Meet the Team Dedicated to Finding a Cure for CCS

Bound by the shared experience of Clear Cell Sarcoma, our team, comprised of survivors, families, and friends, is dedicated to creating a supportive and empowering space for CCS patients and their loved ones. Through collaboration, connection, and unwavering commitment, we strive to amplify voices, drive research, and work together toward conquering Clear Cell Sarcoma.

Co-Founder & Executive Director

Lennie Woods

Lennie Woods, a Charleston native and College of Charleston graduate, is a dedicated wife, mother, and successful real estate professional. Her world changed when her daughter, Sara, was diagnosed with Clear Cell Sarcoma, inspiring her to take action against this ultra-rare cancer.

Fueled by faith, determination, and the support of her community, Lennie is on a mission to find a cure for CCS. She believes her life’s journey has connected her with the right people to make a difference and bring hope to those affected by this disease.

Senior Scientific Advisor

Kelley Argraves, PhD

Kelley M. Argraves, PhD, serves as Senior Scientific Advisor to the Clear Cell Sarcoma Foundation, providing strategic scientific guidance and disease-specific expertise. She is a passionate scientist dedicated to advancing the mission of Clear Cell Sarcoma Foundation. After earning her doctorate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at The George Washington University, Kelley built a successful research career at the Medical University of South Carolina. Her journey took a personal turn in 2013 when her husband, Scott, passed away from glioblastoma. Supported by close friends Lennie and Denny Woods, Kelley eventually shifted her focus to fighting Clear Cell Sarcoma after Sara Woods was diagnosed with the rare cancer. Today, Kelley is committed to driving research and finding treatments for Sara and others impacted by CCS.

Administrative Officer

Jill Neal

Jill Neal is a wife, mother, and "MiMa."When her oldest daughter was diagnosed with CCS at age 18 in June 2018, she felt utterly lostlike so many others facing this ultra-rare cancer with no existing research, treatments, or cure. Then, through a Google search by an incredible CCS warrior, Scott Heller, she connected with Lennie and the Woods family in late 2018. Without hesitation, the Neal family joined their mission. In January 2019, they even flew to Oregon to meet the Woods family in person at a research facility, strangers united by purpose. In that moment, she knew God had called her to fight for this cause. Today, as CCSF’s Administrative Officer, she works alongside an extraordinary team to drive research, build connections, and collaborate globally, all to transform CCS from a devastating diagnosis to a survivable one.

Patient Advocate & NCCN Lead

Lisa Faulkner

Lisa Faulkner is a survivor of Clear Cell Sarcoma (CCS), a rare and aggressive cancer, diagnosed in the summer of 2020. Her journey with CCS was marked by a series of challenges, including misdiagnoses, the search for effective treatments, and the quest for a knowledgeable CCS medical team. These challenges fueled her dedication to bettering the prognosis and journey for fellow CCS warriors and survivors, which led her to reach out to Lennie Woods, Executive Director of the CCS Foundation (CCSF), offering her time and talent to support fellow CCS warriors. With over 41 years of nursing experience in critical care, education, and administration, Lisa plays a pivotal role in the CCSF’s efforts to raise awareness and improve patient outcomes.

As a liaison between the CCS Foundation and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, she ensures that the latest updates in patient care, research, and education are shared with the CCSF community. In her personal life, Lisa is married to Larry Faulkner, and together they have three sons, three daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren. Lisa enjoys spending time with family and friends, landscaping, and traveling with Larry when not working on CCS Foundation efforts.

Marketing & Communications Director

Ann Lopez

Ann Lopez is a Clear Cell Sarcoma (CCS) survivor, a dedicated mother of two, and the wife of a Navy veteran. Diagnosed at age 42 in April 2023, what initially seemed like tendonitis turned out to be an aggressive form of ultra-rare cancer that metastasized to her lymph nodes. In June 2023, Ann underwent a hip disarticulation amputation and emerged from recovery with a strong commitment to support the CCS community.

Driven by her experience, she is determined to make a difference so others don’t face the same challenges she endured.

Marketing Associate

Reshma Vilson

Reshma is currently a third-year medical student at TCOM. Reshma is a Houstonian
native and loves to explore new restaurants, coffeeshops and boba places. When she
has free time, she loves to travel, reading or hanging out with friends.

She is grateful to
volunteer with the CCS Foundation, where she hopes to support efforts to amplify
patient voices, increase awareness, and strengthen outreach efforts to ensure important
stories and resources reach a wider audience. She considers it an honor to contribute to
a mission that has such a meaningful impact on patients and families!

