Who We Are

Daniel McCreath joined the Komak board in 2015. Born in Illinois, Daniel later graduated from the University of Michigan. His career in volunteer work was enhanced after receiving his Master of Divinity from McCormick Seminary in Chicago. He worked with non-profit and church-related community organizations, in various cities around the country.

Later, Dan joined Merrill Lynch in Plano, Texas, moving to the Portland Merrill Lynch office in 1991. His entire family are now committed Oregonians. Dan was married to Mary, and they had two children, both of whom live in Oregon. Their daughter Robyn and her husband Justin have three children. Their son Chris, who is Dan’s partner at Merrill Lynch, is married to Christy and they have a daughter.

In late 2012, Dan’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. Following a barrage of treatments, her doctors were hopeful they had gotten all of the disease, but a later recurrence led to ongoing treatments. While her prognosis was quite hopeful, the treatments eventually stopped working and we lost Mary in May of 2018.

During her treatment, Mary became committed to the work that Komak does, helping to reduce financial trauma for so many patients. Dan and his family are committed to continuing their support of Komak in her memory.

Rosemary McDermott is a nurse with over 40 years of experience in the field of oncology. After working for Legacy Good Samaritan Oncology in both the inpatient unit and outpatient clinic, Rosemary transitioned to a position as Nurse Coordinator at Cancer Care Resources. Rosemary retired in 2016 from Compass Oncology where she worked as a patient education and community outreach coordinator.

Having seen the firsthand effects that cancer and cancer treatment have on her clients, Rosemary appreciates the role Komak plays in assisting patients. She was excited to join the Komak Board for the opportunity it gives her to make an impact in the community.

Karen retired from her role as University chaplain and prof of religious studies at Willamette University in 2021.  Since then, she has been spending her time serving on several boards, traveling, backpacking and being outside as much as possible.  A breast cancer survivor, Karen recognizes how fortunate she was to have insurance and enough stamina to continue working throughout her treatments. Through her work with Komak, she strives to provide support to those who are financially struggling at a time when their healing is the most important thing. 

Charity joined the Komak board in the summer 2022 after learning about Komak's mission at the annual Persian Dinner. After caring for her father throughout his battle with cancer in 2013, and the loss of her mother just two years prior she experienced firsthand the financial struggle of caring for someone with cancer. The experience of trying to balance being a caregiver and maintaining a job she will never regret but will also never forget, so when she learned of Komak's mission she was all in. Charity is originally from Texas, lived in California for 15 years attending USC Marshall School of Business for her MBA, and finally moved to Oregon in 2018 with her husband Nate and never looked back after making her way to the Pacific Northwest. Charity is passionate about serving others and is the owner and principal consultant of strategy and operations consulting firm Stellify Coaching and Consulting.

Raymond Barrett Strasberg is a retired podiatrist relocated to the Portland Metro area from Dallas, Texas. Barrett’s former clinic treated patients with a variety of foot ailments including those suffering from issues as a result of cancer treatment. Working closely with these patients gave Barrett first hand exposure to the various financial strains cancer treatment places on individuals.

In addition to his medical experiences, Barrett also brings a great deal of knowledge in business and financial operations gleaned from his tenure managing his medical practice. Barrett’s family has been touched very directly by cancer over the years as both immediate and extended family members fought various forms of the disease. Barrett feels working with Komak is a worthwhile way to serve his community.

I live in Portland with my husband Arash and my 2 boys. I serve on the board of Komak, a role deeply rooted in personal experience and passion. I lost the most influential person in my life, my grandmother, breast cancer, a loss that continues to shape my commitment to this cause. My father is also a cancer survivor and witnessing both their journeys has instilled in me a profound sense of purpose.

Working in healthcare, I’ve dedicated my career to helping others, believing that compassion and service can be powerful tools for healing. Supporting those affected by cancer isn’t just a mission, it’s something that fills my cup and reminds me every day why this work matters.

Shay Ernisse has spent more than 25 years serving families in real estate, building trusted relationships and guiding clients through one of life’s most important milestones. She has long believed in giving back, donating a portion of every closing to nonprofit organizations that make a difference in people’s lives.

Komak holds a deeply personal place in Shay’s heart. After losing her father to cancer at just 25 and walking alongside her grandmother through her own cancer journey at age 90, Shay understands firsthand the impact of compassionate support for patients and their families.

As a board member, Shay brings her leadership, fundraising expertise, and servant’s heart to help further Komak’s mission. Outside of work and volunteering, she loves to travel and explore the culinary scenes of Portland, Seattle, and the many cities she visits along the way.