with a Bachelors Degree in Social Work and earned a Masters Degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.
