Board of Trustees

From growing up on a farm in Eastern Oklahoma to the Big D in Texas, Roni Briggs has never forgotten her love for the simple things in life: enjoying family, our native land, including rivers, and lakes, laughing out loud and the sense of place you find in your community.

Roni is a seasoned business executive. Her business insights were honed through years of increasingly higher leadership experience in a vast number of disciplines and industries. Before co-founding The OSIYO Group, Briggs was VP Business Capabilities & External Affairs for Diageo, the world’s leading premium drinks business. She also held leadership positions in communications, professional consulting, healthcare, and energy industries.

A Cherokee Nation tribal citizen, Ms. Briggs graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and Native Entrepreneurial Studied professional certification Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, and professional accreditation in Cultural Heritage Tourism, from George Washington University.

Linda’s passions are her family, friends, the outdoors and her career. Her love of the outdoors started when she grew up on an Iowa farm and was her Dad’s most trusted farmhand. From driving the tractor at age 10, to showing livestock at the Fair, to high school sports, if she could be outdoors that was her happy place.

Linda is vice president of Emspace + Lovgren, a public relations and marketing strategy group, formed when she sold her 40-year old company and merged it into the new entity. She has a degree in English and Communications from Indiana University with certifications as an accredited public relations counselor and public outreach facilitator. She was elected the first woman board chairman of the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the Omaha Business Hall of Fame and has chaired numerous community and professional boards.

Linda discovered Casting for Recovery while reading a fishing magazine during recovery from  breast cancer surgery. It was 2010 when she, along with friends and fly fishing companions, began the CfR Program in Nebraska. Linda has witnessed first-hand and embraces the difference these retreats can make physically and emotionally for participants. The Nebraska program holds two retreats annually and continues to be dedicated the CfR mission.

Linda and her husband, Bob, have an adult son and daughter and seven grandchildren. The family loves to hike and fly fish together. Bob and Linda are travel enthusiasts and are working on visiting as many of  the country’s national parks as possible.

A New England native, Cindy was raised with a love for being outdoors, and especially being on and around the water. This affinity led her to a career in the Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer. Following her retirement in December 2016 as Rear Admiral, she became exposed to the healing power of fly-fishing, including as a participant in a CfR retreat. She has been “hooked” by the CfR “family” ever since!

While in the Navy, Cindy deployed in all major ocean areas and was one of the first women to command a combatant ship. Other command assignments included multi-national and multi-ship organizations, including an overseas Destroyer Squadron and one of the Navy’s three Expeditionary Strike Groups. She also held senior positions in strategy and policy, education and training, and maintenance and readiness. Since retiring from the Navy, Cindy has focused much of her time on support to non-profits at both the local and national level.

Ever since experiencing her own Casting for Recovery retreat in 2017, CfR has held a special place in her heart with its opportunities for women to find inspiration, discover renewed energy for life and experience healing connections with other women and nature. She is honored to have the opportunity to “give back” by serving on the Board of Trustees.

Scott Cassity is the Chief Administrative Officer and a Managing Director of the SANS Institute, the global leader in cybersecurity training, certification, research and education which is based in the Washington, DC area. He is responsible for Finance, Human Resources, Analytics and also has leadership responsibility for two business units, Global Information Assurance Certification and SANS.EDU where he is also a Board Member and Committee Chair. In these roles, Scott provides general management, strategic direction and leadership for his teams and the company.

Scott was previously a principal/partner of a Tennessee based healthcare real estate development and consulting firm, Realty Trust Group. His business expertise includes growing new businesses, financial analysis, risk assessment and a genuine interest in new business ventures. Scott has also worked in the securities and healthcare industries. He is the Past Chairman of ChildHelp of East Tennessee, a children’s advocacy organization. Scott holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, and a BBA from University of Kentucky.

Scott and his wife, Cindy split time between Tennessee and Montana. He loves fly-fishing and bird dogs and hopes that his time with CfR can help grow its mission and outreach to many more women on their recovery journey from breast cancer.

Benita Walton, MD is the co-founder of Casting for Recovery. Her general surgery training was at Mary Hitchcock Medical Center (now Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center) and her plastic and reconstructive surgery training at University of Wisconsin, both with highly acclaimed surgeons. She completed each program as a chief resident. Her subsequent training was in Scotland where she learned to fly fish using a spey rod, a very different experience from the spinning rods of her youth.

