ADAO Announces 2014 Conference Honorees and Keynote Speakers
List Reflects Courageous Patients and Esteemed Volunteers, Public Service Leaders, Doctors, and Supporters Dedicated to Preventing Asbestos-Caused Diseases
Los Angeles – March 14, 2014 – The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), the largest independent non-profit organization in the U.S. which combines education, advocacy, and community to help ensure justice for asbestos victims, today announced the honorees and keynote speakers for its upcoming 10th Annual Asbestos Awareness Conference to be held April 4-6 in Washington, DC.
“Since 2005, ADAO conferences have recognized more than 70 internationally renowned honorees and keynote speakers whose voices and actions have been critically important to ending the man-made asbestos disaster,” stated ADAO Co-Founder and President Linda Reinstein. “As in the past, many on this year’s esteemed list also include courageous patients giving selfless hours of their time to help build a global community of support and hope.”
2014 Asbestos Awareness Conference Keynote Speakers Include:
- Saturday: Rear Admiral (RADM) Boris Lushniak, Acting U.S. Surgeon General
- Sunday: Susan Vento, Widow of the late Congressman Bruce Vento
- Sunday: Heather Von St. James, Mesothelioma Patient
2014 Asbestos Awareness Conference Honorees Include:
- Congressman Henry Waxman will be presented with the Tribute of Hope Award for his steadfast commitment to public health and safety. *via video
- Congressman Bruce Vento will be honored posthumously with the Warren Zevon “Keep me in Your Heart” Memorial Tribute for his countless years of public service as a legislator and public servant.
- Dr. David Egilman will be recognized with the Dr. Irving Selikoff Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of his tireless dedication to increasing awareness about asbestos to eliminate diseases and his unending support of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.
- Dr. Ken Takahashi will be recognized with the Dr. Irving Selikoff Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of his tireless dedication to increasing awareness about asbestos to eliminate diseases and his unending support of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.
- Bill Ravanesi will be presented with the Tribute of Inspiration Award for his untiring efforts to protect workers’ rights and seek justice for asbestos sufferers and their families.
- National Association for the Defense of Asbestos Victims (ANDEVA) will receive the Tribute of Unity Award for its relentless efforts, both nationally and internationally, to protect workers’ occupational safety and health.
- Janelle Bedel, who tragically lost her battle with mesothelioma in 2013, will be recognized posthumously with the Alan Reinstein Award for her commitment to education, advocacy, and support to countless patients and families.
- Heather Von St. James, a mesothelioma patient, will be recognized with the Alan Reinstein Award for her commitment to education, advocacy, and support to countless patients and families.
- Lou Williams, a mesothelioma patient, will be recognized with the Alan Reinstein Award for her commitment to education, advocacy, and support to countless patients and families.
2014 ADAO Asbestos Awareness Conference Special Recognition Honorees:
- Michael Bradley, a mesothelioma patient, will receive the 2014 Special Recognition of Valor Award for his unwavering commitment to serving as a role model of bravery and unity.
Platinum Sponsors
- Motley Rice LLC accepted by Anne Kearse
- The Simmons Law Firm accepted by Perry Browder
- Simon Greenstone Panatier Bartlett, P.C. accepted by Jessica Dean
Silver Sponsor
- Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney and Meisenkothen
Despite its known dangers, there is still no global ban on asbestos, and it continues to claim lives. Exposure to asbestos, a human carcinogen, can cause mesothelioma, lung, gastrointestinal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancers; as well as non-malignant lung and pleural disorders. The World Health Organization estimates that 107,000 workers around the world will die every year of an asbestos-related disease, equaling 300 deaths per day.
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About the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO is the largest non-profit in the U.S. dedicated to providing asbestos victims and concerned citizens with a united voice through our education, advocacy, and community initiatives. ADAO seeks to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure, advocate for an asbestos ban, and protect asbestos victims’ civil rights. For more information, visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org.
Media Contact:
Kim Cecchini
Media Relations
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)
(202) 391-5205
Kim@asbestosdiseaseawareness.org