Passion Meets Progress: Andrea Maddox-Smith’s Tenure at BCAN

January 14, 2025

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Transcript

Voice over:

This is Bladder Cancer Matters, the podcast for bladder cancer patients, caregivers, advocates, and medical and research professionals. It’s brought to you by the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, otherwise known as BCAN. BCAN works to increase public awareness about bladder cancer, advances bladder cancer research, and provides educational and support services for bladder cancer patients and their loved ones. To learn more, please visit BCAN.org.

Rick Bangs:

Hi, I am Rick Bangs, the host of Bladder Cancer Matters, a podcast for, by, and about the bladder cancer community. I’m also a survivor of muscle-invasive bladder cancer, the proud owner of a 2006 model-year neobladder, and a patient advocate supporting cancer research at the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, or as many call it, BCAN, produces this podcast. I am pleased to welcome BCAN CEO, Andrea Maddox-Smith, to our podcast today. As CEO of BCAN since 2016, Andrea brings over 30 years of nonprofit leadership and 20 years of experience in the voluntary health space.

Under her leadership BCAN has transformed its structure, focus, and impact, improving the lives of bladder cancer patients. Passionate about patient advocacy, Andrea excels in driving organizational growth, stakeholder engagement, and research initiatives. Before BCAN, she spent 16 years with the American Diabetes Association where she led mission strategy and operations, achieving significant organizational efficiencies. Andrea plans to retire from BCAN at the end of February 2025. Andrea, welcome and thank you for everything you’ve done for the bladder cancer community.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Thank you, Rick. Thanks for having me.

Rick Bangs:

All right, so I want to go back, take the time machine back, and why did you want to join BCAN?

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

I wanted to join BCAN because of, really, my personal journey with cancer with my father, my sister, two of my sisters, and I really wanted to get into just the cancer space. I did not know it was going to be bladder cancer until that happened, until the position surfaced, but I really did want to get into the cancer space. I also knew that when I learned about the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, I knew that I had some special skills that I could help this organization. So that’s the reason for it.

Rick Bangs:

All right, we’re going to talk about those special skills later on in the podcast. But first, let’s talk about some of your prior roles. I had mentioned the American Diabetes Association, so tell us a little bit about some of your prior roles, including that one.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

My most immediate of course, was the American Diabetes Association. I had several roles with them. I started as an Executive Director in Michigan, and after several years, because of my other experience with Junior Achievement, I was promoted to the national office. I ended my position there as a Senior Vice President for the American Diabetes Association. I was responsible for fundraising and program services, volunteer development for half the country. I handled the Eastern area. And then I was responsible for nation-wide programs, so all the programs for the American Diabetes Association fell under me.

Rick Bangs:

All right. And what do you wish you had known that you didn’t know when you started at BCAN?

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

The biggest thing I wish I’d known, honestly, very honestly was, I wish I knew more about bladder cancer. It’s like anyone else that learns they have bladder cancer when they found out they have it. It’s, I didn’t even know you could get bladder, I mean cancer in the bladder.

Rick Bangs:

Right.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

So I wish I had known. And you know, bladder cancer is a huge learning state. It’s just, it’s very, it’s a long one.

Rick Bangs:

Yeah, don’t I know it.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Yeah. It’s just not something you learn overnight so it’s just, it was a steep learning curve. But I wish I had known more about bladder cancer.

Rick Bangs:

Yeah, I wish everybody knew a little bit more than they do.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Yeah. Yeah.

Rick Bangs:

It would make things a little bit easier for so many of us.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

A lot easier, right?

Rick Bangs:

Yeah. Yeah. So what are some of your proudest accomplishments?

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

I have to say the first is just the level of research that we’re doing now. They were already doing research when I got there, but it wasn’t as sustainable as it was. We’d start off with $100,000 gift, I mean, award, and then the next year it’d have to be 50. So I’m proud of the fact that the awards that we give now are all sustainable. There is no problem with, if anything, the amount of the award is going to go up. I’m also proud of the fact that we’re doing more than we’ve ever done before.

We’re doing two innovation awards at $300,000 level, we’re doing four young investigator awards now at the $75,000 level, we also do a career development award at the $250,000 level. So it’s just more and more research. The other thing I’m very proud of is, I have to tell you, is my staff. I’ve brought on a really good team. I had two of the same people, Stephanie and Trini when I got there. They are the only two that was there. Everyone else at the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network I’ve hired, so I’m very, very proud of just those resources that I was able to bring to the organization. Like Mark, who is responsible for this podcast.

