Leighanne Soden is the founder and President of West Cancer Foundation, which she established in 2020 to break barriers to cancer care for adult patients throughout the Mid-South. As President, she provides strategic leadership for fundraising, marketing, operations, communications, and community engagement, leading the Foundation’s growth into one of the region’s leading organizations dedicated to improving access to cancer care.

With more than 37 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, marketing, communications, and organizational development—including the past 23 years devoted to oncology philanthropy—Leighanne has built a career focused on improving the lives of cancer patients and strengthening the organizations that serve them. Under her leadership, West Cancer Foundation has experienced significant growth in fundraising, community partnerships, patient services, and organizational impact. She has also led strategic initiatives to strengthen governance, diversify revenue, and position the Foundation as a recognized leader in addressing barriers to cancer care across the region.

Prior to founding West Cancer Foundation, Leighanne served in leadership roles with the American Cancer Society, where she successfully directed the $9 million capital campaign to build Harrah’s Hope Lodge in Memphis. During that time, she met Dr. Bill Wests and witnessed firsthand the extraordinary care being provided to adult cancer patients in Memphis—an experience that helped inspire the creation and vision of West Cancer Foundation.

The loss of her father to cancer in 2018 transformed Leighanne’s professional calling into a deeply personal mission to ensure that every patient has access to the care, support, and resources they need throughout their cancer journey.

Leighanne earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a Master of Arts in Communications from the University of Arkansas. She serves on the Community Action Council for the Tennessee Nonprofit Network and is a past president of the Rotary Club of Memphis East, a Paul Harris Fellow, and the recipient of an American Cancer Society award recognizing the largest single charitable gift in the Memphis area.

Leighanne and her husband, Jack, reside in Germantown.