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Founder, Colleen Luzier and Family
Colleen Luzier is the Founder and Executive Director of CourageCollages, a non-profit incorporated in the State of Maryland. Colleen was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2003 and was treated with a lumpectomy and radiation. Colleen lost her mother to (brain) cancer at an early age, and has lost several close friends to cancer. She has experienced the emotional toll a cancer diagnosis and treatment can take on individuals and their families; and has also seen how helpful a supportive environment where opportunities for genuine, authentic expressions about one’s emotional life can help with the coping and healing process. From her own experience, and from a desire to “pay it forward” for all the people who supported her in her journey through and beyond cancer, Colleen founded CourageCollages in March 2007.
Colleen has been a volunteer with the Johns Hopkins Breast Center (JHBC) group for the past four years and has been active volunteer at various events including four dressage fundraisers for the JHBC and a Cheerleader for the Avon Walk. She also served as a co-facilitator at two of their retreats in Havre de Grace, Maryland for breast cancer patients and survivors, and was trained by Johns Hopkins to be with women waiting for and having biopsies performed at the JHBC. She also completed the American Cancer Society’s training to be a Breast Health Educator in 2006. Colleen is a member of the Suburban Hospital’s Breast Cancer Support Group; and has created her own support group which meets quarterly.
Prior to founding CourageCollages, Colleen started her own human resources consulting business, in 1988. As a principal with HR Solutions, Inc., Colleen has been a human resources consultant to small and large business, non-profit organizations and government agencies. Additionally, Colleen has served on a variety of non-profit boards including St. Luke’s House; Leadership Montgomery, the Treatment and Learning Centers and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce.
Colleen has an M.PA. from George Washington University and a B.A. from George Mason University. She is certified in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the DiSC profiler; and the Center for Creative Leadership’s 360 suite of evaluations.
Colleen lives in Potomac, Maryland with her husband and two sons, ages 18 and 14, one dog and one cat. Her hobbies include scrapbooking, traveling, cooking and her book club.