Rick Bangs:

Right. Right.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

I didn’t know anything about communication. He’s forgot more than I’ll ever know, but it was nice that we were able to bring that resource to the organization because it’s really, really helped in getting the word out there about bladder cancer. So I’m really proud of the staff. Really, really proud of those people.

Rick Bangs:

Yeah, so a lot of great work in terms of the BCAN staff.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Yeah. Yeah.

Rick Bangs:

So it’s a people focus there, but also people focus on the research side-

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Oh, absolutely.

Rick Bangs:

And building that pipeline. I mean, when I was diagnosed, it was not an area people wanted to get into.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Well what I would say about that, a lot of that is because of Diane and what they did at the beginning back in 2005, just starting research. BCAN was responsible for growing their own, so starting those Young Investigator awards. So now, many of the people who received Young Investigator Awards years and years ago, back in ’05, ’06, ’07, ’08, they are now leading. They’re some of our key opinion leaders. Some people that are doing some of their best work in bladder cancer right now. So sometimes you just have to grow your own, which is what we’ve pretty much done. But a lot of that was done before I got there and a lot of that was Diane.

Rick Bangs:

Yeah. So what do you think some of your fondest memories are?

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Oh God, I so many, but I have to tell you, is going to the volunteer meetings. I mean, I just love sitting at the table and talking to the volunteers and the folks who are struggling with this disease. Just talk about things that are going on in their life and how BCAN is making a difference for them. One of my other fondest memories, I have to tell you, I laugh about it when I think about it, is Diane, when I first met Diane. I met her at my interview, of course, but then I met her for breakfast a week or so later, and I was just so impressed.

I’m like, “Well, what made you do this?” And she said, “Well, there was nothing. I was just so damn mad.” And I walked away thinking just those words. She inspired me. She really did inspire me. But I mean, the memory of that, I still think about it. She said, and I’m thinking, “This is how many things happen.” It’s when people, something not there and her and John said, “Okay, we’re going to have to start this ourselves,” and look at the number of people she’s impacted by her, well her and her husband did. I’m still, I was in awe then and I’m in awe now. I’m still in awe, and I’m just so happy that I was able to make a contribution to that.

Rick Bangs:

Yes, all thanks to Diane getting mad, which is great.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Which is great. She said, “I was just mad. I was just so mad.” She said damn mad. I said, “I don’t blame you. I don’t blame you.”

Rick Bangs:

Well, I think she speaks for all of us when we get diagnosed, right?

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, there’s nothing there and so sometimes you just have to step out there and do it. And she did it and it’s made a big difference.

Rick Bangs:

Yeah. All right, so speaking of differences, I want to talk about what’s changed since you’ve been in the role. And we can talk about anything and everything. Programs, you had mentioned research, the Think Tank, the staff positions, the walks, anything.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Well I have to tell you, a lot of it is just, it’s a lot more of it.

Rick Bangs:

Yeah. Well, yes.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

If you want to talk about research, it’s a lot more of it. If you want to talk about the Think Tank, there’s a lot more research being done at the Think Tank. The Think Tank is much larger than it was when I got here back in 2016.

Rick Bangs:

Oh yeah.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

We have almost 400 people attending that Think Tank, and we’re trying to keep it down. Staff positions for example, there were six of us, there are now 13. Next year there’ll be a total of 16 because there are three additional positions being hired.

Rick Bangs:

Oh, wow.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Our walks. When you look at the number of walks we were doing, we were doing about seven to eight, we’re doing now 20. Just the number of partners. But you have to understand, there’s a lot more pharmaceuticals, other companies that are looking at bladder cancer now, so there’s a lot more partner opportunities so we have done that. And then finally, when you look at the size organization we were financially, it was about a $2.2 million organization. Now we’re just about $16.7 million, so we are a much, much larger organization, which mean we can help many, many more people.

Any time someone comes to the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, they don’t pay anything to be involved with the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. It’s allowed us to do much, much more and hire some of those positions that we never would’ve been able to do before. Someone to focus just on research. We have three people just in our research department and we’re hiring another research person right now. And so, that’s because of all the research we’re doing. I’m really, really proud of that. I’m really proud of that.

