Nancy Saltzman grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where her hair was always curly. She moved to Colorado Springs in 1970 to attend Colorado College where her hair would be straight and to become a teacher. She recently retired from a thirty-two year career in public education as a teacher and administrator during which time she received the prestigious Milken Family Foundation Award for her work in education, was recognized as Colorado’s National Distinguished Principal, and was awarded the American Cancer Society’s Sword of Hope. Saltzman presently enjoys volunteering, reading, laughing with her husband of four years and hiking with their two dogs in the foothills of Colorado Springs.

Dr. Saltzman, completed her award winning memoir, Radical Survivor, in 2012. The book chronicles her extraordinary tale as a two-time cancer survivor who lost her entire family in a small-plane crash. Told with honesty, insight, and laugh-out-loud flashes of humor, plus the added richness of letters Saltzman received, her story traverses the full spectrum of human emotions. Her journey reminds us that the heart can make room for both loved ones lost and happiness found, offering a compelling gift of hope. She is a much sought after inspirational speaker whose impact lasts long after you hear her story.