CCS Adolescent & Young Adults (AYA) Advocate Team Member

Chrissie Eshenbaugh

Chrissie Eshenbaugh lives in Dublin, Ohio with her husband and two sons. She lost her father, Bob Costello, to Clear Cell Sarcoma (CCS) in 2023 after a courageous 22-year battle that began with his initial diagnosis in 2001. Following surgery, his cancer remained dormant for many years before returning in December 2022. In his memory, Chrissie and her family created an annual golf outing honoring Bob, with all proceeds benefiting the Clear Cell Sarcoma Foundation.

She is deeply passionate about raising awareness and advancing treatment options for those affected by CCS. She joined the foundation to support the families impacted by this diagnosis.

CCS AYA Advocate Team Member

Jackie Trahar

Jackie is the loving and dedicated wife to a U.S. Marine and a Citadel graduate from
Charleston, South Carolina. The daughter of Lennie and Denny Woods, she had her life flipped upside down for the first time when her older sister, Sara, was diagnosed with Clear Cell
Sarcoma in 2016, and again just 2 years later when she herself was diagnosed with Hodgkin
Lymphoma at age 17.

Jackie has worked and volunteered with CCSF since its founding, and is now an integral team member supporting young adults and teenagers with CCS.

CCS AYA Advocate Team Lead & Research Assistant

Zach Ward

Zach is a Clear Cell Sarcoma survivor, officially diagnosed in September 2025 following a brief misdiagnosis of Melanoma. He lives in Round Hill, Virginia - a quaint little community in the outskirts of the DC metro area, along with his lovely wife Roxanne, and their two energetic young boys, Miller (3) and James (1).

A software engineer by trade and a firm believer that knowledge is power, Zach is incredibly passionate about learning everything he can about Clear Cell Sarcoma, drug development, and most importantly: the stories of fellow patients. Zach spends much of his free time these days building tools to aid himself and others in making the research process more efficient, accessible, and collaborative.

CCS AYA Advocate Team Lead

Robert Freitag

Robert was was born and raised in New York City. He was diagnosed with clear cell sarcoma in 2018, after his freshman year in college, and has since had numerous surgeries, radiation, and ablations over the course of his treatment journey. He is now a medical student in NYC.

Before medical school, Robert spent two years working in clinical development, learning the drug development process from the inside. He came away more convinced than ever that patients deserve a seat at the table where research decisions are made. Now in his final year of medical school, he is committed to bridging that gap, bringing both his lived experience and scientific training to bear in service of patients everywhere. Robert joined the Clear Cell Sarcoma Foundation to show other young patients that this road, however hard, is one you don’t have to walk alone.

When Robert is not in the hospital (in training or as a patient), you can find him playing tennis, spending time with family and friends, exploring coffee shops across the city, or learning how to surf.

CCS AYA Advocate Team Member

Lisa Leonard

Lisa is a Clear Cell Sarcoma survivor. Her initial scalp tumor was misdiagnosed twice starting in 2020 at 30 years old, which led to undergoing 2 years of immunotherapy before being diagnosed with Clear Cell Sarcoma in September of 2022. After 5 total surgeries to remove 8 tumors she had her first clear scan in August 2023.

She is excited to join the mission of the CCS Foundation to find a cure to turn this poor prognosis cancer into a survivable one.

CCS AYA Advocate Team Member

Olivia Snow

Olivia was born in Indianapolis, Indiana but grew up just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. She received my bachelors of science in nursing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. While working as a labor & delivery and obstetric ER nurse in 2024, she was diagnosed with Clear Cell Sarcoma in her right leg. Olivia underwent high dose radiation therapy and surgery. She recovered for a year and relearned to walk. On the day that was supposed to mark 1 year of remission, she was told that they found a suspicious spot on her routine scan. She was diagnosed with a recurrence in her lymph node in 2025. Olivia underwent chemotherapy and an additional surgery.

Her cancer journey has led her to her current career working as a nurse in functional medicine. Having the opportunity to see the opposite sides of health care, both as the one providing care and as the one receiving it, has shifted her perspective in many ways. Additionally, the Clear Cell Sarcoma Foundation has provided her the chance to see a “why” in cancer being a part of her life’s story. Having experienced the fear, the trial & error, and everything else that comes along with a rare cancer diagnosis such as CCS, Olivia is honored to be one voice in the advocation for improvement, and she feels blessed to have the opportunity to walk it with others.

Our Partners

Clear Cell Sarcoma lacks a standard treatment plan due to its rarity, but we are determined to change that. Through dedicated partnerships with our research collaborators, we are working tirelessly to develop effective treatment options. By making a gift today, you are directly supporting advancements in Clear Cell Sarcoma research, helping patients of all ages fight and survive this ultra-rare cancer.

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