Montgomery County resident Cary Hatch has been appointed by Maryland Governor Wes Moore to serve on the Maryland State Council on Cancer Control, a 25-member body that advises state officials and organizations on cancer prevention and control.
Hatch is the founder of People vs. Radon, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about radon exposure and encouraging residents to test their homes for the invisible, odorless radioactive gas.
A lifelong nonsmoker, Hatch was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in July 2024. After discovering elevated radon levels in her home, she launched People vs. Radon to educate homeowners and renters throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., about the dangers of radon exposure.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers and is responsible for approximately 21,000 lung cancer deaths annually in the United States.
“I am deeply honored to join the Council in its work to protect the people of Maryland,” Hatch said. “My diagnosis stemmed from a hazard I never knew existed in the place I expected to be safest: my home.”
Established in 1991, the Maryland State Council on Cancer Control works to reduce cancer rates and deaths across the state.
More information about Hatch’s organization and radon testing resources is available at peoplevsradon.org.
