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When Kerry Tate decided to make Austin her home in 1985, the city was blessed with a natural born leader whose contributions over the past 24 years have included chairing the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Austin as well as serving on the boards of the United Way and Seton Cove. She currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Governors for the Austin Community Foundation. Joining Kathy Bonner in 1985, Tate eventually bought the public relations firm, Bonner & Tate, which became Tate Austin in 1992. Under her direction, the firm grew and received several professional and community awards, including being named among the top 10 PR Firms in Texas and receiving the Ethics in Business Award from St. Edward’s University. In 2007, Tate Austin was sold to Jeff Hahn and renamed Tate Austin Hahn where Tate currently serves as senior counsel.
In November of 2007, Kerry Tate was also diagnosed with breast cancer, joining the one-in-eight local women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. “If you do not have someone in your family, your neighborhood or your workplace who has been diagnosed, you will. I was diagnosed as fully recovered from a bilateral mastectomy last year. I am living proof that early detection and good care can make a difference.”
Shortly after Tate received the news that she was all clear, David Smith, organizer for the inaugural Mamma Jamma Ride for Breast Cancer, called to ask her to chair the event. “I literally was still in the doctor’s office. Three minutes earlier I had been given the good news that I was clear. That was no coincidence … it wasn’t possible to turn him down.” When we met for breakfast, Tate’s enthusiasm for the ride and determination to help others fight the deadly disease were readily apparent.
austinwoman: I last interviewed you for austinwoman in April of 2007. You have had quite a journey since then.
Kerry Tate: Three years ago, as part of my work with Seton Cove and the Leadership Pilgrimage, I began to think about an exit strategy and the best way to transition out of my firm. I set my intention for a 3-to-5 year transition looking to care for my business, my employees, my clients and myself. I read Lee Eisenberg’s book, The Number, and I met with financial planners to calculate a scenario that would work. Within six months, I had two offers without soliciting. One was local, one was global and my choice to go with Jeff was clear. It has been a divine relationship. There is a great continuity of values and the mission of the firm. I am beyond pleased.
aw: I know you have shifted your focus and have launched a new endeavor, Civic Interest. Tell me about plans for that project.
KT: We are in the early stages of planning Civic Interest and it is coming together. Civic Interest will be a base camp for civic-minded people and projects. I want to allow the participants to work at their own pace and help each other in appropriate ways. It will be project-driven and allow people to leverage their experience to do something in the civic arena that they feel passionately and good about. One of my goals as I made this shift was to change my pace. After my career of full-time work and full-time community involvement, having the luxury of time to devote to a project without being rushed is delicious. I can do everything in a more relaxed and leisurely way and it allows time to try new things. There is something wonderful about being open to all possibilities and not knowing what comes next. This is the most interesting time of my life.
aw: In the midst of this career shift, you were also diagnosed with breast cancer. Your partner has also been battling this disease as well. Can you tell me about that part of your recent journey?
KT: I received my diagnosis in November of ‘07. I had been close to several people with breast cancer, so I thought I knew what to expect. I was very lucky. I have annual mammograms and we caught it at stage one before it spread to my lymph nodes. I got several opinions and did a massive amount of research and came to the conclusion that as a preventative measure I would have a bilateral mastectomy. I also decided not to have reconstructive surgery, which can last for several months. It was the right decision for me because my recovery was easy and the down time was short. Now I have breasts of all sizes and I put them on when I need them. I do without them when I don’t and it has certainly improved my golf swing and made running on Town [Lady Bird] Lake a lot easier.
aw: I know you are dedicated to helping other women fighting breast cancer. What advice do you have for them?
KT: First, become an undiagnosed breast cancer patient and have routine mammograms. Secondly, everyone that is diagnosed deserves the same opportunity to survive and receive optimum care. I was lucky that I had good insurance and that I could manage my care. I went to M.D. Anderson where all of the services and doctors I needed were in one place – doctors, labs, imaging, radiology and records. In Austin, that does not exist and people have to navigate the system and piece together their care. We are lacking in coordinated breast cancer care and I am concerned that it is costing lives.
aw: Have those concerns led to chairing the Mamma Jamma Ride this month?
KT: Yes. I wanted to be a part of history and have the chance to help change thousands of lives. Our goal is to raise $400,000 with 400 participants in the first year. If I didn’t believe this event can change the odds for our sisters and brothers right here in Central Texas, I would not be getting on a bike after 15 years on my couch. I would not be riding or raising money or serving as the chair for this significant event. I know firsthand – every person who gets involved is making a difference for someone with breast cancer. I can also see it catching on like the Race for the Cure and spreading to Dallas and Houston. There is no cure for breast cancer – not yet – just degrees of progress toward making this a chronic rather than a deadly disease. We want that next one-in-eight diagnosed to have every advantage possible to survive it – saved by early detection, better diagnostics, access to medical advances here in Austin, and to be attended by excellent specialists and care … all surrounded by a supportive community willing to help with things like child care, transportation, counseling, insurance coverage, advocacy … or just simply – companionship and contact when they are fearful.
aw: How do you see this inaugural event? Will all of the proceeds benefit local organizations?
KT: This idea is classically Austin – unique, wide-open, fun, outdoors, healthy. Four hundred in teams or individuals, old and young, experienced or not. The ride is fun for serious cyclists and the not-so-serious peddlers like me – a fully supported ride with routes ranging from 10-to-100 miles so that all ages, all levels can find a route that suits them.
Funds raised by Mamma Jamma may not cure cancer here, but we can save and improve lives. Our goal is to raise awareness and raise money so that the 10 established and respected local breast cancer related organizations already at work make a much greater difference given a growing population and overwhelming occurrence rates. I like to say, “We’ve ‘had it’ cancer – too many, too much.” The Texas Mamma Jamma Ride is the best way I know to fight back by acting locally to fight breast cancer here at home.