Name: Joseph E. Landry , Founder
Qualifications: Joe retired in 2000 as an accomplished Information System and Computer Architecture professional with extensive experience in coordination and project management for large international corporations for over four decades. He received a Ph.D. in 1966 from LSU in Chemical Engineering before joining IBM in computer automation consulting and systems marketing areas. More recent experiences in nonprofit organizations include serving as an officer and program chairman for a non-profit investor’s educational organization, as the regional coordinator of an international Benedictine religious organization holding conferences and retreats in Texas and New Mexico, and as a member of a non-profit ministry for the homeless and people in transition in Houston. Joe was diagnosed with prostate cancer in October 2006 and has been an active survivor and advocate since starting the original ProtonPals mailing list in April 2007 for his fellow survivors. His focus has been on supporting all who contact him while pressing forward on the 501 (c)(3) organization’s development and outreach programs.
Name: Banfield R. Capron, Co founder
Qualifications: Ban retired almost 20 years ago at the age of 53 after working for Johnson Controls for nearly 30 years. Although an engineer by education and a Registered Professional Engineer in Michigan, New York and Texas his love is sales and his gift is organization. He worked as a sales engineer in Michigan, sales manager in NYC, branch manger in Houston and ultimately moved to Dallas and was in charge of the 900 Johnson employees across the southwest. Since retirement he has been active with Christian mission organizations having physically built a church in Paris, France, leading large teaching teams across Russia and the Ukraine for 5 years, etc. His sales and organizational skills will help us promote the Proton Therapy Center and help ProtonPals get organized to provide you with more up-to-date helpful information. He and his wife of 53 years Jan live in Dallas and he completed treatment February 2008.
Name: Peter C. Taaffe, Director
Qualifications: Peter currently manages his own firm, Taaffe and Associates, which he founded in 1979 specializing in trusts and estates. He received his BA in Economics and MBA degrees from University of Texas in 1969 and 1972 respectively and in 1971 worked initially with what is now Ernst and Young. He was formerly very active in West University Little League as a volunteer and eventually served as president for 4 four years. Peter was co-founder of the Stella Link Development Association, a 501(c) (3) that redeveloped large intercity acreage into parks, libraries, a large neighborhood YMCA and several ball fields. Peter and his wife of 40 years, Carol, live in Houston where they actively belong to numerous civic and social organizations, plus they’re both busy with 3 sons and 5 grandchildren. Peter completed his treatments in April 2007 and has been active in providing information to newly diagnosed men.
Name: Dave O. Stevens
Qualifications: David is both an Attorney and CPA. Dave is a member of the California bar (since 1972), the New York bar (since 1975) and the Texas bar (since 1983). Before he opened his solo practice in the Galleria area of Houston in 1990, Dave worked with a San Francisco law firm, a Wall Street law firm, before he became Director of Taxes – Planning at The Singer Company at their New York Headquarters, where he worked primarily in the international tax area, assisting Singer, which did business in 40 countries. He then worked at Union Texas Petroleum Corporation in Houston as a Tax Counsel, representing them in their domestic and international oil and gas matters. From 1986-1990, he was a Tax Partner at the then Big 8 international accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand. Dave was born and grew up in Pasadena, California. He received his B. A. in History cum laude and departmental honors from Stanford University in 1968, his J.D. degree from the University of California at Berkeley (Boalt Hall) in 1971 and an LLM (in Taxation) degree from New York University in 1975. Dave has been married for over 40 years, with three children and two grandchildren. He lives in the Houston area.
Name: Drew Cox
Qualifications: Drew is a native Houstonian, BA University of Mississippi, active in the Houston real estate community as a Realtor and State Certified Residential Appraiser. He owns AMC Appraisal Service specialists in residential appraisals for lending institutions, builders, developers, private individuals and investors, estates, divorce, fraud, quality control as well as expert testimony. Drew was diagnosed in October 2010 and completed proton therapy in March 2011. While undergoing treatment he and his wife Kathy became active in the ProtonPals Wednesday night patient dinners and is currently overseeing the dinners by making arrangements with many local restaurants, in close proximity to MD Anderson. He is a driving force to support the toy fund for the pediatric patients gifts given at the completion of their proton therapy treatments. Drew also became an also a MD Anderson Volunteer at the Proton Therapy Center assisting the doctors, nurses and interacting with the patients who are undergoing proton therapy treatments and their caregivers. In addition he serves as one of contacts on the Pal-to-Pal list providing information to the newly diagnosed men.
Updated: October 6, 2011 J.E. Landry
