ATLANTA, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the global leader in the fight to end breast cancer forever, today was recognized for her leadership in business at the 16th annual Trumpet Awards event in Atlanta with a 'High Heels in High Places' award. The Trumpet Awards Foundation, Inc. recognizes the contributions and accomplishments of black women and men, including the part they play in ensuring the continued vitality of the nation's economy. Special recognition is given to 'the few who symbolize the many who have overcome the ills of racism and poverty to achieve special greatness.' The Trumpet Awards Foundation, Inc.'s 'High Heels in High Places' award salutes women in leadership positions in both the corporate and non-profit worlds. The award made its debut at the 2007 Trumpet Awards gala held in Las Vegas.

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"Hala Moddelmog is the right person to lead Susan G. Komen for the Cure in its drive to dramatically decrease the incidence and mortality rates from breast cancer within the next decade. She is exquisitely attuned to the challenge this presents and the steps we need to take to fulfill our ultimate promise -- to end breast cancer forever," said Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker, Susan G. Komen for the Cure's founder.

Moddelmog, a former Fortune 500 executive, became Komen's CEO in the fall of 2006. In her first year at Komen, she leveraged unique opportunities presented by Komen's 25th anniversary, its accompanying name change and brand transformation, effectively re-igniting the organization's promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever while solidifying its position as the global leader in the breast cancer movement.

"The promise to end breast cancer forever requires the best, most tightly coordinated efforts that we all can give in our laboratories, in our hospitals and clinics, in our businesses, schools, churches, community centers and homes. We all need to join in this fight together," Moddelmog said.

Domestic Alliances, Increased International Outreach

Prior to coming to Komen, Moddelmog served as founder and CEO of Catalytic Ventures, a consulting firm that worked with private equity investments in the food service industry. She was the first woman in corporate America to lead an international quick service restaurant brand when in 1995 she was named president of Church's Chicken, a division of Atlanta-based AFC Enterprises. Church's subsequently realized record sales and profit performance. Moddelmog also held management and marketing positions at Church's Chicken, Arby's Franchise Association and BellSouth.

Moddelmog has led Komen in building new alliances with leading cancer organizations in order to reduce duplicated efforts and maximize resources. She has assembled a group of breast cancer thought leaders chaired by distinguished Dana-Farber clinician and Harvard educator, Dr. Eric P. Winer, to form Komen's new Scientific Advisory Board. Komen has implemented new grants mechanisms to speed the delivery of discoveries and breast cancer cures. In 2007, Moddelmog saw the organization make the largest grants investment in its 25-year history, more than $77 million. In addition, she encouraged Komen leadership to make public its pledge to invest no less than $2 billion in the coming decade on research and community outreach programs. Moddelmog inaugurated Komen's global expansion into 10 foreign countries, including several in the Middle East. In the fall of 2007, she led a delegation of breast cancer advocates from the United States to an historic meeting held in Budapest, Hungary with breast cancer advocates from 30 other countries.

Under Moddelmog's leadership, Komen last year embarked on its 25-city Komen Community Challenge, an educational tour designed to help select U.S. communities close existing gaps in breast cancer and breast health services for the medically uninsured and underserved. The organization published the first-ever State of Breast Cancer report, which has helped people appreciate the advances that have been made in diagnosing and treating breast cancer while understanding the extent of healthcare disparities that keep the latest treatments as well as basic health care out of the reach of millions. In recognition of the tremendous toll breast cancer takes on African Americans in the United States, Circle of Promise, a campaign to engage African Americans with Komen in the fight against breast cancer was launched last fall.

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure(R), we have invested nearly $1 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit http://www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

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