SARA CUMBELICH, DM

THE CLINIC’S UNSUNG HERO AND ALL-ROUND CHAMPION

“Tenacious. Creative. Committed. A Doer. Enthusiastic. Passionate. A connector. A perfectionist who always goes the extra mile.”

Those are just a few of the laudatory adjectives that describe Board member and Clinic Brand Ambassador Sara Cumbelich, DM. Sara is the creative catalyst and relationship-builder extraordinaire who has placed the Clinic “on the map” with donors, community partners, and media throughout the Bay Area – and beyond. She’s also the cheerleader for the Clinic’s staff and marketing teams, always looking for new ways to heighten visibility, serve more patients, increase impact, and educate more people about the Clinic’s mission.

Sara’s combination of professional marketing experience, people skills, and an unbridled commitment to the Order’s mission, has taken the Clinic’s reputation, relationships, and operations to new heights, including catapulting the Champions Gala to the successful event it is today, and the critical source of income to fund expansion, operations, and growth. As Board Chair Tim McInerney notes, “Sara is an incredible example of the power of volunteer leadership and engagement. She is the heart and soul of the Clinic and never stops challenging herself and all of us to do more.”

Founding Board member Dr. Bob Stein, KM, reflects on Sara’s success: “The first Champions Gala in 2009 raised $35,000. In 2013, when Sara first became involved, we netted $115,000. In 2022, under Sara’s leadership, the Clinic raised $750,000 in vital operating support. In the next couple of years we hope to raise $1 million - or more. She has made an enormous and transformational impact.”

Sara recognized early on that the gala, and the Clinic’s success, were tied to increasing visibility and nurturing relationships – skills and perspectives clearly in her wheelhouse. A “Military Brat” who had to adapt to many moves, she spent her youth traveling the globe from France and Germany to Oklahoma, Mississippi, and the Mojave Desert. She graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where the school’s motto “Learn by Doing” was on display when she orchestrated a turn-around of the university newspaper.

Sara started her business career in sales at legendary Procter & Gamble before migrating to her true passion, advertising and marketing, including managing global technology accounts at BBDO and J. Walter Thompson. Sara’s husband and fellow Clinic Board member, Bill, notes, “In some ways, the Clinic has become Sara’s second successful career, firmly grounded in her commitment to make people’s lives better.”

Sara’s ability to do just that is illustrated in myriad ways. During the early days of COVID, she orchestrated a 90th birthday party fundraiser for the Clinic’s long-term physician and retired neurologist, Dr. Tom Wallace, combining nascent ZOOM technology with a socially distanced backyard celebration. Not only did the event raise critical and impressive funds, it kept the spirit of the Clinic thriving during the pandemic shutdown, with donors and staff connected and involved.

Sara’s leadership has propelled the Clinic’s marketing and branding in new and powerful directions. She has spearheaded innovative annual reports, created an engaging web presence, embraced social media, and attracted donors and community partners through her listening skills, quiet persistence, and community connections. Podiatry, mobile mammography, and the Clinic’s mobile van (a moving billboard) are examples of her outreach skills and creativity, as is her recent support and fundraising for the Clinic’s expansion efforts.

With Sara’s enthusiasm, charisma and wideranging skills, the Clinic is poised to reach new heights, well beyond the dreams of the founders. Integral to her success – past, present, and future -- is her willingness and ability to assemble great teams of volunteers and outside experts to help realize her vision and goals. Her email signature encapsulates that philosophy, which signs off with a quote from Helen Keller: “Alone We Can Do So Little. Together We Can Do So Much.”

From the entire Clinic community, “Thank you, Sara!”