Raleigh, NC (March 27, 2023) —Kay Yow Cancer Fund® Board of Directors Chair and President of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, Nikki Fargas, announces Jenny Palmateer as the next Chief Executive Officer of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
Palmateer takes over the CEO position after serving as Senior Vice President of Programming at the Fund since 2018.
“We are so thrilled to welcome Jenny as our next CEO,” said Nikki Fargas, current Kay Yow Cancer Fund Board Chair. “The Fund is poised and positioned for an unprecedented runway of growth, exponentially increasing the impact on so many lives in the coming years, and Jenny is the perfect person to lead and elevate the work, mission, and impact of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.”
As a five-year veteran of the Fund, Jenny led program efforts and initiatives focused on raising money for cancer research, serving the underserved and uniting people in the fight against all cancers affecting women. She has been responsible for developing new revenue streams as well as sustaining and enhancing current revenue streams with an emphasis in Play4Kay, the Fund’s national grassroots movement.
Jenny continues to bring Coach Kay Yow’s vision of uniting people for a common cause to life and has played an essential role in helping to galvanize and motivate universities and communities across the country to join forces for a greater cause that far exceeds wins and losses in competition.
“Jenny has been an integral part of the growth of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund over the last five years. Her passion and enthusiasm for the mission of the Fund as well as her personal connection to Coach Yow as a player and an assistant coach, make Jenny a unique and right fit as the next CEO of the Fund,” said Stephanie Glance, current Kay Yow Cancer Fund CEO.
Prior to joining the Kay Yow Cancer Fund team, Palmateer spent 21 years coaching Division I women’s college basketball, 10 of those at North Carolina State alongside her former collegiate coach, Kay Yow.
“I was fortunate to have a personal relationship with Coach Yow,” said Palmateer. “She was much more than a coach to me. She was my mentor and friend. I learned as much about life from her as I did x’s and o’s.”
Palmateer will officially begin her role as CEO on March 27, 2023.
“I am honored and humbled to carry on Coach Yow’s legacy through the work of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. I have seen first hand the importance of teamwork, of hope, and how strength and courage can propel us to have a quality of spirit that enables us to face difficulty without fear. Coach Yow once said, ‘You lift us up so we can lift others up. You are not alone in this fight, and we want you to know we are beside you always.’ And I’ve never forgotten that,” said Palmateer. “It is and will always be at the core of the Fund. Together, with you, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund remains committed to making a difference in the fight against all cancers affecting women, helping to create better cancer outcomes today and for generations to come.”
About the Kay Yow Cancer Fund®
The Kay Yow Cancer Fund was officially founded on December 3, 2007, from the vision of the organization’s namesake, Kay Yow, former NC State University head women’s basketball coach. Coach Yow was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 before succumbing to the disease on January 24, 2009. The Kay Yow Cancer Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to raising money for life-saving cancer research, and underserved programs that provide access to quality cancer healthcare, and unite people in the fight against all cancers affecting women. To date, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund has awarded $8.18 million in the fight against ALL cancers affecting women. For more information on the Kay Yow Cancer Fund or donate, please visit KayYow.com.