Rick Bangs:

Yeah, you should be. You should be. Well I mean, you fund these great things, and a lot of them wouldn’t get funded if it wasn’t under bladder cancer.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Right, exactly.

Rick Bangs:

Right?

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Exactly.

Rick Bangs:

And so you’re filling this very huge gap. And again, in fact quoting you, “Growing your own.” We’re growing our own research projects.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

And growing our own has helped them, because many times they would not be able to get another one. So they start with BCAN and then they’re able to get something through NIH and some of these other larger ones after they’ve proven something through what they’ve done with BCAN. So that has really helped. That has really, really helped. It’s been great. Great for this organization.

Rick Bangs:

Okay, so you talked about the annual budget. Any other fundraising stats that you want to share with us?

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Walk stats. I mean, we’ve grown the walk from a couple hundred thousand dollars to over $1,000,000 a year this past year.

Rick Bangs:

I know. I know.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

We raised $1.2 million. I mean, that’s phenomenal. Just like I said, what we’re raising on research, what we’re bringing in every year this year to be almost $7.6 million. So all of those numbers have gone up, but you know the biggest stat for me is the number of people, the more people that we are bringing into the organization. That’s by far the most important thing that we do. So the dollars are fine and it helps when, because we want to do the research, but to me, it’s about what Mark does as far as the number of people that we know, new people who are finding us through the website, things like that. That’s what’s the most important to me.

Rick Bangs:

Right. Right.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Yeah.

Rick Bangs:

Okay. So next year, 20th anniversary of Diane getting mad. So 20th anniversary-

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Diane’s going to kill me for saying that.

Rick Bangs:

Well, it’s a good mad so.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Yeah, it was a good mad. Look at what happened with it.

Rick Bangs:

That’s right. That’s right. She spoke for me, I got mad too, and that’s why I’m sitting here. All right, so 20th anniversary of BCAN, tell us a little bit about the plans.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Oh my gosh, we have a lot of things going on. Every month, I know Mark is doing some new initiative for the 20th anniversary, but one of the other things that we’re doing with our partners there, we’re doing something called Partners in Progress. So we’re talking about and highlighting certain treatments and things like that that we’re doing and their relationship with the Bladder Cancer Organization. We have nine opportunities out there, because some of the months it’s really just, we’re focusing on BCAN. So out of those nine opportunities, we’ve already done six, so we’re looking to get support for another three of those. So we’re doing that.

We also, we have an anniversary gala. Now, BCAN doesn’t typically do galas, you know that. They did a 10th anniversary one, we’re doing a 20th anniversary one in DC on November 6th, so we’re looking forward to that. We’re hoping everyone, if they can come out, to come out to that gala. We’re really looking forward to that. It’s going to be at The Weston. And we’re also going to be doing, next year, a lot of public-service announcements. We really don’t get too much into that, but for this year we’re going to be doing quite a bit of that because our objective is to reach as many people as we can. Still people aren’t finding us the way they should and so that’s really important to us that we’re doing that.

Rick Bangs:

Okay, and if people are interested in joining the 20th anniversary gala in November, information will be on the website?

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Yes absolutely, it will be on the website.

Rick Bangs:

Excellent.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

On our new website that will be out next year. Well, I’m trying not to get in front of Mark, because Mark has me down, “You can’t say anything about some of these,” but we do. We have a brand new website that’s coming out the 1st of January, it’ll be around the second. And so much of this stuff will be out there. We’re also having, next year, we’re pushing out BCAN’s new brand next year. I’m really, really proud. I’m proud to have had a little bit to do with that. Most of that fell in Mark’s area, but of course, I’m very proud to have a little bit to do with that, because we’ve had the same branding for up to 20 years. And so now we have a new brand, something that Diane was very much for, and she loves it as well. And so I’m excited about everybody seeing BCAN’s new branding as well.

Rick Bangs:

All right. Well, look forward to all the details. And I don’t think you’re going to get in trouble with Mark, because he controls when this podcast gets released.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Exactly, exactly.

Rick Bangs:

So mum’s the word until he lets the cat out of the bag too.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

I tell people all the time, Rick, “I could tell you something, but I’d have to kill you.”

Rick Bangs:

Yeah, that’s right. That’s right.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Because Mark will kill me.

Rick Bangs:

Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Yeah.

Rick Bangs:

All right. What do you think you’ll miss the most?

