Ilene Winters, a local woman, graduated from Ocean Township High School and went on to Bennington College in Southern Vermont. After school, she began working on Wall Street, and had a 20-year career that spanned from clerking to trading to marketing to sales and finally to sales management. She "retired" in 2002, shortly after September 11, 2001 to pursue other interests. She returned to school and got a Master's Degree in Human Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut.
After her Mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer, Ilene decided she needed to something to help people affected by cancer. She initially thought she would use her new Master's degree to counsel cancer patients on proper nutrition during and after treatment. Somehow, this did not seem like enough and after reading a book called The Force Program, Ilene decided to open a "cancer wellness center". Through her association with the Lance Armstrong Foundation, she learned about The Wellness Community and discovered how close it was to what she was looking to create. She inquired about a charter, and set the wheels in motion to bring cancer support, education and hope to the Jersey Shore.
Ilene is the Executive Director of The Wellness Community, Northern Jersey Shore - The Diney Goldsmith Center.
