Early Detection Saves Lives.
Getting to Early – because your life matters
Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc. is the government relations affiliate of Are You Dense, Inc.
Founded by Dr. Nancy Cappello to ensure that breast health patient advocacy efforts are front and center in a legislative advocacy organization with oversight by an advocacy Board of Directors.
Nancy M. Cappello, Ph.D
Our Mission:
To ensure that women with dense breast tissue have access to an early breast cancer diagnosis. To that end, women need to be informed of their breast density, the limitations of mammography to find cancer in dense breast tissue and the increased risk factor of dense breast tissue.
Board of Directors:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Joseph J. Cappello married Nancy Marcucci, in 1974 and the story began. Joe is the co-founder of Are You Dense, and Are You Dense Advocacy. Joe was elected to take on the leadership role as Executive Director of Are You Dense, Inc and Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc. in January of 2019 after Nancy’s passing from treatment related bone marrow cancer (MDS). His passion is to continue Nancy’s legacy by pursuing the goal that they set in 2004; that not one woman would die from a late- stage breast cancer due to dense breast tissue. In 2009, Joe and Nancy championed the first in the nation breast density inform law in the State of Connecticut. To date, there are now 36 States that have breast density legislation. This has given thousands of women in the U.S. and around the world a voice, because early detection matters.
In 2004 Nancy was diagnosed with stage 3c breast cancer. They decided to start Are You Dense, Inc and Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc to alert the world about the high risk of breast cancer for those women with dense breast tissue. To help finance these efforts Joe drew on his musical background to put together what became The Are You Dense MusicFest. It produced finances to Are You Dense, Inc for 10 years and gave great pleasure to thousands of people at the same time.
Joe received his entrepreneurial degree by developing three businesses in his career. He became a real estate broker and started his own business which continued for 30 years, selling homes and industrial / commercial property. He was also an independent rep for many years in the electronics industry, selling to industrial manufactures throughout New England. Joe has been an avid drummer since the age of 10. He played with The Waterbury Symphony Orchestra while still in grammar school and in many bands, writing and recording original music. He still plays in a jazz band on occasion. His interest in music ignited an idea to develop a business which manufactures and distributes a unique portable drum set throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He also holds a U.S. Patent on the electronics portion of the drum set.
Joe is a licensed private pilot and also enjoys being on his boat with friends and a good cigar.
PRESIDENT
Marion Bradley, a registered pharmacist, grew up in upstate New York, graduating from the Albany College of Pharmacy in 1984. Marion moved to Connecticut in 1988 and worked in retail pharmacy for a large chain drug store until 2005. It was in that year that she and her husband, Bob, built an independent pharmacy in their home town, The Beacon Falls Pharmacy became an integral part of the community. Owning a business was one of the most rewarding experiences Marion has ever known, and she will be forever grateful to the customers that helped them along the way. In 2014, Marion learned she had breast cancer during her yearly mammogram exam. Since then, she has been very active in spreading awareness surrounding breast health and early detection. Marion joined the Are You Dense, Inc. Board of Directors in February 2019, and became President of Are You Dense Advocacy in September 2021. She is also active in the Lioness Club of Beacon Falls, CT and the St. Michael's Ladies Guild. Marion is enjoying her new role as grandma now that she is retired, and looks forward to new adventures and game nights with the girls!
Treasurer
Charlene M. German has a B.S. in Computer Technology & M.S. in Management Engineering. She currently works as a Software Integrator/Software Quality Engineer for a leading semiconductor equipment manufacturer. She has worked in the semiconductor industry for more than 20 years and it was at a previous semiconductor company where a colleague introduced her to Dr. Nancy Cappello. It was then that she learned about the risks of dense breast tissue. Charlene’s mother and grandmother had breast tumors, one benign and one in-situ. As a precaution, her grandmother went through several radiation treatments. Charlene believes the key ingredients to good health are education and awareness.
Director
Mara Little has been working in the insurance industry for the past 26 years, working for Aetna. She is an Underwriting Unit Lead in the Network Access Business unit which was developed back in 2004. She joined the department in 2005. Mara was instrumental in developing business relationships that have flourished and have made the department one of Aetna’s highly profitable units. Mara met Dr. Cappello and her husband Joe through a mutual friend in 2008 and has been volunteering with Are You Dense since the first annual MusicFest Fundraiser. Mara is a Harley Davidson enthusiast and is also involved in the Are You Dense Inc.’s Ribbon Ride motorcycle event.
Goals of Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc.
- Advocate for and support State and Federal legislative and Regulatory efforts to standardize the communication of dense breast tissue to women.
- Advocate for and support State and Federal legislative and Regulatory efforts for access to reliable breast screening technologies for women with dense breast tissue.
- Ensure that the communication of a patient's breast tissue composition is provided across the globe for access to realiable breast screening tools to reduce mortality from the most common cancer in women both in the developed and less developed world.
Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc. is a 501(c)(4) tax–exempt organization.
April, 2004 - Chemotherapy - A 'Normal' mammogram four months prior