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Oh, the people. Yeah, the people. BCAN is a community of more friends than professional relationships. I’ve become friends with so many of the people. You, Diane, everyone. But I’m going to miss the people. It’s the community. It’s small, but people really do care about it, about each other. And of course, my staff. I mean, the staff is like my family. They have been my family. They’ve been through quite a bit with me over the last almost nine years, yeah, in my team. My team. I’m going to miss them the most.

Rick Bangs:

Yeah, and I’m sure they will miss you as well. So tell me what’s next for BCAN?

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

I’m not going to say more of the same. I know BCAN is going to be getting, I know we’re going to get much, much bigger, but we will now have a new CEO, they’re going to be bringing a lot of new and fresh ideas. But I know, communications, we’re going to really, really continue on that path as far as getting more information out to as many people as possible, bringing as many new people into the fold as we possibly can. But I think that’s what next for BCAN.

It’s difficult to answer a question like that, because bladder cancer is changing. And as it changed, the trajectory of it changed, BCAN has to change. I mean, five years ago there were no podcasts. BCAN wasn’t doing a podcast. So you look at that, five years ago we didn’t have a phone line. So as the landscape changes, BCAN changes to fit with what’s going on out there. So that’s what’s going to happen. As things move, BCAN is going to move to do what we can to keep people informed and stay in front of this thing as much as we can.

Rick Bangs:

All right, and that’s the way we would want it, so that’s great.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Rick Bangs:

All right. What’s next for Andrea?

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Next for Andrea is spending a lot of time with her family. My grandsons won the State Cup, the soccer State Cup this year, which I missed that-

Rick Bangs:

Uh oh.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Because I’ve been working. I actually, believe it or not, I went to two of their basketball games yesterday and it was the first basketball game, they had had eight, and it was the first one I had gone to. So it’s nice to do that, but spending more time with my family and making memories that way. But also, I’ll be doing a little consulting and pro bono work helping some smaller organizations do what I helped BCAN to do.

Rick Bangs:

Yeah. Yeah. Which kind of feeds you. This is kind of your thing.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

It does, because I’m not the type of person can just do nothing. I’m going to be doing something, believe me.

Rick Bangs:

I hear you.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

We have a 9:00 call every single morning, so I’m not driving to try to be on a 9:00 call every day.

Rick Bangs:

Yeah, that’s right. That’s right.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

But believe me, and I will be keeping up with BCAN and helping out where I can with that as well. Because I think once you get into something like this and you get to know the people and they become your family, you never get away from it. So I’ll be pushing myself to the background because I don’t want to become a pest to the new CEO, but if there’s anything this person needs from me, all they have to do is call.

Rick Bangs:

Excellent. Excellent. We’ll wait on the announcement for that as well.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Oh yeah, it’s coming. It is coming.

Rick Bangs:

Excellent. Excellent. Okay, any final thoughts?

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Yes. I think my final thought is just that I am so grateful. It has been such a wonderful professional and personal journey for me to be involved with this organization, and that’s because of the people who are involved. And so, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to do this, to do what I knew I could do well. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to do it. It’s been great. It’s been wonderful.

Rick Bangs:

Excellent. Excellent. And I want to thank you for the tremendous progress you’ve enabled at BCAN and I want to wish you the best for your happy, healthy, and fulfilling retirement.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Thank you so much, Rick. And I want to wish you the best, because without people like you, BCAN wouldn’t be where it is right now. It’s because of people like you, like Rick Bangs. Thank you.

Rick Bangs:

If you’d like more information on bladder cancer, please visit the BCAN website, www.BCAN.org. Andrea, in case people wanted to get in touch with you, could you share an email address?

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

Yes. They have my email address at [email protected], but I’m going to share my personal one, which is [email protected].

Rick Bangs:

Thank you. Just a reminder, if you’d like more information about bladder cancer you can contact the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network at 1-888-901-2226. That’s all the time we have today, be sure to like, comment, and subscribe to this podcast so that we have your feedback. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon with another interesting episode of Bladder Cancer Matters. Thanks again, Andrea.

Andrea Maddox-Smith:

You’re welcome. Thank you so much.

Voice over:

Thank you for listening to Bladder Cancer Matters, a podcast by the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, or BCAN. BCAN works to increase public awareness about bladder cancer, advance bladder cancer research, and provide educational and support services for bladder cancer patients. For more information about this podcast and additional information about bladder cancer, please visit BCAN.org.