Each year, in communities across the country, dynamic, passionate candidates engage in a spirited competition to earn The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's "Man & Woman of the Year" title by raising funds for blood cancer research. Every dollar counts as one vote, and the titles are awarded to the man and woman with the most votes at the end of ten weeks.

The San Francisco Man & Woman of the Year campaign runs from now until June 9. During this time, participants will use their talents, contacts and creativity to raise funds to help advance LLS's mission.

Meet 2013's candidates for the San Francisco Man & Woman of the Year below. Donate and vote for their campaigns at www.mwoy.org/sf

David Bevilacqua
David grew up in the East Bay town of San Lorenzo where, during his formative teen years, he developed a passion for running. By 2006 he had completed nine marathons. At age 45, David learned he had Waldenstroms Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which is currently a non-curable blood cancer. However, there is a special drug that was developed through LLS funding that treats his cancer. David is thankful and alive today because of all the research dollars that have helped develop this treatment.

Dominic Chan
Dominic is a native Californian, who graduated from the UC Berkeley and works at Goldman Sachs & Co. An accomplished musician, Dominic was a violinist at the San Francisco Youth Orchestra and the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra for five seasons and today, he serves on the Advisory Board at the San Francisco Symphony’s Symphonix League.

Steve Chen
Steve Chen has co-founded and invested in a number of internet startups and brick & mortar businesses here in the Bay Area since graduating from the UC Berkeley. So when he’s not eating steaks at his San Francisco steakhouse 5A5, he’s planning fun galas and events through his event planning company A.List, working on his new online/offline dating startup ScreenDate, or hanging out with his family and friends. Steve’s family has been affected by cancer on a couple of occasions, and he hopes that his efforts with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society can help pave the way for a better life for his kid’s generation and on.

Eric Dew
Eric is a long-time Bay Area resident. He attended UC Santa Barbara where he earned duel degrees in mathematics and engineering before earning his PhD in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania. After a long stint working at various high-tech companies in Silicon Valley, he started his own fencing club in San Carlos. There, he has coached numerous youths and adults from beginners into champions. Currently, Eric works as a start-up consultant.

Jackie Omotalade
Jackie currently works in Network Management for Blue Shield of California where she manages accountable care organizations (ACOs). Jackie is participating in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Woman of the Year campaign in memory of her aunt, uncle and sister–all of whom died from cancer and in honor of all cancer survivors who have impacted her life.

Christopher Orr
Chris Orr was born and raised here in San Francisco and currently lives in West Portal. He has worked at The PENSCO Trust Company as a Relationship Manager since 2009 and enjoys his work tremendously.
Chris was first introduced to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by his collogue and now campaign mentor Larry Gerquest. He is very honored to be nominated as a candidate for Man of the Year.

Tanya Petrossian
Dr. Tanya Petrossian is not a stranger to impacting science and the cancer community. Born and raised in Southern California, Tanya completed her Ph. D. from UCLA and did her fellowship studies at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. It was during this time that her uncle received the shocking diagnosis that he had extra-nodal lymphoma and this motivated Tanya to focus on blood cancer disorders.

Christina Resasco
Christina Resasco is the Director of Business Development at WinMax Systems, an IT Consulting Firm. She has been involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society since 2009 and has worked on four consecutive MWOY campaigns. Additionally, she hopes to bring together leaders in the medical and technology community in an effort to solve medical challenges utilizing mobile technology. 

Marc Rosenberg
Marc Rosenberg is a trained chef who has a passion for great food and wine. Professionally, he is the Director of Sales for Pastry Smart, a San Mateo based company that manufactures organic frozen par-baked breads and rolls for retail and institutional food service. This June 15th will mark the 40th anniversary of the death of Mark’s mother from acute lymphocytic leukemia. Marc is thrilled to be nominated as a 2013 Man of the Year candidate for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and he simply just wants to give back and to honor his mother after all this time.

Tatiana Takaeva
Tatiana Takaeva is a graduate of Russia’s St. Petersburg’s University of Architecture and Construction and completed a Master Program at the Academy of Art University here in San Francisco. She is the owner of Arttitud, a showroom that features modern European manufacturers on Potrero Avenue and is the mother of two children. 

Paul Tuan
Paul currently works in investment banking at US Bancorp Investments, Inc.  Paul was nominated to be a Man of the Year candidate by Roger Royse and Willa Qian. He is excited about being involved in the campaign in order to give back to the community and to honor his late father, who he lost last year to lung cancer.

Jennifer Zanotto
For the past fifteen years, Jennifer has worked in the beverage industry, and is currently employed by DANONE Waters of America. Jennifer is humbled, honored and determined to achieve all that she can to help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She is honoring and dedicating her campaign to her mother, Kathy Zanotto, who has spent the last year and a half beating, surviving, and recovering from breast cancer.