During her practice in plastic surgery and breast reconstruction, Benita recognized that care of breast cancer patients went well beyond the treatment phase—a potentially long standing set of concerns. As a result, Benita, her co-founder Gwenn Perkins Bogart, and the initial team, developed a fly fishing program with the goal of engaging women who shared the traumatic and potentially life-altering experience with breast cancer. The desired setting and activities would be in nature, learning a set of skills, hatching new desires, and feeling understood.

Benita’s career morphed into psychiatry. She returned to DHMC to train in psychiatry and is currently a Staff Psychiatrist at Dartmouth College. Benita attends as many CfR retreats as possible and wishes she had more time to fly fish.

Whitney brings nearly 20 years of strategic management and leadership experience within health-focused organizations. With a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and an MBA with a concentration in Executive Healthcare Administration, she has a passion for exploring the intersection between the natural world and overall health and wellness. Whitney currently serves as the Director of Student Health Services at Montana State University. She loves skiing, fishing, and exploring wild places with her family.

Beverly Smith serves as the Vice President for Engagement at Trout Unlimited (TU) where she leads strategies to inspire and mobilize a diverse network of volunteers, partners and community members in the care and recovery of our lands and waters. With 17 years of experience at TU and a senior leadership role, Beverly oversees national initiatives that empower the leaders of TU’s 400+ chapters, councils, 5 Rivers college clubs and other community-based conservation efforts. Her work is grounded in the belief that watershed restoration and advocacy have the transformative power to enhance both ecological health and community resilience. By fostering a sense of place, inspiring optimism and building strong social networks, Beverly sees collective action as a key ingredient for strengthening ecosystems and the people who rely on them.

Beverly is deeply passionate about connecting people to conservation efforts, believing that when communities engage in restoration, they not only heal the land but also themselves. She is especially inspired by the mission of Casting for Recovery, where women form powerful connections on the water, share vulnerabilities, and build supportive networks—a reflection of her commitment to helping others find healing, both personal and environmental.

Growing up in Charleston, SC, Beverly earned her B.A. from the University of Virginia. Before joining TU, she worked with the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and has served on multiple nonprofit boards. An avid outdoorswoman, Beverly thrives on the outdoor lifestyle that fuels her conservation work. Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys exploring the wilds of western Wyoming with her husband, daughters, and bird dog, pursuing trout, birds and elk.

John is originally from the small town of South Elgin, Illinois, and grew up in a very outdoorsy family with 4 other siblings.  He graduated from the University of Illinois, where he studied both engineering and business.

John has been in the construction and development business, for 35 years, in both Park City, Utah and now Big Sky, Montana.  He has built everything from Make-A-Wish playhouses to 80,000sf commercial buildings, and homes of all sizes.

John’s philanthropic philosophy in life began at an early age in Illinois. It has grown to a larger level now, where he started the Spanish Peaks Community Foundation in Big Sky, which gives away almost $1million dollars a year to the local Big Sky community.   

John first became involved in fly fishing, at the age of 11, in the overgrown gravel pits in his hometown, learning to catch bluegill, crappie, and smallmouth bass on an old True Temper fiberglass flyrod, which he still cherishes.  He now travels the world chasing different species of fish, all on a flyrod.  

John first became involved in Casting for Recovery, in 2017, when he was scheduled to be a guide at the Cast One for Hope event in Hamilton, Montana, but in a change of ‘jobs’, he was asked to shuttle CfR Trustee and professional photographer, Missy Sprouse, up and down the Bitterroot River, taking photos. In September of 2018, John’s Spanish Peaks Community Foundation also sponsored a CfR Event in Big Sky, Montana.

John’s passions in life revolve around spending time in the Montana outdoors with his daughter, fishing, skiing, bird hunting, adventure travel, and spending time on his boat in Florida.

