ACCA is pleased to announce the Julie Brabbs ACCA CCAF Travel Award for Emerging Leaders. This award reflects ACCA’s commitment to supporting the development of the next generation of cancer center leaders. One travel award will be offered for ACCA CCAF Madison 2026.

Completed applications must be submitted through this form by January 15, 2026, along with the accompanying recommendation to brian@mandriergroup.com.

Travel Award Guidelines

• 1–3 years of experience in cancer administration

• 400-word max letter of recommendation from your Associate Director of Administration. The recommendation letter must be sent directly to Brian Mandrier (brian@mandriergroup.com) by January 15, 2026, for the application to be considered.

• Completion of the application form

• Recap article requirement: At the conclusion of ACCA CCAF Madison 2026, the awardee must submit a brief recap article of their experience for publication in the ACCA Newsletter.

Travel Award Benefits

• Complimentary registration to attend ACCA CCAF Madison 2026

• Complimentary registration to attend a Pre-Conference Workshop at ACCA CCAF Madison 2026

• Up to $1,500 travel reimbursement (to include airfare, hotel, airport transfers, meals, etc.)

• For meals not provided by ACCA CCAF, you will be reimbursed up to $70 per day ($15 breakfast, $20 lunch, $35 dinner).

Finalists will be reviewed and selected by the ACCA Board of Directors. Please note: the Julie Brabbs ACCA CCAF Travel Award for Emerging Leaders does not include ACCA membership.

For questions, please contact Brian Mandrier, Director of Administration, brian@mandriergroup.com.

About Julie Brabbs

Julie Brabbs was the Associate Director of Administration at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center who oversaw two successful Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) competing renewals. At the most recent of the two renewals in 2022, the Administration component received an “Exceptional” rating, the highest possible score, which was a testament to Julie’s dedication, skill, and care for her team as well as her cancer center.

Julie served on the Executive Committee of the Cancer Center Administrators Forum (CCAF) from 2020 to 2022 and contributed to the founding of the Association of Cancer Center Administrators (ACCA). As a leader in the cancer center administrator community, Julie was always the most welcoming and kind person, often helping newbies at CCAF to connect to others for mentorship and friendship. In 2021, Julie and her team volunteered to pivot the annual CCAF meeting into a virtual space during COVID, so that the community could continue to have a place to connect, share, and support one another.

Julie was also adamant about professional development for her cancer center staff, which led to the creation of an 8-month mentorship-driven Developing Leaders program to grow effective and compassionate leaders in the Rogel Cancer Center administration. Other cancer centers have since been inspired to develop their own version of this program for their administrative staff.

Beyond the workplace where she was a beloved leader, Julie was a devoted mom and wife, community volunteer, and prolific artist. Her quilting and sewing projects were sometimes epic, mostly whimsical, and always beautiful. Her art was featured at the Voices Art Gallery hosted by the Rogel Cancer Center in 2024.

On May 21, 2025, Julie passed away in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is dearly missed by her friends in the cancer center community. To honor Julie, this ACCA CCAF Travel Award exemplifies her spirit of welcoming and stewardship of community. Awardees will hopefully gain professional development as well as a lifelong connection to a community that supports one another, so that in turn, we can all support cancer research.