Kathleen Gavin has been the executive director of MOCA since 2002 when she became its first staff person. She provides strategic leadership to accomplish the goals and objectives of the organization and to identify and obtain needed resources. She also serves as the senior spokesperson for the organization and the leader of its grant-making activities.

Gavin served as a patient advocate on the Stand Up 2 Cancer Ovarian Cancer Dream Team and is an advocate on the national NRG Oncology (formerly Gynecologic Oncology Group) serving on the ovarian and developmental therapeutic committees. She is a co-chair of the Mayo Clinic’s Ovarian Cancer SPORE patient advocacy committee. Gavin also serves as a patient advocate to the Roswell Park Ovarian Cancer SPORE. In addition, she is a member of the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center community advisory board.

Gavin holds a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University and was the administrative director of the Women’s Health Care Program at Columbia University for three years. She has also worked as the health and human services policy analyst for the governor of Vermont and as the director of planning and development of medical services for the state of Vermont.

Gavin was a founding member of the Institute for Sustainable Communities, a nonprofit organization that does environmental work internationally, and worked to build that organization for seven years.

She has served on numerous boards and provided consulting services to foundations and nonprofit organizations.

Gavin has two adult children and lives with her husband in South Minneapolis. She loves to hike and is a fair weather bicycle commuter.

Gavin can be reached at 612-822-0500 or kgavin@mnovarian.org.