For over 17 years, Matt Pistorio has led the repositioning, leasing, and marketing of commercial real estate assets in Chicago’s most challenging buildings. He co-founded The Telos Group, helping grow its portfolio from 5M to over 25M square feet, representing some of Chicago’s most iconic properties. In 2018, he joined R2 Companies as a principal, overseeing leasing and marketing for a 5.2M square-foot portfolio across Chicago, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee. In 2019, he founded Madison Rose Leasing Company, which has since won and leased over 15M square feet across every neighborhood and asset class. The firm has also been nominated twice for Broker of the Year.

A two-time Greater Chicago Food Depository ‘Broker of the Year’ recipient, Matt is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Matt’s commitment to Casting for Recovery is deeply personal. In 2016, his wife, Gina, was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer just two months after their second daughter was born. After 18 months of treatment, she achieved a complete response. Six years later, she overcame a brain tumor, a result of radiation treatment from childhood.

An avid fly fisherman, Matt finds solace on the water and deeply believes in Casting for Recovery’s mission. His family—Gina, Madison, and Payton—actively support the organization and host Moonlight, an annual event that has raised nearly $750,000 in just four years. Their Montana home serves as a retreat, where they embrace the healing power of fly fishing.

As a Board of Trustees member, Matt is committed to expanding Casting for Recovery to ensure more women affected by breast cancer can experience its therapeutic benefits.

Dr. Daniel F. Hayes is the Stuart B. Padnos Professor of Breast Cancer Research at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center.

Dr. Hayes received undergraduate, master’s and medical degrees from Indiana University, followed by a residency in internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School/Health Science Center/Parkland Memorial Hospital and a fellowship in medical oncology at Harvard’s Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). He has led the breast cancer programs at DFCI (1991-1996), Georgetown University’s Lombardi Cancer Center (1996-2001), and the University of Michigan from 2001-2016.

Dr. Hayes’ research interests are in the field of experimental therapeutics and cancer biomarkers, especially in breast cancer. His work has been particularly focused on development and validation of cancer biomarker tests, such as HER-2, CA15-3, circulating tumor cells and pharmacogenomic markers. He has been instrumental in establishing international guidelines for the use of tumor biomarker tests, including criteria for their clinical utility.

He has served as chair of the SWOG Breast Cancer Translational Medicine Committee, and he was an inaugural member and chaired the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Tumor Marker Guidelines Committee. Dr. Hayes served on the ASCO Board of Directors, and served a 3 year term as President of ASCO from 2016-2018. He is a Fellow of ASCO, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, a past Komen Scholar, and a member of the Association of American Physicians and the American Clinical and Climatologic Association. He was the inaugural recipient of the ASCO Gianni Bonadonna Award in breast cancer and received ASCO’s Allen Lichter Visionary Leadership Award in 2021.

As early as she can remember, Dani conventionally fished with her grandfather. She discovered fly fishing on a business trip to Estes Park several years ago. She eventually went from the once-a-year trout fisher to an all waters, all species, 60 days on the water fly angler.

She got involved in teaching fly fishing when some fishing friends invited her to be an instructor for a North Texas retreat. The mission of Casting for Recovery aligned well with Dani’s mission of being a
lifelong learner and serving women in fly fishing.

Dani’s fly fishing affiliations include: Fly Fishers International-Casting Instructor Candidate, Texas Council Fly Fishers International-Education Director, Dallas Fly Fishers – Trustee, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department – Fly Fishing Instructor, Texas Women’s Fly Fishers – Member, United Women on the Fly –Member and Fort Worth Fly Fishers – Member.

Dani balances her fly fishing passion with her role at Microsoft, where she serves as the Director for Manufacturing and Software Digital Platforms for the Western US Corporate division. She leads a team
of Account Executives that help their customers transform with AI.

Fly fishing is a family affair, as Dani’s two adult daughters also enjoy fly fishing, which makes family vacation planning easy. She is a proud graduate of Earlham College in Richmond, IN, with a BA in Religion.
Dani lives in the DFW metroplex. She is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, both on and off the water.

Jennifer Sparks is a dedicated community leader, philanthropist, and the founder and CEO of Sparks & Rec LLC, a boutique consulting group based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. With a passion for thoughtful integration and philanthropy within the community, Jenn has played a pivotal role in supporting families, businesses, and entrepreneurs in the greater Jackson Hole area.

In her role at Sparks & Rec, Jenn has partnered with a diverse range of clients. Her insights and commitment to community development have made Sparks & Rec a valuable resource for those seeking to make a positive impact in Jackson Hole.

Before her entrepreneurial venture, Jenn Sparks spent over 24 years at the Brandywine Mutual Fund – Friess Associates, where she held the positions of Senior Partner, Portfolio Manager, and Equity Analyst. Her experience in the financial sector equipped her with an understanding of investment strategies and market dynamics.

Jenn actively serves on several not-for-profit boards. Currently, she holds positions on the Snake River Fund and the Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation. Jenn also served as a long-time Trustee of the Jackson Hole Land Trust,  just recently exiting as the Treasurer. In addition, Jenn has been a volunteer with Teton County Search and Rescue for over 25 years, where she serves as a backcountry rescuer. 

Beyond her professional and philanthropic pursuits, Jenn finds solace in the mountains, where she explores unmarked trails on foot or skis. Her love for the outdoors extends to the waters of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, where she enjoys fishing, camping, and rafting with her husband, Ari, and daughter Beatrix.

Bob Tompkins is a partner with the law firm, Holland & Knight, LLP and co-chairs the firm’s National Government Contracts Practice.  His clients span all six US time zones and include Alaska Native Corporations, Native Hawaiian Organizations and Indian Tribes.

He took an interest in fly fishing as a teenager after coming across some old bamboo fly rods in his grandfather’s basement in Southwestern Virginia.  He took his first western fly fishing trip 30 years ago and hasn’t looked back.  He has since expanded his reach to New Zealand, Chile and the Julian Alps in Slovenia.

Bob and his wife, Elena, and their two children are active in their community in Washington, DC, including through supporting Georgetown Ministry Center, and during the pandemic, Feed The Fight, a non-profit effort Elena started in her “spare” time.  Feed the Fight provided nearly a million dollars’ worth of meals from local restaurants to local healthcare workers and later to community shelters.  They spend the bulk of their summers in central Idaho enjoying all that Mountain West provides

Bob earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

Trish grew up on the Texas Gulf Coast learning to fish as a toddler.  Some of her fondest memories are sitting on the wooden pier beside her grandmother, cane pole in hand, “keeping her eye on the bobber!”  Trish’s passion for fishing followed her well into adulthood, but it wasn’t until she attended a Casting for Recovery retreat as a breast cancer survivor in 2004 that she discovered the allure and magic of fly fishing.

Trish is a retired Orthopedic Surgeon.  She earned her undergraduate degree at Baylor University and her medical degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.  She completed her residency training in Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Kansas Health Sciences Center followed by fellowship training in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy at the Orthopedic Research Institute of Virginia.  Trish was in private practice in Seattle, Washington for the first half of her career before heading out on an adventure to Anchorage, Alaska, where she served as Chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.  While in Alaska, Trish traveled throughout the state to small, remote villages, providing orthopedic care to the Alaska native indigenous population.  A village trip often included travel via float planes, snow machines, small boats, and the occasional dog sled team.

Trish splits her time between Bend, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. She enjoys snowboarding, fly fishing, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and jazz drumming.  Trish is passionate about all things CfR and is a strong believer in the healing power of nature.

As a young child, Caitlyn overheard her father and one of the founding CfR members discussing the complexities of caring for women during and after breast cancer treatment. Little did she know that these conversations would lead to CfR becoming the incredible organization that it is today. She is delighted to be in a position to further the mission to reach more women in their journeys to wellness.

Caitlyn graduated with honors from Colgate University with a bachelor’s degree in biology and worked in New York City and Boston for several years in the field of life science investor relations and communications. She came to her senses in 2017 and earned a master’s degree in education, specializing in teaching adolescents. She now lives in Somerville, Massachusetts and teaches 8th grade science to a challenging but captivating student body.

The exhilaration of fly fishing in Wyoming and Montana is very different from her early experiences with a worm and hook on quiet lakes in New Hampshire where she spent her childhood. She cherishes both experiences as healing and restorative and is grateful for the opportunity to work with a multidisciplinary team that is dedicated to a mission of healing for women with breast cancer.

She escapes to New Hampshire with her Bernedoodle on the weekends where she can relax and run with her dog off the leash.